Clifden Quay & Omey Strand

One adult-type and first-winter Iceland Gulls down in Clifden Quay on Tuesday. Both birds were attracted to the small flock of Herrings feeding on the bread but neither joined the melee. At a distance you could easily mistake the adult type as a full adult but on close views I don't think it's 100% there just yet. It had very faint brown tones to the outer primary quills and had some traces of brown/mixed moult to the median, lesser coverts and primary/median primary coverts and alula. Possibly a fourth-winter bird. The few birds that I've suspected of being of this age usually still have a blackish gonys spot which this bird is lacking.

Fourth-winter Iceland Gull, Clifden Quay. 

Fourth-winter Iceland Gull, Clifden Quay. 

Fourth-winter Iceland Gull, Clifden Quay. 

Fourth-winter Iceland Gull, Clifden Quay. 

 First and fourth-winter Iceland Gulls, Clifden Quay.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Clifden Quay.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Clifden Quay. 

Came across a colour-ringed Brent Goose out on Omey Strand while doing the I-WeBS count. Haven't got the full latest life history but as it turns out I had the very same bird in on the football pitch at Nimmo's Pier back on 8th February 2008. It had been seen down in Tralee, Co. Kerry earlier in the winter. Will be interesting to see if it did the same this winter. The 2008 update is below.

Ringing Site; Seltjarnarnes, SW Iceland 

Date Ringed; 24/05/05 

Sex; F

Darvic; SJLY 

Age Code; 5

Status: Metal; 123887 

Right Leg Letter/Colour: S Lime 

Left Leg Letter/Colour: J Yellow 

Date           Obs            Grid            Site Subsite                       

27-Oct-06   GMU         Q740175    Tralee Bay Barrow Harbour 

01-May-07  HG                             Skerjafjörður Álftanes/Lambh./Grandi

01-May-07  GG                             Skerjafjörður Álftanes/Lambh./Grandi

15-Oct-07   KM            J506721     Strangford Lough Ballyreagh (Maltings)

15-Oct-07   GM            J506721     Strangford Lough Ballyreagh (Maltings)

17-Oct-07   KC            J506721     Strangford Lough Ballyreagh (Maltings)

18-Oct-07   HT             J512717     Strangford Lough Finlays Road

17-Nov-07   JMU/FM    Q740175     Tralee Bay Barrow Harbour

07-Feb-08   MBY         M297243    Galway Bay Galway City/South Park

09-Feb-08   DBR          M297243    Galway Bay Galway City/South Park