Buff-breasted Sand

Selection of the best of the weekend lot. Had planned to check the Roonagh/Corragaun Lough stretch on Saturday but left it late waiting for the low tide. Got word that Seamus Feeney and Declan Skehan had found a juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Corragaun Lough in the morning. Caught up with the sandpiper in beside the lake itself with about 130 Ringed Plover and 30 Dunlin. The whole flock was very flighty and I couldn't approach the flock too closely. The whole lot got up and relocated out onto the large open area of salt marsh/machair. I had a juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper here last year on 10th September. I think there's another previous record of the species here also.
Checked several of the beaches and Roonagh Lough itself but nothing special doing.

The first half of Sunday was a wash out so took a trip out to Rahasane Turlough in the afternoon. Aonghus had a Pectoral Sandpiper here on Friday, the first autumn Yank wader in the county. Water levels which were worryingly high up until only last weekend have dropped dramatically. All the action was as usual up at the East/Craughwell end. A flock of 50 Black-tailed Godwits were the same that I had the previous weekend at the opposite end of the turlough as they contained the same juvenile colour ringed bird along with a new colour ringed adult, the juvenile Spotted Redshank and the juvenile Ruff.



Juvenile colour ringed Black-tailed Godwit



Juvenile Spotted Redshank in the there somewhere, I swear.

I also came across these two Garganey. Obviously a first year and adult bird. I reckon the young bird could be a male due to the equal width white bars bordering the speculum. Don't think these are broad enough for an adult male, while the forewing colour isn't strong or bright enough either. Great shot here showing from left to right eclipse adult male, (adult?) female, first year male and eclipse adult male.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7892550@N03/5055727866/

 

First-year male and adult female Garganey.

  


First year male and adult female Garganey.

  

First year male Garganey