Little Gulls

This is my first venture in the world of blogging and what better place to start than my local patch, the Coonagh Nature Reserve in Limerick.  Geoff Hunt found a Little Gull and a large flock of Arctic Terns there last Friday.  I paid a visit there on Saturday afternoon, April 20th, and was pleased to see that the Little Gull had been joined by a second individual and that most of the terns were still these.  I also had my first Whimbrels of the year there with a flock of 18 passing overhead initially and a single bird later.



Little Gulls  ©Tom Tarpey

There were about 45 Arctic Terns present, most of which were feeding on the upper lagoon.  They appeared to be taking insects just above the water surface.  Arctic Terns are scarce in Limerick generally and largely confined to the lower Shannon Estuary.  This exceptionally large flock seems to have been pushed up the estuary in the gales a few days earlier.

Arctic Terns ©Tom Tarpey