Clifden Cuvier's Beaked Whale

I got a text about a whale on Clifden beach on Christmas Day. I was back in Offaly over Christmas so I only had a chance to have a look at it today. It's male Cuvier's Beaked Whale measuring just over five metres in length. There have been five strandings of the species in Ireland now within the last month. This is a very high number to show up within such a short time period.
http://www.iwdg.ie/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2539:concern-at-high-number-of-stranded-cuviers-beaked-whales-in-december
Just to give this some perspective there was only one stranding in all of 2013, three in 2012, two in 2011, none in 2010, etc. This species has been known to feed in offshore deep waters but like all beaked whales, very little is known about them. One very recent study found that one particular individual off California had dived to an amazing depth of 2992 metres/ 9816 feet.
Unfortunately it's not currently known what is causing these recent Irish deaths. It wouldn't be possible to carry out a post mortem on a carcass as badly decomposed as the Clifden animal. There were many scars on the body but these were likely received from their prey which is assumed to be deep water squid.

 

 

Random Dec 14 shots



Great Cormorant, Nimmo's Pier, 20th December 2014.



Grey Heron, Nimmo's Pier, 20th December 2014.

Colour ringed Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Nimmo's Pier, 20th December 2014.

 Oystercathcer, Bunowen Pier, 19th December 2014.

 

Oystercatcher, Omey Strand, 18th December 2014.

 

 Greenshank, Omey Strand, 18th December 2014.

 Greenshank, Omey Strand, 18th December 2014.

 Greenshank, Omey Strand, 18th December 2014.

First-winter Ring-billed Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 20th December 2014.

Adult Forster's Tern, Newtownlynch Pier, 20th December 2014.

 

Close encounters of the Dovekie kind

I had without doubt my best views of Little Auk yesterday down by Newtownlynch Pier near Traught beach. This is one of the better spots for the long staying Forster's Tern when its not at Nimmo's Pier. I had been at Nimmo's earlier in the day and there was no sign of it (haven't seen it at Nimmo's yet this winter myself), just the usual three Sandwich Terns and four Ring-billed Gulls. After a few minutes at Newtownlynch I picked up the Forster's Tern feeding around it favourite spot around Goat Island just off the pier. It sat on the water to preen on two occasions and eventually sat up on the island. High tide is usually the best for the tern here. It's possible walk out to the island on a low tide and as a result birds rarely use it then due to disturbance from dog walkers.

While looking at the Forster's I noticed a Little Auk sat in the water between the tern and my location. I moved down onto the beach to get closer views. The bird quickly started to make a beeline towards the shoreline coming closer and closer all the time. It eventually rather ungainly made its way up onto the beach. It then ran/flapped right up to my feet where I presume it got some shelter from the cold winds. For the next ten minutes it proceeded to preen happily completely unconcerned by my presence, snuggled right up against my feet. I just wish I had the camera phone with me to take a shot of it by my feet as it wasn't exactly within range of my 400mm lens! It then returned to the water a while later and began diving for food. Not surprisingly for such a small bird I quickly lost it in the choppy waters. This species sometimes gets "wrecked" by stormy weather during the winter but there hasn't been any particularly rough weather to push the species into inshore waters within the last week. They can show up in some very odd spots after rough weather and although many are rescued, many unfortunately don't make it. I've heard of more than one rescued birds being released only to be promptly swallowed whole by a waiting Great Black-backed Gull! It was a great little character to run into and was only about the third one I've seen in Galway.

 

 

 

Cleggan Whooper Swans

A few shots of a small group of Whooper Swans from Lough Anillaun, Cleggan taken yesterday.

 

White-wingers & Harriers

A few pictures from today and Saturday. I had a first-winter Glaucous Gull and a second-winter Iceland Gull down at Rossaveel today. Not many gulls present, certainly less than one hundred large gulls. The Iceland Gull had very advanced bare part colouration for a second-winter e.g. the bill and eye but the plumage looks typical enough for a second-winter. I would expect a third-winter bird to show some grey adult type scapulars and wing coverts.

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Rossaveel

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Rossaveel, the black specks behind the eye are actually ticks/mites.

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Rossaveel

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Rossaveel

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Rossaveel

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Rossaveel

Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel.



Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel.



Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel.

Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel.

First-winter Herring Gull, Rossaveel. Well marked uppertail coverts but pale based tail feathers...

First-winter Herring Gull, Rossaveel. Well marked uppertail coverts, nice pink based bill but pale based tail feathers...

 I was out on Saturday with Cathal again trying to nail the orange harrier. No sign unfortunately but we did have at least two ringtails. One of the birds I photographed had four bars on p10, six on p9 & p8, 5 or 6 on p7 and five on p6.. This would be quite promising if this were the orange juvenile harrier that's been around lately. Apart from the above average number of bars on the primaries it bares little resemblance to a Northern Harrier however.
Also had the Great White Egret near the mouth of the Cregg river. We also saw one of the White-tailed Eagles out on a small island in the middle of the lough. It was just too far to make out the tag but it's probably D Bar. It looks like his radio tag has failed which is a shame (no radio signal on Sunday or today from there). The female's radio tag has also failed as the battery has died recently. It's going to be a little bit difficult to keep up with their movements from here on out. We also saw the returning male Ring-necked Duck and a had a good count (for an inland site) of three Long-tailed Ducks at Loughrea.

Hooded Crow mobbing Hen Harrier, Lough Corrib.

Hen Harrier, Lough Corrib.

Hen Harrier, Lough Corrib.