Mr. and Mrs. WTE

Finally managed to record the wing tags on the female White-tailed Eagle out in Roundstone Bog while out looking for Merlin yesterday evening. They were just sitting out on very small rocky outcrop some distance from the nearest lough. The female dwarfed the male in size and was far less advanced plumage-wise compared to the male. Apparently she is supposed to be the same age of the male which is really amazing. I would have expected a fourth calendar bird to be far advanced than this. Unfortunately a stampede of Sheep spooked them before I could get any closer.


Female and male Star White-tailed Eagles



Mantle feather dropped by the female.

Common Sandpiper, Roundstone Bog



Quite a pale billed bird.



The rest of the shots are from down near Moyrus, Carna and Cleggan taken this week.

Little Tern, near Carna.

Sandwich Tern, near Carna.

Rounstone Bog 11th/12th June 2012

Spent the last two days in at Roundstone Bog trying to get the tags on the unknown female White-tailed Eagle that has been knocking around with male Star. No sign of herself but Star was present giving great views, what a sight!


Common Gull. Looks like a third-summer due to the dark markings on the alula and primary coverts. The black/grey border along p7 & 8 aren't very well defined either.



Adult Common Gull

Great Black-backed Gull. Two pairs breeding next to Cormorant colony.

Cormorant colony. Only 40 sitting birds present. 160 sitting birds recorded during the Seabird 2000 survey. I think someone pictured below may be having an effect on them...



Four-spotted Chaser



Four-spotted Chaser with Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Teal family, I was surprised to see the male in attendance.

There was a seventh duckling nearby also.

Female Merlin just finishing up mobbing a roaming family party of Ravens. She would only weigh a fifth of an average Raven but they were still terrified of her!

Redshank, first time I've come across breeding Redshank this far West. Right beside the main road.

Male star White-tailed Eagle

Getting a bit of grief from the local GBB Gulls, probably not the first time, he's been here since late March.

Slyne Head 30th May 12

Collection of pics mostly from Slyne Head today. Great weather, temperature not as intense as the last few days. Got a county butterfly tick in the form of Small Blue behind the golf course also.

Best bird of the day was undoubtedly a Pectoral Sandpiper in Truska in the very same spot that I had five individuals back in September. Wonder if it's one of the five returning back North? As far as I can make out this is the first record of an American wader seen during the Spring county Galway.

Wall Brown

Small Blue

Mother Shipton

Silver Hook

Forester

Large Carder Bee

Red-shanked Carder Bee

Sedge Warbler

Wheatear

Juvenile Wheatear

Black Guillemot

Guillemot with Razorbills

Skylark

Skylark

Cuckoo

Pectoral Sandpiper



Pectoral Sandpiper