Pied Flycatcher

I took a trip to Garinish on the Beara Penninsula in Co. Cork last Friday in search of  migrants. I got to see the long staying Western Bonelli's Warbler but did not manage to get any satisfactory shots of it. I did find a newly arrived Pied Flycatcher that seemed to be quite flighty and not very approachable.

Pied Flycatcher ©Tom Tarpey

The site has been a mecca for autumn migrants in the past few weeks and it had a good range of species on the day. Turtle Dove, Whinchat (2 birds), Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were also present in addition to the two previously mentioned species.

Turtle Dove ©Tom Tarpey

Whinchats ©Tom Tarpey

Barred Warbler

I took a trip down to Hook Head, Co. Wexford, last Monday to see if the juvenile Red-backed Shrike found the previous week was still around.  The Shrike showed itself  fairly quickly in a low hedge just a few fields away from the lighthouse. While I was trying to get a few shots of it a Barred Warbler crossed in front of me and landed in the same hedge.  I just managed to get two shots of it before it disappeared.

Juvenile Barred Warbler ©Tom Tarpey

Rear view of juvenile Barred Warbler ©Tom Tarpey

Juvenile Red-backed Shrike ©Tom Tarpey

The Hook peninsula had good numbers of migrants present.  Slade Lane had a  Yellow-browed Warbler while there were several Spotted Flycatchers, a Blackcap, a Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler in the area around the old graveyard.

Yellow-browed Warbler  ©Tom Tarpey

Spotted Flycatchers ©Tom Tarpey

The fields around the lighthouse also held good numbers of Wheatears and a lone Whimbrel.

Wheatears ©Tom Tarpey

Whimbrel  ©Tom Tarpey