birdsgalway: March 2012

Monday, 26 March 2012

A few shots from the week-end

A few shots from the week-end which are very regular stuff compared to the rare birds arriving down the south of the country. The Black Curlew was still at Moylough over the week-end.
Dunnock was in full song at Anglingham. Same regular birds at Nimmo's.

Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
Íbis Niamhrach

Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
Éigrit bheag

Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoides
Faoileán Íoslannach

Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
Eala bhalbh

Dunnock
Prunella modularis
Donnóg

Sunday, 18 March 2012

Black Curlew

Got an email about a Glossy Ibis at Moylough. So went to have a look. Pulled up outside a house near the turlough and looked out and it was right beside the road. I was almost afraid to get out as I would surely spook it. Camera was in the boot so had to get out. It kept on feeding and was not bother about me. It did get spooked a little while later and went about 50m along the shore, but return to feed very close, so got some reasonable shots. Local man Martin Mannion asked if I was there to look for the Glossy Ibis for which I replied yes. He told me they were calling it the Black Curlew. He also told me it was there about this time last year also and he first noticed it this time about 2 weeks ago. New tick for me.

Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
Íbis Niamhrach

Great Tit
Parus major
Meantán mór

Mullaghmore, Moylough,

Sunday, 11 March 2012

Kumlien's No More

A few shots from the week-end at my usual haunt at Nimmo's. Including a Gull which is getting a bit of a complex. It start out life at Nimmo's as a Kumliens then was relegated to a Kumlien's/Iceland and now further relegated to a plain old Iceland. It still looks good to me for a Kumlien's. The 1st winter Iceland is the smallest I have ever seen, similar to Common Gull

~~Kumlien's Gull~~
~~Kumlien's/Iceland Gull~~
Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull

Linnet
Carduelis cannabina
Gleoiseach

Sunday, 4 March 2012

Ring-billed close up

Usual fair at Nimmo's early today. Ring-billed Gull was getting it's fill of bread and was veyry close. At least 6 Iceland Gulls 1st and 2nd winter.

Thursday, 1 March 2012

Close encounter with a Bull

My good neighbour Shane knock on the door this evening a little excited saying there is a red finch on the ground outside his drive way. He said he was able to walk up to it and stroke its chest. Wow! So I went with him to investigate this finch. It was a male Bullfinch feeding along the kerb. I walk up to it and it flew about four feet. There was definitely something wrong. I approached again and it flew another four feet. The third time it did not fly and I could stroke its back. It then flew into a bush hence the few very close shots below. It flew even higher and seem to be OK. I would assume it hit a window and was temporarily stunned. Close encounters you just can't beat them.

Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Corcrán coille