Great Cormorant

I spent the day around Delphi and Fin lough in south Mayo.  During the heavy spells of rain there were a few dry periods during which I managed to photograph this Great Cormorant resting on the south shore of Fin Lough.

Great Cormorant on the shores of Fin Lough, Delphi © John N Murphy

Cormorant

I was back on the Saltee Islands in Wexford again last Saturday.  It was fairly quiet for migrants and I managed to miss the only decent bird of the day a Red-rumped Swallow.  There were other migrants and I got my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year and did a quick run around the island where I managed to photograph these nesting Cormorants near the Heavenly Gate.

Cormorant

I payed a visit one evening this week to the Cormorant tree nesting colony at Bunlickey, in Limerick City.  There were over 100 nests and this interesting looking Cormorant, showing characteristics of the race "sinensis".

Cormorant

These Cormorants were at Kilkee Beach today.  In the first photograph of two birds side by side, the left hand side bird is just coming into courtship plumage but the bird on the right has already reach full breeding plumage and is well defined.

Adult Great Cormorants with their white breeding path

Great Cormorant take off

Adult Great Cormorant displays its white breeding thigh patch

This Immature Great Cormorant will not get a white breeding patch till next year