Goosanders

I had to go to Limerick City this morning and got the chance to research for the three Goosanders near Shannon Banks on the Clare/Limerick border.  I eventually got views of the two eclipsed drakes and the one female.  It was hard to get shots but I managed a few record ones through the bankside vegetation.

 Goosanders at Shannon Banks & Corbally, Limerick City © John N Murphy

Caspian Gull

Here are a series of additional shots of the Caspian Gull in Limerick City with the first winter Yellow-legged Gull and other Herring Gulls.

 

 Caspian Gull & friends © John N Murphy

Northern Gull in Limerick

This first-winter Northern Gull Larus argenteus argentatus was at Thomand Weir in Limerick today along with the second-winter Caspian Gull, the first-winter Yellow-legged Gull, two first-winter Iceland Gulls, one adult and one first-winter ring-billed Gulls and a variety of other gulls.

Northern Herring Gull Larus argenteus argentatus with adult Great Black-backed and first-winter Herring

 © John N Murphy

Ring-billed Gull Limerick

I was back in Limerick this morning gull watching and got some shots of the first-winter and adult birds on O'Callaghan's Strand and slipway.

First-winter and adult Ring-billed Gull © John N Murphy

Caspian Gull

I made it down to Limerick this morning to meet Dermot Breen where we got great views of the second winter Caspian Gull on the Shannon River at O'Callaghan's Strand and slipway.  Dull conditions but the bird was fairly confiding and easily entice to the slipway by the sliced pans of bread that Dermot provided.  This is a first Limerick record and a first for the mid west of Ireland.
 

Caspian Gull Limerick City John N Murphy

Adult Ring-billed Gull John N Murphy

Spotted Redshank

I got a text from Tom Tarpey early this afternoon (Sunday 5th May), to say that he had found a pair of Garganey at Coonagh Settlement Ponds.  I arrived one hour afterwards and did not manage to find them after a two hour search.  I did however find an adult summer plumage Little Gull and this summer plumage Spotted Redshank in the shots below.  The bird was hanging out with a flock of 120 Black-tailed Godwits.

Spotted Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits at Coonagh © John N Murphy