Well a very enjoyable few days making my way round the coast, just birding and nowt else! "Pure Birding" i call it. I can't wait to come back, roll on August.
Nothing outrageous to report but a few bits n bobs may be of local interest. Plenty of GNDs around the coast, prob 150 - 200 in the 4 days i was birding.
3 different Icelands in Sligo town, a FW and 2 SWs, one still with a dark eye though it had moulted into grey mantle feathers - odd looking thing.
Fem Peregrine at Lissadell (13.4).
Max. count of 61 GNDs at Raghly (15.4), when 7 Velvet Scoter also here and a dead Pine Marten in the middle of the N4.
Tory 16.4: v quiet. Cold strong N wind. Only had 2.5 hrs due to rather wayward scheduling of the ferries, and the strengthening wind.
White Wag - 2
Many Wheatear on territories.
Teal - pr
Tuftie - 1m 2f.
Purple Sand - 2.
Rock Dove - 12.
Dead swan - couldn't get closr but looked like Mute. Was within 30m of overhead phone lines by the largest pool.
Wren - 1.
Manx Shear - 2
Puffin - 2
Snipe 1.
Greenland Whitefront - 1. Last bird before yomping back to boat.
Killybegs:
3 FW Iceland, 1 FW Glauc.
Slieve Leag Viewpoint:
Manxie 1
Red Grouse droppings in the lower car park. Rather unexpected, wonder if one comes down for grit early morning. Plenty of habbo around.
Maghery:
Mink 1 close.
Melmore:
LTD 12
Twite 5
Fanad:
Buzzard 2
Chough 5
Juv gull which looked v v much like a YLG, bit too distant to be certain though.
Malin:
White Wag - 7. Think i may have finally got my ear in on one of their calls after years of trying! Not the "chiddick" one which i think is identical, but the "srew" call.
Stonechat - 1. First of the trip. Where have they gone?
Raven - pr Glengad. Surprised at how non-numerous these are.
Carnatra: Stonechat - 1m.
Palan Bay: Buzzard 1.
The stretch of coast from Malin to Glengad looks amazing for W B Diver but is inaccessible...
Dunaff Head: Merlin 1, Raven 1pr.
Some fantastic countryside, remote and wild - the Inishowen area is my favourite in the whole country.
Mike.