New Years resolution - must blog a bit more regularly! The old blog postings have slipped a small bit especially in the latter half of 2017. To remedy this here a few shots of an apparent adult Kumlien's Gull that I had on Omey Island on 20th December. I first had it on the east side of the strand and latter had it on the rocks in the small bay just west of Fahy Lough. A reasonably pale adult. It's tempting to speculate if this actually the same bird that I had here in January/February 2016 as a second-winter?
http://dermotbreen.blogspot.ie/2016/01/omey-kumliens-and-news.html
However this bird doesn't show any signs of immaturity which one would expect for a fourth-winter. This has been my one and only "white-winger" of the winter so far, fingers crossed for a few more along with a Connemara Ross's or Ivory?
I also had a flock of at least seventeen Twite on the island, my first time seeing them on Omey. Again I would love to know where these birds are coming from, I'd doubt if they are Irish. One wintering Chiffchaff also seen in a tiny reedbed on the island.
 |
| Adult Kumlien's Gull, Omey Island, 20th December 2017. |
 |
| Adult Kumlien's Gull, Omey Island, 20th December 2017. |
|
 |
| Adult Kumlien's Gull, Omey Island, 20th December 2017. |
|
 |
| Adult Kumlien's Gull, Omey Island, 20th December 2017. |
|
 |
| Adult Kumlien's Gull, Omey Island, 20th December 2017. |
|
 |
| Adult Kumlien's Gull, Omey Island, 20th December 2017. |
|
About that time (17/12) and just after the big snow fall I saw 45 Twite nr. Larne, Antrim (there were 30 today according to nibirds) together with other sightings elsewhere by different observers on the N. & E. coasts. My guess is Scottish birds forced out by the snow. The nos. are too large for the relict Irish population.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree about the Northern Irish birds being wintering Scottish birds. I'm sure it's been backed up by ringing recoveries at this stage.
Delete