A few bits and bobs from the last week or so. I did the Galway Bay Count on Sunday along with Cathal Forkan. Weather wasn't too bad at all with reasonably calm seas. Nothing too strange on the count, the best bird was a fully albino Curlew at Bishops Quarter. Tom Murtagh found it on 16th September 2014
https://twitter.com/tgmurta/status/511994961365975040
It really is a stunning bird in real life and these heavily cropped shots don't do it any justice. This must one of the few genuine albino birds I've ever seen. I've seen multiple individuals of several species but they all invariably have some traces of normal pigmentation somewhere in their plumage or have a "ghost" pattern of their normal plumage. I had a leucistic Curlew two winters ago also in county Clare, pics below - must be something in the Clare water!
Having processing the few other pictures in this post I'm not long in remembering how bad the light gets here during the winter months. Its very difficult to get decent shots in Ireland during the winter even when the target is at close quarters.
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| Albino Curlew, Bishops Quarter, Co. Clare, 23rd November 2014. |
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| Albino Curlew, Bishops Quarter, Co. Clare, 23rd November 2014. |
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| Leucistic Curlew, Pouleenacoona Turlough, 9th February 2013. |
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| Leucistic Curlew, Pouleenacoona Turlough, 9th February 2013. |
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| Whimbrel, Roundstone, 13th November 2014. |
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| Rock Doves, Murlach, 24th November 2014. |
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| Rock Doves, Murlach, 24th November 2014. |
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| Rock Doves, Murlach, 24th November 2014. |
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| Blackbird |
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| Song Thrush |
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| Song Thrush |
Hi Dermot
ReplyDeleteI was in Clare last week visiting relatives and driving round the Burren then along the coast. On the way to Doolin from Ballyvaughan we stopped off at Bishops Quarter Beech to look at the view. I had my bins with me and saw some lovely close up views of Oyster catchers, Great black backed gull, redshank. Then I spotted a white largish bird with a curved beak. I thought that's not an Egrit. I then saw a Curlew nearby. Which confirmed I was looking at an Albino Curlew. I couldn't believe it. Unfortunately I didn't have my normal mobile (Samsung S6) with me, so couldn't get a photo as too far away. I did get my girlfriend to confirm it was a white bird with curved beak and agreed it was very similar to the other Curlew. So I was very happy to confirm it was an Albino Curlew as had a pale beak as well. Then I told a few colleagues in work (Natural England) and a friend Graham Googled it and found your blog. And to my great surprise and pleasure you have taken a photo of the same bird two years ago, proving it is surviving. Is this quite rare for an albino Curlew to survive this long?
The date was the 28th July 2016, 6.15pm, Bishops Quarter Beech near to Ballyvaughan, County Clare on tufted seaweed habitat directly in front of the Car Park looking out to sea.
Rob Keane
robkeano@gmail.com
Hi Rob. Great to hear that. That bird was there again last winter. Very interesting to see that it's back so early. There was an albino Curlew seen in the North Pennines this summer, same bird I wonder??
Deletehttps://twitter.com/RSPB_N_England/status/744818677690703872