Friday 9 July 1999

9th July 1999 Lady’s Island Lake, Co.Wexford 7.00am - 9.30am, Tacumshin Lake 10.00 -11.30am, Lady’s Island 11.45am - 12.15pm. Rosslare to Fishguard Ferry 1.30pm - 3.30pm. Sunny and calm.


Little Grebe c.4
Great Crested Grebe 1
Fulmar c.5
Manx Shearwater c.300
Grey Heron c.5
Shelduck c.6
Buzzard c.5 Wales
Kestrel 1 Wales
Water Rail 1
Ringed Plover 1
Dunlin c.30
Black-tailed Godwit c.50
Curlew c.50
Redshank c.5
Common Sandpiper 1
Mediterranean Gull 1 adult in summer plumage
Black-headed Gull c.50
Sandwich Tern c.150
ELEGANT TERN 1 adult in winter plumage. Very long fine bill with clearly decurved upper and lower mandibles being deep orange for basal third becoming paler towards extremely fine tip. White forehead extending onto crown. Black eye with mask extending back from eye with long shaggy nape feathers often held erect when apparently displaying throwing its head back. Pinkish bloom to underparts. Grey upperparts proving similar to Sandwich Terns with very long grey primaries. White tail, uppertail coverts and rump seen well both whilst preening and in flight. Dark grey legs. Watched down to 50 yards for 45 minutes. Absolutely mindblowing performance strutting around chasing juv. Sandwich Terns and displaying etc. UK458.
Roseate Tern c.20 breeding colony at Ladys Island Lake.
Common Tern c.150
Guillemot c.20
Razorbill c.10
Black Guillemot c.13 Rosslare Harbour
Puffin c.5
Collared Dove c.2
Sand Martin c.200
Swallow c.5
House Martin 1
Wren 1
Coal Tit c.3
Jackdaw c.5
Hooded Crow c.10
Tree Sparrow c.3
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch 1
Linnet 1