Mizen Head

I took a few hours off work Wednesday 4th September, to get down to Mizen Head to see the Red-breasted Flycatcher and Pied Flycatcher.  While there, my buddy Finbarr and I managed to find a Common Rosefinch in the same garden as the RBF, and a Nightingale in the garden closest to the Lighthouse where the Pied and Spotted Flycatchers were hanging out. Another great days birding.  Below are a few shots of the RBF, Pied Fly and Spot Fly. The Nightingale dropped into a small tree of the garden where we were watching the Pied Fly and then flew down low under an ash tree and hid for hours. Dan Ballard got glimpses of it later in the evening.  By the following day all birds cleared out and a male Redstart arrived on the headland.  There was also a Wryneck seen only by DB and the Common Rosefinch stuck about for three to four minutes before disappearing.

 Red-breasted Flycatcher,  Pine Wood garden, Mizen © John N Murphy

 Spotted Flycatcher, Mizen Head © John N Murphy

Pied Flycatcher, Mizen Head © John N Murphy

Whinchat

I also managed to find two Whinchats while on Mizen Head last Thursday 22nd September.  One was near the lighthouse while the other was in the valley at the other side of the hill at Three Castles.

Spotted Flycatcher

While in Cork last week I visited Mizen Head on 21st & 22nd September.  There was one Hudsonian Whimbrel there which was found on the 20th, and I managed to re-find it on the Wednesday 21st.  But I could not get close enough to get any pics, the bird was very wary and alert.  This was only the third Irish record of this North American form of Whimbrel in Ireland.  Also at Mizen was one Semi-palmated Sandpiper, two Whinchats and a Spotted Flycatcher as seen below.