Dermot Breen's Blog: dunlin

Showing posts with label dunlin. Show all posts

Sunday, 1 October 2017

Tacumshin Waders 7th & 8th September 2017

I was down in county Wexford earlier in September to give a talk on the Merlin of Connemara to the Wexford Naturalist's Field Club on the evening of the 7th September. While I was down in that part of the country it would have been a shame not to have a look at the excellent Tacumshin Lake. I rarely get down to Wexford these days. It's a good ten hour round drive from Clifden. Tacumshin never fails to disappoint in September as it now has a long established reputation for produced vagrant American waders. There was a great selection of species present when I was down. Surprisingly the numbers were very low with just under 100 each of Dunlin and Ringed Plover present. There had been much better numbers present earlier in the week but thankfully most of the specialities hung around. My totals included an adult moulting Semipalmated Sandpiper (found by Killian Mullarney that very morning), juvenile Baird's Sandpiper, juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper, juvenile Little Ringed Plover, juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Ruff, juvenile Marsh Harrier, ringtail & adult male Hen Harrier. In all I had seventeen species of waders at the site. It was nice also to see the Little Ringed Plover as I've definitely don't see many in Ireland especially since I'm based in the west of Ireland. I think I've seen more Semipalmated Plovers than Little Ringed Plovers in Ireland! After Killian left the site around midday on the 7th I had the whole place to myself. Incredible really that for one of Europe's premier for rare American waders, it would just have the one observer on site in early September but that's Ireland for you. If this was the UK I would imagine that would be a whole lot different!

Adult Semipalmated Sandpiper with juvenile Dunlin, Tacumshin Lake.

Adult Semipalmated Sandpiper, Tacumshin Lake.

Adult Semipalmated Sandpiper with juvenile Dunlin, Tacumshin Lake.

Juvenile Baird's Sandpiper with juvenile Dunlin, Tacumshin Lake.

Adult Semipalmated Sandpiper with juvenile Dunlin, Tacumshin Lake.

Juvenile Baird's Sandpiper, Tacumshin Lake.

Juvenile Baird's Sandpiper, Tacumshin Lake, Co. Wexford.

Juvenile Dunlin, Tacumshin Lake, 7th September 2017.

Juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Tacumshin Lake, Co. Wexford.

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover, Tacumshin Lake, Co. Wexford, 7th September 2017.

Sunday, 4 June 2017

Waders May 2017

A few pictures of a some recent waders including a pair of breeding Dunlin, a late staying Purple Sandpiper and a migrating Whimbrel.
While Dunlin were never a common breeding wader in Ireland their numbers have crashed like most breeding waders in recent decades. The last breeding population was judged to be just 150 pairs in 2008 (Lauder et al., 2008). I would think that the number is probably even half of that now at the very most. During the 2007 - 2011 Bird Atlas they were only recorded breeding in counties Galway, Mayo and Donegal. Most are to be found in Mayo. One of the few breeding locations in Galway was within the recent large "Cloosh Forest fire" which has destroyed the area of quaking blanket bog where they found breeding in. They start breeding much later than other wader species.

Female schinzii Dunlin

Male schinzii Dunlin

Second calendar Purple Sandpiper in breeding plumage.

Whimbrel

Monday, 28 October 2013

Snow Bunting to Red Deer

A few shots from the last week or so. Again things continuing to be a little quiet in these parts.

Snow Bunting, Mannin Beg, Ballyconneely.

Female Red-breasted Merganser, Barnaderg Bay (no sign of the Little Blue ;-) )

Ringed Plover, Omey Strand.

Dunlin, Omey Strand.

Dunlin and Sanderlings, Omey Strand.

Greenshank, Oranmore.

Stag Red Deer, Connemara National Park.

One year old stag Red Deer, Connemara National Park, taken in the rain.

Monday, 30 September 2013

Inishbofin & Inishmore

A few shots from the last week or so. I didn't make it out to Inishbofin for the Eastern Kingbird on Wednesday. There was a great sense of relief knowing that I had seen the first European record last year on Inishmore. Unfortunately like last years bird it too disappeared overnight.
Visiting birders had found a Blackpoll Warbler, Common Rosefinch and two Wrynecks while dipping on the kingbird. Wryneck is an extremely rare species in county Galway with only two previous records, both relate to specimens picked up on Eeragh Island lighthouse (off the West end of Inishmore) on 6th October 1886 and 19th September 1912. I was on Inishbofin the following day and while one of the Wrynecks had been seen first thing that morning we failed to see it. However towards the end of the day Anthony McGeehan found a juvenile Woodchat Shrike up at the East end. While it was on show for long periods it was a little distant hence the record shots. It quickly disappeared and wasn't seen later that evening. Galway only recorded it's first Woodchat Shrike last Autumn shortly after the Eastern Kingbird which was also in the same area.

I was back out on Inishmore for the weekend to see if there was much around and the answer was relatively disappointing. Saturday was particularly bad with just two Curlew Sandpipers and a Jack Snipe. A single Blackcap and a handful of Goldcrests were really the only passerine migrants seen. Sunday was a little better with a Reed Warbler, Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaffs, 10 Goldcrests, Spotted and Pied Flycatcher. I'll be back out with a few others from this Friday for a week at least and fingers crossed for some decent birds.