Spring 2017

Just a round up of a collection of the few photos that I've taken over the last two and a half months or so with an obvious winter taste. Some shots of Waxwings from a flock that hung around the National School at Rosscahill on 5th March.

Waxwing

Waxwing

Waxwing

Waxwing

Waxwing

Waxwing

Forster's Tern, Kinvarra,12th March. 

Forster's Tern, Kinvarra, 12th March. 

I had this colour ringed Mediterranean Gull AJAT yet again in Mannin Bay on 3rd March. I've previously had it here on 22nd October 2012 and 26th February 2013. I also had it at Omey Island on 16th October 2013. It was ringed as a chick at Pionierinsel Lühe, Steinkirchen, Stade, Niedersachsen, Germany on 17th June 2006. It's also been seen at Presall Sands, Pilling Lane, Lancashire,  England and Wissant, plage, Pas-de-Calais, France. It's been recorded breeding on the flat roof of a factory near it's birth place in the intervening years.

Mediterranean Gull

I've also been busy with the national Peregrine Falcon Survey this year. I've been checking about nine 5km squares with active sites in Connemara along with four more out on Inishmore. Mixed results so far with some previously successful sites already failed even before egg laying was attempted. We also finished up Raven pulli ringing in April and most are now well fledged at this stage. We ringed a total of 36 chicks from 9 broods giving a average brood size of four chicks. 

A pair of breeding Raven was shot out on Inishbofin last year with the chicks lefted in the nest (we managed to rescue the chicks from a long slow death through dehyration/starvation). This was following a lot of anti-Raven sentiment on the island lead by one person in recent years who has emotively labelled the species as a "menace", "beast" and "marauders". Unfortunately one unknown person on the island decided to take the law into his own hands last year. The cove where the pair were shot is named locally as Uaimh na bhFiach i.e. Cove of the Raven. It's been a long time since Irish has been a spoken language on the island so there is obviously a long history of the species on the island. Not surprisingly Uaimh na bhFiach was sadly empty of Ravens this season. Ravens like all bird species in Ireland are protected under the Wildlife Act including all "seagull" species. There is however a derogation made for hooded crows, magpies, rooks, jackdaws, woodpigeon and feral pigeons under certain circumstances.

There was no sign the resident pair of Peregrines on Inishbofin this year.

Second calendar female Peregrine on an old Raven nest, photographed under license. 

Second calendar female Peregrine on an old Raven nest, photographed under license. 

Raven nest  photographed under license

Twite, North Mayo cliffs.

Nimmo's Pier 10th & 15th February 2014

A selection of some recent shots from mostly Nimmo's Pier.



Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

 

Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Second-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

Second-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

Second-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

 

Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

Adult Iceland Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 10th February 2014.

Adult Kittiwake, Nimmo's Pier, 10th February 2014. I've probably seen more Laughing Gulls on the slipway at Nimmo's than I have Kittiwakes!

Adult Kittiwake, Nimmo's Pier, 10th February 2014.

Adult Ring-billed Gull (bird no. 1), Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Adult Ring-billed Gull (bird no. 2), Nimmo's Pier, 10th February 2014.

Adult Ring-billed Gull (bird no. 3), Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Barnacle Goose with Pale-bellied Brent Geese, Nimmo's Pier, 10th February 2014.

Turnstone, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

carbo Cormorant, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

Little Egret, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

Otter, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

 

Terns & Gulls

Some shots from mostly Nimmo's Pier over the last month or so.

There are currently at least seven Sandwich Terns hanging around Nimmo's again this winter. They've been wintering here now for the last two decades. In amongst the seven there is a first-winter which are unusual here during the winter. On top of this it is also colour ringed with a red ring. Unfortunately it looks like the ring may be damaged already as I haven't managed to fully read it on the three times I've seen it. The first digit is a U but after that it becomes unclear. However we do know that it was ringed on the Inner Farne Islands, Northumberland, UK. Nice to know where some of our winter Sandwich Terns originate from at least. It has also replaced a lot of the juvenile feathers on the lesser and median coverts in the last month.
I've often thought that if we can get Forster's Tern here maybe we could get a Cabot's Tern some day?
The winter has gotten off to a decent start for white-winged gulls here in Galway with three first-winter and a second-winter Iceland along with the second-winter and adult "Kumlien's" Gull here so far. Most white-wingers don't traditionally show up until after New Years here. With all these violet weather systems making their way across the Atlantic there may well be even more on the way, fingers crossed.



Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 4th December 2013.

Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 4th December 2013.



 

Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 4th December 2013.

 

First-winter Sandwich Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 16th November 2013.

 

Close-up of the colour ring.

Adult Sandwich Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 16th November 2013.

Adult Sandwich Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 16th November 2013.

Adult Sandwich Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 16th November 2013.

First-winter Ring-billed Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 4th December 2013.

 

First-winter Iceland Gull, Waterside, 15th December 2013.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rinvyle Point, 16th December 2013.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rinvyle Point, 16th December 2013.

Nimmo's Pier and Doorus

Miserable weather conditions all day and only got worse... Tried Nimmo's first. Good numbers of Icelands present on the slipway with a few out on the beach and Mutton Island. Minimum of seven first-winters, four second-winters and an adult Iceland. One adult Ring-bill also.

 Second and first-winter Iceland.

 Adult Iceland Gull.

 Adult Iceland Gull.

 Second-winter Iceland Gull

 First-winter Iceland Gull

  First-winter Iceland Gull

 First-winter Iceland Gull

 Second-winter Iceland Gull

 Second-winter Iceland Gull (same bird as above).

 First-winter Iceland Gull

Second-winter Iceland Gull. The long staying Iceland/Kumlien's candidate.

 Scrum of six Iceland Gulls

Quick look at Brandy Harbour produced a single Spotted Redshank that promptly diasppeared. On to Newtownlynch Pier (Doorus Pier/Traught Beach, take you pick) next. Thankfully the Forster's Tern was sat out on Goat Island, the small rock just offshore with three Sandwich Terns. Only the second time I've seen it here this winter. They all took off to the west out in the direction of Aughinish Island. I would have got some half decent shots of the Forster's had I  stayed on the pier itself but them the breaks.

 Forster's Tern, Goat Island, Newtownlynch Pier.

 Forster's Tern, Goat Island, Newtownlynch Pier.

 Sandwich Terns, Newtownlynch Pier



The clutch in my car went when I was only 15 minutes from home which was a great finish to the day. Won't be fixed till Monday at the earliest. Could be worse, it could have gone when I was all the way down at Kinvara!