Bonaparte's Gull still in Liscannor Bay

The first record or this rare North American Gull was found in the exact same spot over 20 years ago, a first-winter back on 24th to 29th of January 1999. Since then there have been six other records.  Two years ago an adult coming out of summer plumage was found at Quilty. Then last winter, a winter plumaged bird was found at Loop Head, and now this bird at Clahane, also an adult moulting out of summer plumage. Possibly the same bird or another, who knows. Great bird and always nice to see them close to home.

 Adult Bonaparte's with Black-headed Gull John N Murphy

Adult Bonaparte's Gull at Clahane John N Murphy

Old slide shots of the original first-winter Bonaparte's Gull at Clahane beach John N Murphy

Twite bring in the winter

I was out and about yesterday in the misty wet rain and got as far as Clahane near Liscannor Bay.  There were over 50 Rock Pipits feeding the roadside on high tide and a small mixed flock of finches with three lovely Twite among'st them.  Here are a few shots of the birds that I took out the window of the car in the miserable conditions.

 

 Twite at Clahane John N Murphy

Glaucous Gull

We held a local Birdwatch Ireland outing this morning to Liscannor Pier and Lahinch area of west Clare.  A first-winter Glaucous Gull was found feeding on a dead dolphin carcas on the shore at Liscannor.  We also got to see the Tundra Bean Goose and three Pink-footed Geese in the fields near Sandsfield.  Other birds seen today included Pale-bellied Brent Geese, Great & Red-throated Divers, Common Scoters and a good mix of wading birds.

Pink-footed Goose

With the Tundra Bean Goose at Liscannor there were three Pink-footed Geese.  These are an annual visitor to Clare but normally three to four per annum.

Tundra Bean Goose

On 27th December 2011 I was back at Liscannor with a few friend to do a bit of birding.  Coming out of Liscannor near the pitch & put Course at Sandfield I spotted four geese on a distant hillside.  We pulled back along the road to get a better view and found them to be three Pink-footed Geese and one Tundra Bean goose.  This is the second ever record of Bean Goose for county Clare.  The first was shot on the Shannon Estuary in February 1903, over 109 years ago.  See distant photos below.

Sabine's Gulls

More Sabine's Gulls turned up today at Liscannor Harbour and pier.  I went there to drop off another storm wrecked manx Shearwater that was found near Crusheen, North East of Ennis town and well inland.  When I got to Liscannor there were two adult Sabine's Gulls, one juvenile, dozens of Arctic Terns, one Storm Petrel and a juvenile Arctic Skua came through later in the afternoon.  These Sabine's Gulls coincided with a large passage off the Bridges of Ross, see the following http://loopheadbo.blogspot.com/ for details.

Great Northern Diver

Visited Clahane and Liscannor after Quilty today.  No sign of the Water pipit at Clahane but there was a large flock of mixed gulls, nine Purple Sandpipers and a small few Great Northern Divers.  This one was almost in full summer plumage.

Rock Pipit

I visit a lovely little National School at Furglans near Ennistymon today and afterwards skipped down to nearby Clahane to look for an early Wheatear.  While at Clahane I managed to locate the Water Pipit, and at least 70 Rock Pipits were still feeding along the shore.

Great Northern Diver

I was in Liscannor village and at the pier after my visit to Clahane.  As I was about to leave Liscannor where I found a first-winter Iceland and a first-winter Glaucous Gull, I was stopped on the main road by a bit of a commotion.  Some people were man handling a bird off the road and dropping him over a stone wall.  I jumped out of my jeep to find that they had picked up a Great Northern Diver that was hiding under a van.  How he got there was a mystery to all, so I popped him into the back of my Land Rover and drove back to the slipway at the pier.  Placing him on the slipway he soon staggered back into the sea where he immediately began fishing.  See photos below.