Killary Harbour & Rossaveel

Car still out of action so didn't get up to much over the weekend. Spent Monday out on patrol which produced nothing spectacular but always good to get out and about. About a mile before reaching Killary Harbour I unfortunately came across a road kill Otter. Was relieved to come across one very live Otter hunting in the fjord itself right beside the road. Pity it was such a damp misty day for photography.

 Road-kill Otter

 Otter, Killary Harbour

 Otter, Killary Harbour

Popped into Rossaveel for a quick look as Mike Davis reported large numbers of Herring there on Sunday due to a large arrival of trawlers carrying Mackerel apparently. Still good numbers of gulls still present but only just the one first-winter Iceland, Mike only had a single first and second-winter. Difficult to explain why such low numbers of white-wingers here compared to other spots like Nimmo's, Ross beach and even Clifden harbour where you normally wouldn't get huge numbers of large gulls but always seem to hold their fair share of white-wings.

 Grey Seal Rossaveel.

 Harbour Seal, Rossaveel.

 First-winter Herring Gull, Rossaveel

 Adult argentatus Herring Gull, Rossaveel

Pale first-winter Herring, Rossaveel. Any takers for Mongolian Gull?!

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel.

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!

Ross Beach

Had an adult and first-winter Iceland Gull at Clifden Quay while jogging by this afternoon (back joggin again after a five month break, gonna feel it tomorrow!). By the time I arrived back again an hour later with the gear the first-winter had gone but the adult still remained. He was the only large gull present who showed zero interest in the bread.

 Adult Iceland Gull, Clifden.

 Adult Iceland Gull, Clifden.

Decided to check Ross beach as I haven't done so in about a week.Was happy to see a few white-wingers out on the fish farm. Tried throwing out a few slices of Aldi's finest. Once the first gull noticed the bread in the water every gull within sight piled in immediately. Over the next hour I had a good total of a second-winter Glaucous, three first-winter and three second-winter Icelands and best of all two third-winter Kumlien's. These are only Kumlien's number two and three for Galway this winter. Bird number one had a dark tail with a pale centre. Bird number two had the opposite pattern - unmarked outer tail feathers with some mottling in the centre. Also had a second-winter white-winger that had me scratching my head for a while. It was either between a bleached male Iceland or a female Glaucous but I favoured the latter option in the end. 

 Kumlien's on the left with a second-winter Glaucous, one first and two second-winter Icelands.

 One and a half third-winter Kumlien's Gulls.

 Third-winter Kumlien's Gull, bird no. 1.

 Third-winter Kumlien's Gull, bird no. 1.

 Third-winter Kumlien's Gull, bird no. 1.

 Third-winter Kumlien's Gull, bird no. 2.

 Third-winter Kumlien's Gull, bird no. 2.

 Third-winter Kumlien's Gull bird no. 2.

 Third-winter Kumlien's Gull bird no. 2.

 Third-winter Kumlien's Gull bird no. 2.

 Second-winter Iceland Gull

Second-winter Glaucous Gull

21st February 2012

Headed out to Rahasnae Turlough to have a nosey about for the American Wigeon. I don't think it's been really looked for since I last had it a fortnight back apart from Rich Bonser. The place was packed with duck and I spent the next two and half hours going through the throngs of birds. Best I could manage was an apparent male American x Eurasian Wigeon, a pair of Shelduck (site tick for me), a tight pack of 33 Little Egrets and a "unkindness" of five Ravens.

 Male American x Eurasian Wigeon, Rahasane Turlough.

  Male American x Eurasian Wigeon, Rahasane Turlough.

 A small part of the horde at Rahasane.

33 Little Egrets by my count.

Must have been a deep animal in the immediate vicintiy, note the full crop.

Had a look around Ahapouleen Turlough,Tawin Island, Kilcaimin and Ardfry. High tide was in so the numbers of birds were low enough.

Sunday 19th February

Started off the day at Nimmo's with low tide at around 9.30. Reasonably quiet. Three Sandwich Terns down on the beach and still no sign of the Forster's. The latter has spent the entire winter down around the Kinvara - Doorus area. Why it's suddenly decided for the first time not to come the 10km north up to Nimmo's in its 9 years is a little strange.

 One of three Sandwich Terns.

Would be great to get the ring number from this bird.



Inside at the slipway there were there usual suspects - three adult Ring-billed Gulls (two at least even longer stayers than the Forster's) along with four first-winters and an adult Iceland Gull.

 Nice dark first-winter Iceland, small bird. Open wing below.

First-winter Iceland looking a little poorly.

 Ring-bill No. 1

 Ring-bill No. 2

Ring-bill No. 3 (I think thats jam on its bill!)

I headed north from here after quickly checking on a dead Waterside. Next stop was Belclare Turlough. Great light with good numbers of duck present. The water levels have dropped a wee bit as it had at Rahasane last weekend. Came across a male Green-winged Teal on the far side of the lough from the bird hide. It promptly disappeared but I later had it from the school. I had a Green-winged Teal here back in January 2000 and again last winter. I wonder has it been the same bird returning all these years? Like Rahasane there are several hundred Teal here each winter with a multitude of wetland sites in the surrounding area for it to slip quietly away.

Green-winged Teal record shot.

Bird hide at Belclare Turlough, runner up in the most uncomfortable bird hide awards.



Rostaff Lake on the Galway/Mayo border held rather low numbers of duck however. Still good numbers of Shoveler present with a few Greylags in the adjacent fields.
Last stop of the day was to the Pallid Harrier site. It had be a nice mild day up to this point but standing in the one stop for two and half hours doesn't do you any favours. Had the same flock of 40 Greenland White-fronts flying over and landing only about 500 metres away where they completely vanished thanks to the rank vegetation.

Part of a flock of 40 GWFs

Aonghus and Mike joined me later and over the course of the evening we had the Slieve Aughies wing tagged adult female, an un-tagged adult female, an adult male Hen and last to show was the Pallid. Too far to get any shots unfortunately. Hoping to get some decent pics during the week. I've returned numerous times for the Pallid as I know it'll be a long time before I see one in Galway. To date besides Aonghus and myself only four people have gone for this bird with only two of those being successful.