I was out birding last Sunday around Galway city. Before leaving Clifden I had a rather approachable Redwing in the garden. It was actually singing away. Can't recall ever hearing them singing in Ireland before. It was a very quiet song which sounded almost like a distant flock of Starlings. I've noticed lots of Redwings and to a lesser extent Fieldfares on the move over the last week or so, I assume they are now on their way back to Scandinavia. Haven't seen many out here in Connemara this winter. Good numbers of Meadow Pipits moving through also at the moment and back on the bogs already. I've had Golden Plovers on their breeding grounds about three weeks back so Spring is definitely here.
I had a look at Lough Corrib to see if there was much around there. Still a few hundred diving ducks present including a few Greater Scaup but as per usual all were seen at a vast distance so trying to pick anything amongst them was impossible. I could make out the Great White Egret in Muckrush Bay from Angliham. This bird has now been present for a few months at this stage. I later had it in Muckrush Bay. It was easy knowing that I was back in Europe as it proved to be extremely skittish and I just couldn't get near the thing. If this was the States this usually wouldn't be a problem. Plenty of Black-headed Gulls setting up for the breeding season on some of the small islets also.
Waterside was typically quiet but a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present which are usually the first migrants that we get on the West coast in the Spring. They are quite scarce up here during the winter unlike the south coast of Ireland. Some of these birds may well have been Icelandic birds passing through. I just had a single first-winter Iceland along with a first-winter and adult summer Ring-billed Gull at Nimmo's Pier afterwards.
I had a look at Lough Corrib to see if there was much around there. Still a few hundred diving ducks present including a few Greater Scaup but as per usual all were seen at a vast distance so trying to pick anything amongst them was impossible. I could make out the Great White Egret in Muckrush Bay from Angliham. This bird has now been present for a few months at this stage. I later had it in Muckrush Bay. It was easy knowing that I was back in Europe as it proved to be extremely skittish and I just couldn't get near the thing. If this was the States this usually wouldn't be a problem. Plenty of Black-headed Gulls setting up for the breeding season on some of the small islets also.
Waterside was typically quiet but a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present which are usually the first migrants that we get on the West coast in the Spring. They are quite scarce up here during the winter unlike the south coast of Ireland. Some of these birds may well have been Icelandic birds passing through. I just had a single first-winter Iceland along with a first-winter and adult summer Ring-billed Gull at Nimmo's Pier afterwards.
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| Redwing |
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| Great White Egret |
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| First-winter Iceland Gull |
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| Iceland, Ring-billed & Black-headed Gull |
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| First-winter Ring-billed Gull |
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| First-winter Ring-billed Gull |
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| First-winter Ring-billed Gull |
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| First-winter Ring-billed Gull |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| First-winter Rook |
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