A few pictures from the adjacent islands of Inishbofin and Inishark from last month. I was giving a talk out on Inishbofin and had some views of one showy Corncrake up at the West end. Light was a little too strong and was at the wrong angle. It's looking there are at least a dozen singing males again on the island and I wouldn't be surprised if there a few more before the official counts are finished. I was out with the Living the Wildlife crew who are filming Great Skuas on Inishark also. Looking forward to seeing the finished product on the telly which will probably be next year. The skuas hadn't hatched up until last week. Numbers appear to be increasing from a very low starting point for the last ten years or more since they established themselves on the West coast of Ireland. I had a surprise of a Turtle Dove with around five Collared Doves as I leaving Inishark. There have been two Corncrakes on Inishark this summer from the nettle patches around the deserted houses. Unfortunately the Corncrakes don't have anywhere else to go on the island as there are no fences on the entire island and sheep have the whole place grazed to the ground, a common issue on a lot of offshore islands in recent summers. Inishark was alive with Wheatears the last day as the first broods of the year had just left the nests. I hope to get out to Inishark again shortly for a longer stay fingers crossed. I've only ever at most spent a few hours on the island before and you always find yourself running around like a headless chicken before you have to leave again. Things have been a little hectic for the last two months between ringing Ravens, Peregrines and Kestrels. We've also into our second year of surveying Golden Plovers on the Connemara Bog Special Protection Area. Merlins are again to the forefront at the moment. They are always later in their pregress compared to the other two falcons. I've found active pairs so far this summer. I'll post a few pictures on all these at some stage.
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| Corncrake |
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| Male Reed Bunting |
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| Female Linnet |
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| Hooded Crow |
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| Adult Meadow Pipit |
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| Juvenile Meadow Pipit |
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| Juvenile Robin |
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| Sedge Warbler collecting nest material. |
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| Dunnock |
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| Turtle Dove |
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| Turtle Dove with Collared Doves |
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| Family of Wheatears |
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| Juvenile Wheatear |
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| Juvenile Wheatear |
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| Male Wheatear |
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| Male Wheatear |
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| Female Wheatear |
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| Migrant Willow Warbler |
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| Rabbit |
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| Getting set up in the hide for the Great Skuas. |
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