Howdy all
Been busy working and such and frankly didn't expect to get out and about for a while. So when I got a reminder on my phone that a whalewatch was going on, no-one was more surprised than me. Now, I knew there was one planned, but still, I never realised it was so soon!
Anyway, off I went to Howth, which is a headland on the east coast. A beautifully scenic part of the country. One would never think that one was twenty minutes from Dublin City. The whales were not very obliging. Harbour Porpoise were the only real sightings. Common Dolphins and the odd Bottlenose Dolphin also are present. Minke Whales are also present, and seem to be rather unreported in official circles. It seems that it is the ferry users from Dublin to Holyhead that are reporting most of them! I had the pleasure of seeing one myself during last year's whalewatch.
A Humpback Whale was reported in the area over the month, but I did not see it. Nevertheless, wildlife was all around me, and I saw three seals, one Common and two Grey. Of course I got a bit of birding in! I got my first Black Guillemot of the year, and my first ever Cory's Shearwater! Overall seabird numbers appear to be alright, but I cannot prove that scientifically.
Hope everyone is doing well, I'm catching up on threads today!
Fulmar
Herring Gull
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Razorbill
Guillemot
Black Guillemot
Manx Shearwater
Gannet
Turnstone
Redshank
House Sparrow
Rook
Hooded Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
Bar-tailed Godwit
Woodpigeon
Feral Pigeon
Shag
Cormorant
Cory's Shearwater (lifer)
Been busy working and such and frankly didn't expect to get out and about for a while. So when I got a reminder on my phone that a whalewatch was going on, no-one was more surprised than me. Now, I knew there was one planned, but still, I never realised it was so soon!
Anyway, off I went to Howth, which is a headland on the east coast. A beautifully scenic part of the country. One would never think that one was twenty minutes from Dublin City. The whales were not very obliging. Harbour Porpoise were the only real sightings. Common Dolphins and the odd Bottlenose Dolphin also are present. Minke Whales are also present, and seem to be rather unreported in official circles. It seems that it is the ferry users from Dublin to Holyhead that are reporting most of them! I had the pleasure of seeing one myself during last year's whalewatch.
A Humpback Whale was reported in the area over the month, but I did not see it. Nevertheless, wildlife was all around me, and I saw three seals, one Common and two Grey. Of course I got a bit of birding in! I got my first Black Guillemot of the year, and my first ever Cory's Shearwater! Overall seabird numbers appear to be alright, but I cannot prove that scientifically.
Hope everyone is doing well, I'm catching up on threads today!
Fulmar
Herring Gull
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Razorbill
Guillemot
Black Guillemot
Manx Shearwater
Gannet
Turnstone
Redshank
House Sparrow
Rook
Hooded Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
Bar-tailed Godwit
Woodpigeon
Feral Pigeon
Shag
Cormorant
Cory's Shearwater (lifer)
