Trident Red-breasted Flycatcher

I found this first calendar Red-breasted Flycatcher down at Slyne Head today in the garden next to the Trident Holiday Homes. It showed reasonably well for a RBF who can be right little skulkers at times. While this is the latest Galway record there are a few November records from around Ireland previously with one reported in early December back in 2003 (not sure if this was ever accepted?). The bird appeared to have a small tick just in front of the right eye. This very same garden held a RBF back on 4th October 2009 found by Alex Lees and James Gilroy. Today's bird will be the tenth county record. The first was picked up dead under Slyne Head Lighthouse in late October 1951. Inishmore has now recorded an impressive six of the ten records (including one this October). Inishbofin has had only one record so far.

Inishmore last week

A selection of shots taken over the three days that I spent out on Inishmore recently. Plenty of Yellow-browed Warbler shots, can't get enough to them, they really are little gems.

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Garden Warbler

Blackcap

Stonechat

Greenfinch, very rare on the island, first one I've seen out there anyway.

Hooded Crow

Hooded Crow

Song Thrush

Rather friendly Robin.

Birds on the mind.

Western Bonelli's Warbler garden.

No escaping the US election, not even on an offshore island off the west of Ireland.

Port Chorrúch, this seaweed strewn cobble beach has had two Baird's and one White-rumped Sandpiper to date.

Inishmore Lesser-throats

While out on Inishmore last week I had three different Lesser Whitethroats on the 20th October. Bird 2 and especially Bird 3 look like possibly being Siberian Lesser Whitethroats. However without getting the open tail pattern, wing formula along with the fact that none were hear to give the rattle call of blythi, for now they'll have to go down as simply Lesser Whitethroats.

Bird 1

Bird 1 with Yellow-browed Warbler.

Bird 1 with Dunnocks and Goldfinches.

Bird 1

Bird 1

Bird 2

Bird 2

Bird 2

Bird 2

Bird 3

Bird 3

Bird 3

Bird 3

Bird 3

Bird 3

"North-western" Redpoll

I had this redpoll out on Inishmore on Thursday 20th October in behind the cafe at Kilmurvy. It was initially being aggressively mobbed by a Pied Wagtail for some reason. It later joined up with a Linnet flock and began to feed in a large Sycamore tree. Redpolls have to one of my least favourite identification groups, they really do melt my head most of the time - lump the lot of them I say! However I think there may a case for assigning this individual to the Greenland rostrata or North-western group. Most of the shot were taken in strongly back-lighted conditions which has messed up the exposure a bit. It was a large bird in the field (not as massive as a lot of classic rostrata though), large headed, it appeared rather dark swarthy brown overall, it had well streaked flanks (four or five lines), big bill, no obvious pale tramlines on the mantle, heavily streaked undertail coverts and had a dark rump even though a lot of rostrata can have pale rumps. One thing that I was particularly struck by were the rather long thigh feathering which almost looked like furry/wooly chaps. Can't say I've ever noticed (or looked for to be honest) this on our own cabaret Redpolls before. Could if even be a dark Icelandic bird I wonder or am I really just seeing things?

Looking very rostrata-like in this record shot.

Dark rumped.

Long and "wooly" thigh chaps. 

No pale tramlines on the mantle.

Well streaked undertail coverts.

Heavily streaked flanks and large headed.