29th August 2013 Bridges of Ross W3

6.30-11.30am & 15.00-19.45

Fulmar c.250
Great Shearwater 2 ex.
Manx Shearwater c.3,000
Balearic Shearwater 6
Sooty Shearwater 98
Leach's Storm Petrel 2 ex.
Storm Petrel 1
Gannet c.500
Ringed Plover 4
Whimbrel 1
Bonxie 9
Pomarine Skua 3 adults
Arctic Skua 19
Kittiwake c.30
Arctic Tern 52
Black Tern 2
Puffin 5
Guillemot 2
Razorbill 5
Chough 2
Hooded Crow 10

28th August 2013 Bridges of Ross, Kilbaha & Doonbeg SW2

6.30-8.00 & 16.00-20.00

Scoter 5
Manx Shearwater c.1,500
Sooty Shearwater 14
Bonxie 3
Arctic Skua 9
Black-headed Gull 2
Sabine's Gull 1
Sandwich Tern 5
Arctic Tern 67
Guillemot 2
Razorbill 5
Rock Dove 20
Chough h
Hooded Crow 10

Kilbaha
Raven 14

Doonbeg
Greenshank 6

Common Hawker at Bridges of Ross

the yellow leading edge to its wings and its narrow waist are apparently diagnostic

 

 

the walk out to the Bridges of Ross

Doonbeg Harbour

Sea-watching proved more consistently good during our visit this year so this was our only visit



27th August 2013 Bridges of Ross W2

6.30-11.30 & 15.30-18.00

Scoter 6
Manx Shearwater c.2,800
Balearic Shearwater 1 ex.
Sooty Shearwater 114
Whimbrel 3
Bonxie 3
Pomarine Skua 1 adult
Arctic Skua 4
Sandwich Tern 38
Puffin 2
Chough 2

 

looking north east from Bridges of Ross



26th August 2013 Bridges of Ross Calm

6.30-11.30 & 15.30-19.40

Scoter 6
Fulmar c.250
Manx Shearwater c.2,000
Balearic Shearwater 4 ex.
Sooty Shearwater 561 ex.
Storm Petrel 10
Gannet c.250
Turnstone 5
Bonxie 4
Arctic Skua 1
Pomarine Skua 1 adult
Kittiwake c.100
Sabine's Gull 1 adult
Little Gull 1 juvenile
Arctic Tern 8
Puffin 1
Chough 2

25th August 2013 Bridges of Ross NW6

6.30-11.00 & 15.00-19.35

Fulmar c.300
Manx Shearwater c.1,300
Sooty Shearwater 96
Storm Petrel 2
Gannet c.500
Bonxie 4
Arctic Skua 7
Kittiwake c.100
Arctic Tern 2
Guillemot 2
Rock Dove 25

24th August 2013 Bridges of Ross W3 misty squalls

06.25-11.30 & 16.00-19.30

Scoter 7
Great Shearwater 3 ex.
Manx Shearwater c.1,800
Sooty Shearwater 273 ex.
Storm Petrel 14
Gannet c.500
Shag 20
Grey Plover 1
Whimbrel 20
Bonxie 11
Arctic Skua 7
Kittiwake c.100
Sandwich Tern 3
Arctic Tern 12
Puffin 1
Guillemot 3
Razorbill c.30
Hooded Crow 5

looking west from Bridges of Ross - from right to left - the wall, the step and the slab



23rd August 2013 Bridges of Ross WNW 3-4 heavy showers

6.30am - 12.30pm & 14.55 - 19.10

Scoter 8
Fulmar c.250
Cory's Shearwater 3 distant
Great Shearwater 37
Manx Shearwater c.3,000
Sooty Shearwater 217
Storm Petrel 8
Leach's Storm Petrel 1 ex.
Gannet c.500
Shag 10
Dunlin 1
Whimbrel c.15
Bonxie 14
Pomarine Skua 2
Arctic Skua 41
Kittiwake c.250
Sabine's Gull 16 adults ex.
Sandwich Tern 2
Arctic Tern 70
Black Tern 1 juvenile
Razorbill c.35
Guillemot 3
Wheatear 2
Chough 2
Hooded Crow 10

Bottlenose Dolphin 3
Grey Seal 1

the view looking south west from Bridges of Ross

easy to understand why so many geologists visit the Bridges of Ross

A Chough also finding the cliffs to its liking



22nd August 2013 Bridges of Ross S1

7.00 - 11.00am, 12.30-1.15pm & 15.55-19.35
Scoter 1
Fulmar c.200
Manx Shearwater c.2,000
Sooty Shearwater 60
Storm Petrel 3
Gannet c.350
Shag 10
Sanderling 3
Turnstone 1
Dunlin 2
Whimbrel 16
Bonxie 4
Arctic Skua 17
Black-headed Gull 1
Kittiwake c.200
Sandwich Tern 6
Arctic Tern 10
Puffin 1
Razorbill c.50
Rock Dove 5
Chough 2
Hooded Crow 10

Common Dolphin c.15
Irish Hare 1
Irish Common Blue c.5
Wall 2

The Fodry and Loop Head from Bridges of Ross

 

Female Irish Common Blue at Bridges of Ross

Ireland plays host to an endemic subspecies of Common Blue P.i. mariscolore the female of which shows an extensive area of blue on the uppersides of its wings



17th August 2013 Beachy & River Cuckmere W2 light cloud

Tree Pipit 2
Yellow Wagtail 3
Redstart 1 female
Nightingale h
Sedge Warbler 1
Whitethroat 18
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Willow Warbler 15
Spotted Flycatcher 1

Cuckmere
Ringed Plover c.5
Dunlin c.10
Curlew Sandpiper 1 juvenile ex.



 

Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper along the River Cuckmere



13th August 2013 Arlington Reservoir

Ringed Plover 3
Common Sandpiper c.8
Sand Martin c.50
Wheatear 1

Ringed Plovers at Arlington

11th August 2013 Beachy SW3 Overcast with heavy showers

Scoter 9E
Nightingale 2h
Whitethroat 10
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Willow Warbler 7
Pied Flycatcher 1 ex.

10th August 2013 Beachy NW1 Overcast

Buzzard 1
Swift 12
Sand Martin 25W
Swallow c.20
Pied Wagtail 1
Nightingale 2+h
Redstart 1 ex.
Wheatear 1
Sedge Warbler 1
Reed Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Whitethroat 15
Garden Warbler 1
Blackcap 1
Willow Warbler 40
Raven 3

Willow Warbler in the Hotel Garden

Reed Warbler in Chat Vale

Wall Brown at Belle Tout

Small Copper in the Old Trapping Area

Common Blue Damselfly in the Old Trapping Area

 

Nightingale calling in Chat Vale



4th August 2013 Beachy SW1 Clear

Buzzard 2+
Sparrowhawk 1
Hobby 1
Cuckoo 1
Swift 25
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2
Sand Martin 15
Nightingale 2 ex.
Black Redstart 1
Blackcap 4
Whitethroat 55
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Sedge Warbler 1
Reed Warbler 2
Willow Warbler 11
Chiffchaff 1
Raven 2+
Crossbill 3 WNW at 2.40pm including one male

 

First-year Nightingale in Chat Vale

Plumage characters can prove difficult to assess in the separation of Nightingales and the Collins Guide warns of some being inseparable in the field, but as here, the unspotted rusty-buff undertail-coverts are as anticipated for Common Nightingale as are the seven (not eight) visible primary tips.

Juvenile male Great Spotted Woodpecker above the Lighthouse

Willow Warbler in the Hotel Garden

 

Painted Lady at the Beachy Head Hotel

Peacock at the Beachy Head Hotel



3rd August 2013 Beachy WSW4-5 Clear

Gannet 53E, 12W
Manx Shearwater 1W at 7.50am, 1E at 8.10am
Scoter 26E
Hobby 1 ex.
Mediterranean Gull 1E, 3 feeding offshore including 2 juveniles
Sandwich Tern 4E, 1W
Whitethroat 3
Blackcap 2

Juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull at Princes Park



2nd August 2013 Old Lodge

Redstart 1 juvenile