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West Donegal (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter rdspalm
- Start date
rdspalm
Well-known member
Inch Lake Boxing Day
Wet out for a walk rather than a birding trip which was as well because the lake was nearly all frozen over. Only a few Mallard and Wigeon on small patches of water. We walked from the car park to Farland Bank. Very little wildfowl because of the lack of open water. Even a small patch of ice was on the sea!
Wet out for a walk rather than a birding trip which was as well because the lake was nearly all frozen over. Only a few Mallard and Wigeon on small patches of water. We walked from the car park to Farland Bank. Very little wildfowl because of the lack of open water. Even a small patch of ice was on the sea!
rdspalm
Well-known member
Inch Lake 10th January
Went for a walk at Inch Lake this afternoon. Large numbers of Whooper and Greylag (200+ Whooper, 400+ Greylag)on the fields beside the road. Also large numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare feeding on the fields.
Inch Lake heavily frozen over. Only several clear patches. All those remaining birds are congregated on an unfrozen patch of water below the car park. I expect large numbers of wildfowl have flown to the foyle where ther is plenty of open water. The upper part of the lake is a white wilderness with snoe covering the icefields. Hope this week sees the start of a thaw.
Went for a walk at Inch Lake this afternoon. Large numbers of Whooper and Greylag (200+ Whooper, 400+ Greylag)on the fields beside the road. Also large numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare feeding on the fields.
Inch Lake heavily frozen over. Only several clear patches. All those remaining birds are congregated on an unfrozen patch of water below the car park. I expect large numbers of wildfowl have flown to the foyle where ther is plenty of open water. The upper part of the lake is a white wilderness with snoe covering the icefields. Hope this week sees the start of a thaw.
rdspalm
Well-known member
Inch Lake 17th January
At last the ice has melted and plenty of wildfowl have returned.
Todays highlights were a Little Egret, the male Smew. plenty of Greylag and Whoopers. Goldeneye, Scaup, Wigeon, Teal, tufted also in good numbers.
Watched two Herons fighting over territory, see attached pics.
Richard
At last the ice has melted and plenty of wildfowl have returned.
Todays highlights were a Little Egret, the male Smew. plenty of Greylag and Whoopers. Goldeneye, Scaup, Wigeon, Teal, tufted also in good numbers.
Watched two Herons fighting over territory, see attached pics.
Richard
Attachments
Dermot Breen
Well-known member
A quick round up of a nice selection of birds in the county in the last week or so. Donegal gets my vote as the best county in Ireland for wildfowl.
Male dresseri Common Eider and female Velvet Scoter at Glasagh Bay, Fanad. Dresseri subspecies of Eider the first European record.
Male Ring-necked Duck, male Smew and male Green-winged Teal, Inch Island Lake.
Blue phase Snow Goose, Big Isle.
Female Ring-necked Duck, New Lake, Dunfanaghy.
4 Goosanders, Pettigo.
A fantastic run of wildfowl records. Gulls are fairing rather poorly though like the rest of the country.
I think I may have to do a trip to Donegal myself shortly, the list above is just too tempting.
We had a returning male Lesser Scaup and a female Red-crested Pochard here in Galway last November, not a thing this year so far duck-wise.
Dermot
Male dresseri Common Eider and female Velvet Scoter at Glasagh Bay, Fanad. Dresseri subspecies of Eider the first European record.
Male Ring-necked Duck, male Smew and male Green-winged Teal, Inch Island Lake.
Blue phase Snow Goose, Big Isle.
Female Ring-necked Duck, New Lake, Dunfanaghy.
4 Goosanders, Pettigo.
A fantastic run of wildfowl records. Gulls are fairing rather poorly though like the rest of the country.
I think I may have to do a trip to Donegal myself shortly, the list above is just too tempting.
We had a returning male Lesser Scaup and a female Red-crested Pochard here in Galway last November, not a thing this year so far duck-wise.
Dermot
rdspalm
Well-known member
Golden Eagle
After many months looking for Golden Eagles while driving to and from Gweedore, this afternoon I was treated to a superb view of a Golden Eagle soaring beside the main road between Aghla Beg and Muckish gap. The eagle stayed bside the road for about 5 minutes before heading off over Muckish Gap.
After many months looking for Golden Eagles while driving to and from Gweedore, this afternoon I was treated to a superb view of a Golden Eagle soaring beside the main road between Aghla Beg and Muckish gap. The eagle stayed bside the road for about 5 minutes before heading off over Muckish Gap.
First posted on County Galway site today. Can anybody confirm a cygnet?:
I got a great tick at Inch Levels, Donegal yesterday. A pair of black swans and, much more importantly, with them what looked like a cygnet. I haven’t seen a cygnet reported anywhere for Inch Levels and I know now that breeding pairs are very rare (I think max reported for UK is 11 pairs in 2004).
It was a medium range sighting from the bridge leading to the Tooban hide looking right (North or Northeast) up the canal / river that runs by the hide. There was a lot of overhanging vegetation, which made it difficult to get a good sighting of the ‘cygnet’. I was very pushed for time. If I had known then how rare breeding pairs are, I would have made time to check it out more thoroughly. There was definitely a small bird with the two swans.
In Sligo this morning I had Wheatears at Lisadell, Whimbrels at Trabawn and a pair of Eiders at Raghly, the male in magnificent breeding plumage. Big numbers of Great Northerns also about.
I got a great tick at Inch Levels, Donegal yesterday. A pair of black swans and, much more importantly, with them what looked like a cygnet. I haven’t seen a cygnet reported anywhere for Inch Levels and I know now that breeding pairs are very rare (I think max reported for UK is 11 pairs in 2004).
It was a medium range sighting from the bridge leading to the Tooban hide looking right (North or Northeast) up the canal / river that runs by the hide. There was a lot of overhanging vegetation, which made it difficult to get a good sighting of the ‘cygnet’. I was very pushed for time. If I had known then how rare breeding pairs are, I would have made time to check it out more thoroughly. There was definitely a small bird with the two swans.
In Sligo this morning I had Wheatears at Lisadell, Whimbrels at Trabawn and a pair of Eiders at Raghly, the male in magnificent breeding plumage. Big numbers of Great Northerns also about.
rdspalm
Well-known member
Trip to Tory Island 22nd
Left Magheragallon Pier at 8.45 for Tory.
The crossing yeilded the following species
Chough
Red throated Diver
Great Northern Diver
Manx Shearwater (100+)
Guillemot
Razorbill
Puffin
Black Guillemot
Gannet
Otter
On Tory we spotted 2 Corncrake but heard at least 3 calling.
Lapwing
Redshank
Ringed Plover
Peregrine Falcon
Wheatear
Snipe
Sedge Warbler
On the return ferry trip we were treated to excellent views of a Great Skua and a Basking Shark.
After a cool start with a bit of sea fog the day finished up very hot.
Richard
Left Magheragallon Pier at 8.45 for Tory.
The crossing yeilded the following species
Chough
Red throated Diver
Great Northern Diver
Manx Shearwater (100+)
Guillemot
Razorbill
Puffin
Black Guillemot
Gannet
Otter
On Tory we spotted 2 Corncrake but heard at least 3 calling.
Lapwing
Redshank
Ringed Plover
Peregrine Falcon
Wheatear
Snipe
Sedge Warbler
On the return ferry trip we were treated to excellent views of a Great Skua and a Basking Shark.
After a cool start with a bit of sea fog the day finished up very hot.
Richard
Attachments
Last edited:
rdspalm
Well-known member
Blanket Nook 26th
Did an evening trip to Blanket Nook last night.
Large numbers of Mallard
12+ Herons
Greenshank
Large numbers of Swifts and House Martins
50+ Curlew
30+ Tufted Duck
Moved on to Inch Lake, but light was against us. Large numbers of Heron there too (15+)
Richard
Did an evening trip to Blanket Nook last night.
Large numbers of Mallard
12+ Herons
Greenshank
Large numbers of Swifts and House Martins
50+ Curlew
30+ Tufted Duck
Moved on to Inch Lake, but light was against us. Large numbers of Heron there too (15+)
Richard
Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Hi Derek et al, I am going to over night it on Tory Island some time over the next few weeks. I found the Ferry Timetable online. Could anyone recommend accommodation on the Island, and somewhere for an evening meal?. I will wait for an easterly wind and preferably some decent birds on the western Isles before I make a dash for it.
Heres hoping :t:
Peter Phillips
DEREK CHARLES
Well-known member
Attachments
rdspalm
Well-known member
Fanad Head
A new birding venue for me, we were at Fanad Head for 10am this morning. Highlights were 4 Bonxies, manx shearwaters, fulmars, black guillemot, gannets.
Force 6 westerly blowing, but not long enough to bring in enough sea birds.
Will definately return.
Richard
A new birding venue for me, we were at Fanad Head for 10am this morning. Highlights were 4 Bonxies, manx shearwaters, fulmars, black guillemot, gannets.
Force 6 westerly blowing, but not long enough to bring in enough sea birds.
Will definately return.
Richard
Was up at Sheskinmore there for a few days. 2 pink-footed geese, 1 merlin, 9 choughs were among the highlights. Having trouble posting microsoft word report here but will try again cos the behavioural notes are (I think) quite interesting this time, drop-catching behaviour from buzzard.
