Yellow-legged Gull

I had to go to Limerick City today to collect equipment for a job planned for next week.  The premises I was visiting was right next to the Shannon River and near the old Salmon Weir across from King John's Island, so I got a chance to scan the gulls while passing that way.  I noticed this third-winter Yellow-legged Gull standing on the weir with Lesser Black-backed Gulls.  To be honest due to the paleness of the bare parts and dainty size, I had to contact Killian Mullarney for help and confirmation before coming to the conclusion that it was a Larus michahellis.  This is only the third Limerick record and all previous two birds have been found at this exact location.  The second record was a sub-adult found on the weir by Paul Troake on the 7th January 2011. I was lucky enough to find the first county record, an adult on this weir on 21st November 2008. 

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis, Limerick City © John N Murphy

Fulmars Return

While back at Loop Head early last Sunday morning, I noticed there were thousands of seabirds wheeling about on the sea in feeding flocks off the tip of Loop Head.  The Fulmars in particular caught my attention as many had returned to sit on old and traditional nest sites on Diarmuid & Grainnes Rock, to the north shore of the tip of Loop.  During November our Fulmars normally disappear for a few months and go out to deep sea in the North Atlantic, returning in late December and early January. Maybe this year Hurricane Sandy caused some disturbance to birds that normally feed out on the edge of the continental shelf?

Fulmars on Diarmuid & Grainnes Rock, Loop Head Lighthouse © John N Murphy

Wet Wet Wet

This poor wet Skylark was doing his best to feed on a patch of open saturated bog in west Limerick earlier today.  I bet he is wishing he had migrated off to Iberia for the winter with the rest of the flock.

Skylark, Athea west Limerick © John N Murphy

Twite

I was back at Loop early this morning still trying to pull a decent bird out of the bag.  There were some migrants on the headland including a small flock of nine Twite near the tip of the headland along with fifteen Snow Bunting, a Merlin and one Peregrine.

Twite at Loop Head © John N Murphy

Lesser Scaup 1

The young drake Lesser Scaup was showing well early this morning at Lough Gash.  The bird came close to the east shore near Killnasoola Park Housing Estate where it fed in this area for the day.

Lesser Scaup at Lough Gash, November 2012 © John N Murphy

Lesser Scaup

I had a look at Lough Gash this afternoon, a small lake outside the village where I live, Newmarket-on-Fergus.  There were lots of Tufted ducks, a drake Greater Scaup and the bad photo attached of a first-winter Lesser Scaup.  For years I have been trying to find one here in Clare, and at last I got lucky and found the first county record of this rare North American vagrant.  Hopefully tomorrow I might get a few half decent shots, when I have a bit more time to spend on the bird.

First-winter drake Lesser Scaup © John N Murphy

Dead Loop

I was back at Loop thee days this past week.  Last Saturday where the Brambling and American Golden Plover were the highlights. First thing Tuesday morning I was back to see the Red-breasted Flycatcher that was found by my old friend Tony Mee the previous day.  And yesterday, saturday 3rd November where strong winds and lots of rain kept migrants away or skulking in the undergrowth. A few hours spent watching off the Bridges of Ross only produced one immature Sabine's Gull passing with kittiwakes, along with one Great Northern Diver at sea with four more in bays around the headland and two Common Scoter also at sea.  The juvenile American Golden Plover was still in the Horse Fields at the Bridges of Ross with the small flock of Golden Plover.  I stopped off at Moyasta Creek on my way home where one of the Spotted Sandpipers was still present.  He might over-winter?

This was the one and only photograph I got last Tuesday morning of the first winter Red-breasted Flycatcher in Gibson's garden, Loop Head © John N Murphy