Garganey

This pair of Garganey turned up at Ballyallia Lake, Ennis yesterday.  The pair have been skulking around in vegetation near the mouth of the River Fergus on the town side of the lake.  In Clare we see few of these birds on an annual basis and when we do they normally tend to be juveniles in Autumn, normally in September.  This is the second time in the last two years that this species has appeared at this lake.  Hopefully a sign that it may be an annual occurrence. 

Garganey

I was in Oxford, the UK over the weekend visiting family.  On the way back I detoured to visit the Wetlands and Wildlife Trust Centre at Slimbridge in Gloucester.  A fantastic facility and Nature Reserve and this was at the end of the winter season with nearly all the ducks, swans and geese already departed for the summer breeding grounds in the Arctic.  Did mange to see the free flying immature first-winter female Lesser Scaup, one drake Garganey, three Little Ringed Plovers, one Green Sandpiper, a few Sedge and Reed warblers.  This male Garganey was feeding on the Severn side of the reserve with other ducks.