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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (5 Viewers)

Hi Margaret and Tommy,

I hope to go to Baltray on monday morning weather permitting.If either of you are around, I could swing by and pick up that barbeque you have been kindly storing for me for the last 5 months (and tick Blackcap in your garden if it ok).

Peter

Sure thing Peter, I wont be around in the morning but will leave your stuff out for you. Unfortunately the Blackcap didn't stay around in our garden but it's worth checking with Sandra in case there is one in with her.
 
Thats great,

Thanks- so on monday its Snow Bunting at Baltray, peanuts in Dunleer and Jay in Rathesker. Sorted!

I see from the Northern Ireland forum that Bewick Swan has turned up in the last few days at Oxford Island. Keep your eyes peeled.
 
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Sure thing Peter, I wont be around in the morning but will leave your stuff out for you. Unfortunately the Blackcap didn't stay around in our garden but it's worth checking with Sandra in case there is one in with her.
No sign of my blackcap since. We'll be doing the iwebs count out at Baltray tomorrow so will let you know if there's any sign of the snow buntings, and I'll check with Maurice to see if he has seen them since.
 
No sign of my blackcap since. We'll be doing the iwebs count out at Baltray tomorrow so will let you know if there's any sign of the snow buntings, and I'll check with Maurice to see if he has seen them since.
iwebs count was cancelled but i checked with Maurice and he hasn't seen the snow buntings since. He mentioned to me before that he still sees the short eared owl out there in the field where the horses are.
 
Thats great,

Thanks- so on monday its Snow Bunting at Baltray, peanuts in Dunleer and Jay in Rathesker. Sorted!

I see from the Northern Ireland forum that Bewick Swan has turned up in the last few days at Oxford Island. Keep your eyes peeled.

A few good gulls at Cruiestown today ,2 iceland and 1 glaucous plus white wing b h gull.Will have another look in the morning before high tide.
 

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A few good gulls at Cruiestown today ,2 iceland and 1 glaucous plus white wing b h gull.Will have another look in the morning before high tide.

Excellent photos Gerry!! What a super morning given the adverse weather early on. Thanks to you, Don and Enda. Great finds. Who needs year lists when you have a few great birds like these?
 
iwebs count was cancelled but i checked with Maurice and he hasn't seen the snow buntings since. He mentioned to me before that he still sees the short eared owl out there in the field where the horses are.

Thanks,much appreciated Sandra. Well done Gerry they are both very scarse the last few years.
So its Cruisetown in the morning and then a trip to Baltray.
 
more pics

Thanks,much appreciated Sandra. Well done Gerry they are both very scarse the last few years.
So its Cruisetown in the morning and then a trip to Baltray.

A few more pics.....
 

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A few good gulls at Cruiestown today ,2 iceland and 1 glaucous plus white wing b h gull.Will have another look in the morning before high tide.

Well done to all, a good birding day!! Great to see the photos Gerry. I was in time to see the Iceland Gull this evening, really huge numbers of gulls there and a fabulous sunset.
 
I had 6000+ mainly blackheaded gulls between balaggan point and greenore yesterday - amazing spectacle. Had a bonxie off balaggan point flying south...i have seen them twice before there but always in the early autumn:
79. Goldeneye
80. Bullfinch
81. Bonxie
82. Iceland gull
 
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Cruisetown Gulls

I went out to Cruisetown today and it took me full 3 hours to work through the gulls from near Dunany to Cruisetown/Clogher Head. The best were the adult Iceland Gull a dark first winter Iceland Gull (it looks different to the birds in the other shots) and an adult Med Gull. I took a few shots of the washed up shellfish and some big fish thing that somebody might be able to identify.

There must be tens of tons of food on the beach. The gulls might be there for some time yet!

On the way home I stopped at the reedbed near Dunleer and heard a couple of Water Rail calling.

RND still at the KCP no sign of Gadwall.

ps the first winter Iceland was near the stream at the southern end visable from the road or the bottom of the lane. The adult bird was a bit of a walk east along the rocks back towards Clogher Head

99 Med Gull
100 Iceland Gull
101 Water Rail
 

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There was a Yellow legged Gull also reported from Cruisetown yesterday. Has the Glaucous Gull been seen since the initial sighting.

Anybody any comments on the dark first winter Iceland Gull. The views were not fantastic and its just dawned on me that it could be Kumliens. And that is the best picture I have.
 
Gulls at Cruiestown

There was a Yellow legged Gull also reported from Cruisetown yesterday. Has the Glaucous Gull been seen since the initial sighting.

Anybody any comments on the dark first winter Iceland Gull. The views were not fantastic and its just dawned on me that it could be Kumliens. And that is the best picture I have.

Glaucous seen today also had 1st win Iceland ,yellow legged gull and 8 agentatus.
 

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Cruisetown Beach

Those are common otter shells, normally below the low water mark, and the fish looks like a conger eel...

Thanks for that Breffni and Joe very interesting.

So thats at least two first winter Iceland Gulls, a report of a 2nd winter also and the adult makes four at least. I will be there again in the morning. I have a feeling it has'nt finished yet!
 
Out and about

The best at Cruisetown was an Adult Yellow legged Gull. At Clogher Head, one Carrion Crow, 1st winter Iceland Gull, one Black Guillemot and a beautiful male Velvet Scoter flew by with two Common Scoter.

Hermitage had about 15 Red throated Diver and 6 Great Northern Diver
The best at lurgangreen was a female Scaup in with the Goldeneye

102 Yellow legged Gull
103 Carrion Crow
104 Black Guillemot
105 Velvet Scoter
106 Scaup
 

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