And yet more Glaucous Gulls!

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Inishbofin feeding on dead Common-type Dolphin, 20th January 2014.

 

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Inishbofin, 20th January 2014.

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Inishbofin, 20th January 2014.

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Inishbofin, 20th January 2014.

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Inishbofin, 20th January 2014.

Adult Glaucous Gull, Inishbofin, 20th January 2014.

Adult Glaucous Gull, Inishbofin, 20th January 2014.

Adult Glaucous Gull, Inishbofin, 20th January 2014.

Adult Glaucous Gull, Inishbofin, 20th January 2014.

First-winter and adult Glaucous Gull, Inishbofin, 20th January 2014.

 

Icelands & RBG 18th January 2014



I took a quick spin into Rossaveel on Saturday. Virtually no fishing boats in at all which equalled no food for gulls. This site has been extremely poor this winter. This second-winter Iceland came in for some bread. It has been present since 4th January. In certain light it looked like a possible Kumlien's candidate but I think it was just too close to call so I'll leave as Iceland for now.

The same line-up that was in at Nimmo's last weekend was again there. The adult Iceland was giving particularly good views.
There was also a new adult Ring-billed Gull up at Waterside. We have two or three adults that have been returning for years now but this looked like a new individual.

Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 18th January 2014.

Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 18th January 2014.

Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 18th January 2014.

Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 18th January 2014.

Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 18th January 2014.

Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 18th January 2014.

Adult Iceland Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 18th January 2014.

Adult Iceland Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 18th January 2014.

Adult Iceland Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 18th January 2014.

Adult Iceland Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 18th January 2014.

Adult Iceland Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 18th January 2014.

Adult Iceland Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 18th January 2014.

Adult Ring-billed Gull, Waterside, 18th January 2014.

Adult Ring-billed Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 18th January 2014.

 

Connemara white-wings

Looks to be an above average winter for Glaucous Gulls this winter. I've seen three adults but just two first-winters so far in Galway. They are real scavengers and have seen birds feeding on a dead dolphin and a dead dog, not a pretty sight.

Adult Glaucous Gull, Dogs Bay, Roundstone.

Adult Glaucous Gull, Dogs Bay, Roundstone.

Adult Glaucous Gull, Murvey, Roundstone. A real brute compared to the adjacent puny Herring Gull

Adult Glaucous Gull, Murvey, Roundstone.

Adult Glaucous Gull, Murvey, Roundstone.

 

First-winter Glaucous Gull feeding on an unfortunate victim of the storm on Omey Island.

 

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Omey Island.

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Omey Island.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Murvey, Roundstone.

 

First-winter Iceland Gull, Murvey, Roundstone.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Murvey, Roundstone with Errisbeg hill.

 

Galway aerials

I was up in an Irish Air Corp Cessna plane last Sunday along with a colleague from Mayo to carry out some aerial monitoring of the coastal SAC's. The Galway sites didn't seem to suffer as badly as some of the Mayo SAC we flew over. Most of the damage was to infrastructure such as roads, walls, etc. Great day to be up in the air though three hours was just enough for my stomach!

Killary Harbour, looking East.

Cleggan causeway, Cleggan Bay on left, Lough Anillaun on the right.

Aughrusbeg Lough and Rossadillask.

Fahy Lough, Omey Island, Omey Strand behind.

Turbot Island, one of the Corncrake strongholds of Connemara.

Slyne Head islands.



Aillebrack machair commanage, looking rather wet at the moment.



Aillebrack, the road was washed away here which cut off several houses on this cul de sac. You can see how far the wave surge travelled up the small stream here by the sand deposited.



Murlach beside Ballyconneely Bay. Huge amounts of seaweed deposited. The waves came over the road which flooded the lough which is normally half this size.




Gurteen and Dog's BAy. The roads on both sides here were also washed away. At least three metres of the sandy spit washed away on both sides.



Illaunnacroagh More & Beg with Croghnakeela in the background. The latter is one of Star the White-tailed Eagle's hunting spots.




Finish Island off Carna, accessible for an hour or two at low tide. 



Fish farm off Kilkieran.



Barr an Doire graveyard, Carraroe. Some damage to the graveyard walls and graves.



Carraroe car park, wall and tarmac have taken a battering.

Stone walls of Carraroe.