County Galway Birding (local patch) (1 Viewer)

[Dermot Breen]

Some great shots of the hull yesterday Craig, brilliant one showing the yellow webs to the feet. Have to say it was hard listening to the reports coming off the pelagic all day yesterday. I don't think any Galway based birders have even seen Great Shearwater in the county. Thats three new species of seabirds for Galway this year alone and none of us has seen any of them:-C Had a two hour seawatch off Lettermullan. 2 Sooty (think they may have been a county tick for me), 8 Storm Petrels, 1 Great Skua and 3 Arctic Skua - exciting stuff! Like Ballnahown everything was heading west.
Dropped into Mweenish Island. Some nice muddy areas there with around 100 Dunlin there, well worth keeping an eye on in the next few weeks.

Dermot

 

[Peter Phillips]

Thats three new species of seabirds for Galway this year alone and none of us has seen any of them

And some great photos to prove it..Great shots Craig...I am glad you were all sick

Yours.. Jealous

 

[Pluvius]

I have posted my report on the Pelagic on my blog
http://peregrinesbirdblog.blogspot.com/

 

[DEREK CHARLES]

Hello Craig,
Brilliant photos especially considering you were sick!

Dermot/Anghous/Tom et al. Why don't you contact Mr MgGeehan and put your name down for next years trip, there looked to be plenty of room on the boat. I am sure he would only be too keen to have some locals on the boat.

Derek

 

[Peter Phillips]

Read your report Craig..Excellent.. and the photos are stunning.

Hope you are feeling better!

Good to hear that the Red Kite Reintroduction project has started....looking forward to seeing them in Louth this winter(hopefully)

Peter

 

[John Carey]

Mr. McGeehan will need a bigger boat if he can promise sightings like that!

Great report and photos. Damn you weather...that should have been us

 

[AOD]

Due to a convenient cancellation by some fishermen our pelagic is on for this Sunday if people are up for it. With the way the weather is these days beggars can't be choosers and I think we would be well advised to grab this chance - Wilsons and more is out there! Contact me ASAP to let me know if interested.

 

[Dermot Breen]

Hi Derek

I've asked for Anthonys number in the past and was told he didn't like his number being given out to people. I've no e-mail for him either.
Fingers crossed it'll all come together on Sunday.

Dermot

 

[DEREK CHARLES]

Hello Dermot,
I am sure Craig would pass on a message or you could contact the RSPB in Belfast.
Good luck next weekend, lets hope the weather holds up and you get a few great birds.

Derek

 

[birdsgalway]

Craig excellent report and the photos are stunning. Lets hope Sunday is a good day.

Just back from Inis Meáin had 4 Arctic Skuas putting on a great display on the beach. The only other items of note were 300 Kittiwake near the new pier, 60 Sanderling at the end of the beach and a Raven doing the rounds at the airfield. I think every garden and patch of scrub I passed had a Robin they were every where. Weather was miserable but manged to get the gear out for a few hours.

County List
175 Leach's Petrel Tim Griffin Baile na hAbhainn 25.08.08
176 Balearic Shearwater Tim Griffin Baile na hAbhainn 25.08.08

 

[birdsgalway]

A few photos from the Galway Pelagic from Cleggan Co. Galway on 31st August 2008-09-01. A few pelagic virgins on the trip include me and a few old hands at the business. A specially word of thanks to Aonghus for organising the trip and having the stomach to administer the chum to the open sea. Some very new odours wafted up the old nostrils which will linger in the memory. All hardy members on the trip retained the contains of their stomach to the surprise of everyone. It was very difficult to photograph with the deep swells on the sea, managed a few good shots and quiet a lot poor ones. All in all a good trip.

Manx Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Storm Petrel
Leach's Petrel
Gannet
Cormorant
Great Skua
Pomarine Skua
Arctic Skua
Long Tailed Skua
Fulmar
Kittiwake
Sabine's Gull
Great Black backed Gull
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Herring gull
Arctic Tern
Gulliemot

The Skipper John Brittain seen a Grey Phalarope on the way out together with Razorbills and a solitary Puffin

County List
177 Grey Phalarope
178 Long Tailed Skua
179 Sabine's Gull

My web site will be updated this evening (recent pics>August folder)

 

[Brosnabirder]

Great day out alright Tom.
The highlight for me had to be that Long-tailed Skua that kept flying over the boat. That and the great views of more familiar species. Some nice photos from you there.
I want to echo your thanks to Aonghus for organising the trip.

I'm not thanking him for that chum though

 

[John Carey]

A grand day out!

Not too bad when a novice like me gets 8 life ticks! Good company and fantastic conditions made it a day to linger like the chum.

Well done to Aonghus. Not only did he arrange a fantastic trip but may have also found the best hang-over cure ever :t:

So.....when is the next one?

 

[Brosnabirder]

At Lough Rusheen this afternoon.
5 Knot, 2 Grey Plover, c.150 Dunlin, c.80 Ringed Plover, a few Greenshank and Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Turnstone, 1 Little Egret, c.50 Sandwich Tern, Redshank and Oystercatcher.

Also 2 Razorbills on the sea off Silver Strand. 1 dark Arctic Skua harrassing Terns here too. It then landed on the sea about 100m out for a few minutes.

 

[birdsgalway]

County List
180 Black Tern (3 seen by Michael Davis at Rahasane 2nd Sept)

BIRDWATCH GALWAY FORTHCOMING PROGRAMME
Saturday 6 September
Short outing with Tim Griffin et al. at Nimmo’s Pier, 10.30am.
The short outings are suitable for children provided they are supervised by an adult.
Wednesday 17 September
branch meeting, Anno Santo Hotel, Threadneedle Road, Salthill, 8pm.
All members are very welcome to attend the monthly branch meetings
Saturday 4 October
Short outing with Tim Griffin et al. at Nimmo’s Pier, 10.30am
Friday 10 October
Talk by Pete Capsey – The Magic of Rahasane, Anno Santo Hotel, 8pm.
Wednesday 15 October
branch meeting, Anno Santo Hotel, 8pm.
Saturday 1 November
Short outing with Tim Griffin et al. at Nimmo’s Pier, 10.30am
Wednesday 12 November
branch meeting, Anno Santo Hotel, 8pm. All members welcome!
Friday 21 November
Talk by Sarah Clarke - Antarctic Oasis. Anno Santo Hotel, 8pm

 

[Dermot Breen]

Hour and a half seawatch off Rossadilask yesterday - 1 adult Sabine's Gull, 2 Grey Phalarope feeding just offshore (seem to be good numbers passing Bridges and in UK at the moment) and 6 Great Skuas. 1 very late Common Swift also.

Dermot

 

[Brosnabirder]

Not such a good afternoon as yours at Ballynahown yesterday Dermot.

Only 3 Storm Petrel. Also 6 Arctic Skua. Tim had seen 5 of these by the time I arrived.
Manxies distant but good numbers of Gannets feeding close to the pier. 4 Whimbrel also flew by.
At Silver Strand yesterday 1 Wheatear up near the quarried out area.

 

[birdsgalway]

Adult and Juvenile Mediterranean Gull at Nimmo's on Saturday and the Ring-billed Gull put in an appearance on the slipway.

At Rusheen Bay two juvenile Mediterranean Gulls were at Rusheen bay.

The only thing of note at Rusheen Bay today was a Common Sandpiper which looked a little strange in the first photos I took but other photos it looked standard enough.

 

[Dermot Breen]

Inishmore yesterday

Took a day trip out to Inishmore yesterday in search of Yank waders that seem to be completely absent from Galway this Autumn so far. Checked the lochs at Barr an Phointe, Port Chorruch, machair around Trawmore, Killeany and Kilmurvy Bay. Water levels still high at the lochs. Not great numbers of waders at any sites, max. 100 Sanderling with most of birds at the very eastern side, only ten Dunlin, 40 Ringed Plover, 70 Lapwing in total on the island. Other highlights included 2 Snipe and 2 Teal at the loch at Barr an Phointe, adult female Peregrine at Port Chorruch Loch trying to flush Oystercatchers without success, 1 Whimbrel in Killeany Bay which had a white rump unfortunately (Hudsonian Whimbrel on the Isles of Scilly at the moment!), WHite Wagtail near Kilmurvey Bay and half a dozen Harbour Porpoise around Killeany Bay. In the evening however things picked up. Made a return visit to Barr an Phointe since there were around 100 Sandwich Terns and 350 Kittiwakes in the general area earlier in the day. I recorded two colour ringed Kittiwakes in amongst the roosting flock on the rocks earlier also. I think they may be French ringed birds, awaiting confirmation. As I arrived I could see a flock of 9 Grey Phalaropes landing just off the point. There were also 2 Great Skuas flying over the road with numerous Arctics terrorising the gulls and terns offshore. More and more Arctics started to appear all the time and my best single count was 15 Arctics, 1 pale adult Pomarine and 2 Great Skuas. Great to see them so close. The Pom sat on the water for around 10 mins and was chased by a pale Arctic at one stage, great to see the difference in size and flight. Amazing to see the speeds the skuas can get up to also. Obviously the same thing that was going on on Inishmaan when you were there Tom.

Dermot

 

[birdsgalway]

Dermot great round up of your visit to Inis mor and yes similar as per Inis Meain would have been nice to see the Phararope.

Keep and eye one this web site for the movements of a satellite tagged Osprey named Glen. At present he is in Roscommon, if he keeps on this course he could end up in Galway on his route south.
http://www.roydennis.org/Glen%2084130.htm