Inishbofin 18th April 2014

I got the evening ferry out to Inishbofin on Thursday evening to get a full day out there the following day. The first ferry doesn't arrive out until 12 o'clock and leaves again at 5 so trying to get anything done out there is always done in a rush. I managed to get to most of the spots I had hoped to, it was around an 18km round walk, two sore feet by the end of the day! The sea cliffs are the real attraction for me at this time of year on Inishbofin. Two of the three Raven nests were successful with two and three large chicks respectively. This is a little on the low side as the average clutch size of chicks this year was around four chicks. The female Peregrine was also around but doesn't appear to have laid eggs yet which she really should have by now. The Peregrines here never seem to be very successful for some reason. It certainly can't be the lack of food so it's hard to know why? I also had probably three nesting pairs of Chough around the island, even managed to see part of one of the pairs nest wedged into a crack in a cliff.
There was a Black-throated Diver giving good views with around 20 Great northern Divers off the sandy beach at Westquarter. I  think this is the first proper island record for this species. Anthony McGeehan has seen one from the ferry in the past though. Also in the same area were two female Merlin which were seen interacting with each other. One actually called as it flew over me. These are presumably migrants, possibly Iceland bound? Males which are always first on the breeding grounds (that is if they ever leave) should be on territory for a month at this stage. Quiet on the migrant front 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap and a few Wheatears including one female Greenland type.

Fulmar

Fulmar

House Sparrow

House Sparrow

Rock Pipit collecting nest material. Note the pink flush to the throat and the sparse underpart streaking which are features of littoralis Scandinavian Rock Pipit. However it did lack a noticeable whitish supercillium.

Rock Pipit. This shot was taken in the rain so the exposure is a bit off but again note the pink coloration to the breast, bluish tones to the head, sparse underpart streaking and white supercillium. This would probably be called littoralis by some. This bird seemed to be paired up with another much more typical looking petrosus Rock Pipit, so is this natural variation amongst the local population or what??

Skylark

Shag nesting on sea stack.

Sanderling moulting some of the wing feather tracts into summer plumage.

Typical looking local female Wheatear

Female Wheatear, most likely the leucorhoa Greenland race, note the colour tone difference between the two.

Three male Wheatears, probably migrant birds. All three fairly typical looking so probably not heading too far North.

Puffin and Razorbill skulls. The Puffin skull was a little mangled, I think the lower mandible has been twisted upside down. That's the upper mandible of the Puffin on the left which was detached.

Dead adult male Otter. Not sure what happened to this poor fella. Found in an isolated spot so certainly not a road casualty. It didn't appear to be a young animal as it was missing some front incisors and the canines were worn.

Front pad of the Otter.

 

Duach beach, some erosion here same as all sandy beaches on the West coast after the winter storms.

There used to be a lovely stone pier leading out the derelict fish curing station here, not anymore after the storms!

Prísún/The prison, an impressive blow-hole land bridge. The bigger rocks washed up by the sea probably weigh a few tonnes each.

Davillaun

Inishturk

 

Mid August

A few more pictures from the last week or two from a few different spots.
More and more waders turning up. Seems to be one of the best years for wader numbers in this part of the world. Waders must have had a pretty successful season up in the Arctic which is more than can be said for down here. Dunlin numbers in particular seem to be up and I've had single juvenile Knot at most waders spots so far which isn't usually the case here. Single juvenile Ruff also at Truska marsh and Murloch down Ballyconneely direction in last few days also.

Moulting adult Redshank, Kilkieran

Juvenile Redshank, Kilkieran

G4YYGW Colour ringed Sanderling, Omey Strand. First noted here back on 7th August 2008.

Juvenile and adult Sandwich Tern, Omey Stand. Note the ring on the juvenile! Where did this guy come from? There's a hell of alot to be said of colour ringing.

Wheatear, Omey Strand.

Juvenile Herring Gull, Omey Strand.

Juvenile Herring Gull, Omey Strand.

Juvenile Herring Gull, Omey Strand.

Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull, Omey Strand.

We (finally) managed to get out to some of the islands the other week namely Cruagh Island, High Island and Inishark. Most birds have finished up at this stage but there was still a little life on Inishark. Still a few breeding Kittiwakes left in the breeding colony. Decent numbers of juveniles present. All the Guillemots had long since made the leap of faith.

Fulmars off Inishshark.

Fulmar, off Inishshark

Great Skua off Inishark (bird number one).

Great Skua off Inishark (bird number two, note different primary moult).

Great Skua off Inishark (bird number two, note different primary moult).

Great Skua off Inishark (bird number two, note different primary moult).

The water levels at Rahasane Turlough seem to be rising with each passing week which is bad news for waders. Levels so high now that there's very little mud/ground left. Birds are squeezed into the extreme perimeter of the turlough, usually on the very side of the turlough which makes for impossible viewing. There is on tiny sliver of land left along the Dunkellin River which runs through the middle of the lough. Two Ruff and three Knot with forty Black-tailed Godwits there on Sunday, little else. You'd really have your work cut out trying to find anything Dunlin sized scurrying through the tall grass.

Turlough Horses, Rahasane

Common Seals, Mannin Bay. A few pups on the left.

Beautiful Demoiselle, Dawros River

Past Week

A few pictures from the last week in Connemara. Best bird of the week was a male Gadwall at Lough Anillaun just before Cleggan. The first Gadwall I've seen West of the Corrib since I started out here in 2008.  Just to show how exciting it gets in this part of the world in winter!

Fulmars and Shags back on the nest out on Renvyle Head (latter on eggs already).

Have been busy the last fortnight monitoring the local Raven nests. Have checked out around 20 nests so far but only about half are currently occupied which is a little odd as most should be well on the way with nesting by now. I had chicks hatched by late February last year. I have had seven eggs in one nest which above the average 4 - 6 eggs. I had one nest with 7 also last year.