Loop Head in Autumn

October 15th, 2018 was a fine day at Loop Head, Co. Clare.  The weather turned out warm, dry and  sunny in the afternoon, with a southeasterly air flow, good conditions for attracting daytime migrants.  I spent the day there with Murf and a few other Clare birders who dropped in from time to time.

The day started well with a female Hen Harrier near the Lough and a Wheatear in the fields to the east. I checked the flocks of Golden Plover in the same area and also at Ross hoping to catch up with the long-staying adult American Golden Plover (AGP) but drew a blank.  

A pair of Buzzards heading eastwards over Kilbaha village at lunch time afternoon was a nice surprise and indication of more to come. I spent the mid afternoon checking the village gardens along with Murf for the long staying Red-breasted Flycatcher.  It hadn't been seen for a few days but eventually showed up in overgrown hedges/grove at Costello's.

Red-breasted Flycatcher

This grove proved to be a hive of activity and kept drawing us back every time we resolved to leave. We counted at least six Chiffchaffs, several Goldcrests and Collared Doves along with the Flycatcher.  We were eventually rewarded with some views of a Garden Warbler, a scarce migrant at Loop Head.  

Garden Warbler

Chiffchaff

We eventually caught up with the moulting adult AGP in the company of a Goldie flock at Fodry in the late afternoon.  The flock was nervously watching out for a nearby Peregrine and didn't seem to mind our approach.

American Golden Plover

AGP (right) with Golden Plover

AGP

Leaving Fodry we came across two groups of three Buzzards drifting down the peninsula.  Buzzards are an increasingly common sight now in the west of Ireland and are regular visitors to Loop Head in the autumn but the eight birds (minimum) that we encountered is a record number for the area.

 

 

Later in the day we got nice views of Snipe in the pond at Kilbaha as the tide filled it up. The birds sat out in the open, clearly confident of their camouflaged plumaged as they sat on the seaweed.

 

Snipe

I was back at my local patch in Coonagh last Saturday morning along with Tony Mee.  The tide was high so we were expecting to see good numbers of waders roosting in the lower lagoon.  We did have a flock of Lapwing but surprisingly few Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank.  A Common Sandpiper on the river bank was a nice surprise as they are not particularly abundant that far up the estuary.  We also picked up a few Snipe including this one below lurking at the edge of the small intermediate pond.  

Snipe ©Tom Tarpey

There was a nice variety of duck present including two small parties of Shoveler and a few Wigeon that we assumed were recent arrivals, although a lone Shoveler had been seen there on a few occasions over the summer.

Shoveler  ©Tom Tarpey

We also had party of five Gadwall and brief views of what appeared to be a pair of juvenile Garganey.  Both of these species have been present at the site over the summer so it is tempting to think that they may have successfully bred. In the case of the Gadwall this was the third summer that the species has been present at the site.

Gadwall ©Tom Tarpey

 

Ruff

I paid a quick visit to the Swords Estuary in Dublin last Saturday evening hoping to catch up with the juvenile Ruff that was giving good views there earlier in the week. I found the birds feeding along the southern shoreline at high tide.  It was quite confiding and did not seem to be bother by the constant stream of walkers close by.

Juvenile Ruff  ©Tom Tarpey

The inner estuary is a great place to get close to waders especially at high tide.  There were large flocks of Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit present as well as smaller numbers of Lapwing and Dunlin.  I also came across a juvenile Common Sandpiper and a lone Snipe keeping close by a boulder protruding through the mud.

Snipe ©Tom Tarpey

Common Sandpiper ©Tom Tarpey

Lapwing ©Tom Tarpey