Humpback Whales

If Carlsberg did Humpback Whales this is how they would look.  Coming off Skellig Michael Island last Thursday afternoon there were 8 of these stunning creatures feeding, breaching and hanging around the calm waters of south Kerry.  The first series of shots are of a humpback eating a shoal of sprat.

Humpback Whales off Skelligs John N Murphy

 

Puffin'd Out

I have spent most of this summer working on Skellig Michael Island in Kerry surveying seabirds and encounter Puffins everyday. There are somewhere between 7-10,000 of these beautiful looking birds on the island, and very colourful they are, but at this stage I have encountered enough to last a lifetime.  Looking forward to finding something unusual on the island as we creep closer to autumn. 

 

  

 Puffins, Skellig Michael, County Kerry John N Murphy

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilts are a very common breeding bird in the Algarve and throughout Portugal.  Always a very nice bird to see and photograph and can be very approachable in saltpans close to roadsides and embankment walkways.

 

 A selection of Black-winged Stilts from Portugal John N Murphy

 

 

Purple Swamphen

Purple Swamphen are easily seen from the hides at Quinta do Logo and Ludo, not far from Faro Airport in the middle of the Ria Formosa, the Algarve Portugal. This was not the case when I first birded in Portugal 27 years ago.  They were few and very elusive.

 Purple Swamphen at Ludo, Portugal John N Murphy

Collared Pratincole

These Collared Pratincoles were photographed near a nesting island on a small lake near Penilhos midway between Castro Verde and Mertoela in the Alentejo, Portugal.

 Collared Pratincoles in flight and defending their nests John N Murphy

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Just back after a week in sunny Portugal, where for the second year running I managed to catch up with Great Spotted Cuckoo near Casevel , North of Castro Verde in the Alentejo.  Other good birds seen here were Rollers, Great and Little Bustards, Spanish Imperial Eagles, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Collared Pratincoles and Calandra Larks.  Here are a few shots of this years Great Spotted Cuckoo.

Great Spotted Cuckoo near Casevel, Portugal John N Murphy