1988 Bird Report

Turtle Dove Loop Head © John N Murphy

By Phil Brennan


The 1988 autumn season was an exceptionally rewarding one. It was the best seawatching year since 1984 and the best for land-birds since 1985. The success of the previous year’s late coverage into November was repeated, with interesting sightings being had up to mid-month. In contrast with 1987, however, few observers suffered the disappointment of working the site without due reward. A week hardly went by that hadn’t plenty of interest. Even the ‘poor Dubs’, who had missed out on the good seabirds on previous visits, had little cause for complaint with what the Bridges of Ross produced. The ‘regulars’ had very few lean days to complain about either. Sixteen species new to the site were recorded, seven of these being rare.

Coverage differed from 1987 in that late August (8 days) was better, September (15 days) was better, October (21 days) worse and November (10 days) slightly better, 54 days in all were covered with ringing taking place on 25 days. For several good reasons, nuptials included, several of last year’s observers weren’t available, which left some bad gaps in the coverage, particularly in October, when some perfect days were missed. Luckily, visiting seawatchers braved bad weather and long journeys to watch at the Bridges, thus covering important periods when locals couldn’t be present.

Weather Patterns:

Autumn 1988 was entirely different to the previous year. S and SE winds, which in previous years produced good arrivals, were recorded in autumn 1987 on about 24 days, though many of these days were spoilt by rain. 1988 had about 40 such days, as well as better weather, especially in mid September and from mid-October to mid-November. Included in this total were E and NE winds as well as SW winds whose origins were continental, as these also produced good movement.

The conditions, which give good seawatching, occurred on several occasions, notably on Aug 20^th, Sept 2^nd/3^rd, 23^rd/24^th, Oct 6^th/7^th. These days had gale to storm-force winds whose origins were between Iceland and N. Scotland. Surprisingly, Sept. 11^th with only westerly Force 4 –5 in beautiful sunshine gave an excellent seawatch.

Acknowledgements:

Special thanks again go to Canon Burrows and Jim and Margaret Sides who made Kilbaha Cottage available for the second year. Without the house, the type of coverage attained in 1987 and 1988 would not have been possible.

Thanks to :

• Michael Bonfil and Mrs. Bonfil who were again most helpful

• to the regular observers, especially Tony Mee, Gerry Butler and Killian Mullarney

• all who contributed records;
• to all the land-owners who allowed access to their property
• to the many people in Kilbaha who were so hospitable;
• special thanks to my wife, Noreen.

Sponsorship:Our special thanks to De Beers, Ireland, Ltd., for sponsoring the purchase of amplification equipment, which it is hoped, will improve next year’s ringing performance.

Any records from 1988 or from previous years would be most welcome.


Phil Brennan, 134 Tradaree Court, Shannon, Co. Clare. Tel: 061-361317.

The Season’s Progress:

A Sabine’s Gull on July 31^st, the earliest yet recorded at Ross, was a good omen for the season to come. Good numbers of Storm Petrels were counted at this time. Strong winds on Aug. 20^th produced a Mediterranean Gull and a Great Shearwater and a Cory’s Shearwater was seen on the 25^th. 54 Snipe on Aug. 26^th at Kilbaha was unusual and 2 Black Terns were seen on the 27^th.

September started with strong winds that produced 4 Long-tailed Skuas on the 2nd, with 64 Leach’s Petrels and another Long-tailed Skua on the 3^rd, as well as 9 Sabine’s gull over the two days. The first passerine of interest, a Pied Flycatcher, appeared on the 10^th. In contrast to the normal gales associated with good seawatching, the following day, Sept. 11^th in a force 4 to 5 wind, an amazing 486 Leach’s Petrels and 10 Sabine’s Gull passed in 4 ½ hours.

Conditions at mid-month favoured the arrival of land-birds, and the first of these were a Turtle Dove and a Pied Flycatcher on the 16^th, with the first Garden Warbler of the season on the 17^th. An Ortolan Bunting made a brief appearance on the 18^th. Another Turtle Dove was seen on the 19^th with Lapland Bunting, Redstart and Pied Flycatcher on the 20^th. 206 Skylarks and first Short-eared Owl for the site and 9 Wheatear were recorded on the 21^st.

Weather again favoured the sea on the 23^rd and 24^th with many notable sightings. This two-day period featured another Long-tailed Skua, 25 Sabine’s Gulls, 3000 Sooty Shearwaters on the 23^rd, 92 Leach’s Petrels, 86 Pomarine Skuas, 3 Little Gulls and many others. The only Ruffs of the season were on the following day. The first Snow bunting appeared on Oct. 1^st with a Yellow Wagtail on the 2^nd. The seawatching was still not over, and on Oct. 6^th and 7^th again produced 5 more Long-tailed Skuas, 119 Pomarine Skuas, 80 Leach’s 130 Grey Phalaropes, & 80 Bonxies.

From then on, the weather began to favour land-birds again and the first of these was a Dotterel on the 9^th. Red-breasted Flycatcher on the 12^th was followed by Little Tern on the 13^th . There was a fall 60 Goldcrest on the 14^th, but the highlight of the month was a Little Bunting on the 16^th with the first Yellow-browed Warlber, another Redstart and Short-eared Owl on the same day. Another Yellow-browed was present on the 17^th.

On the 22^nd, after an unfortunate gap in the coverage, Twite, Black Redstart and 80 Chaffinches were recorded. Finches were to dominate the end of the month with a further 125 Chaffinch and 75 Siskin on the 26^th. Another Yellow-browed Warbler and 3 Whinchat were seen on the same day. Finches again were predominant on the 28^th, this time including 27 Goldfinch and 2 Brambling as well as Redwings and Fieldfares. The previous Chaffinch Numbers were surpassed by a staggering 2020 on the 28^th. A Jack Snipe was also seen on the 28^th. Blackcaps were now regular. 3 Hen Harriers wee present on the 30^th but a Buzzard on the 31^st was the best raptor of the season. Five Bullfinch on the same day was unusual.

The turn of the month saw 150 Golden Plover on Nov 1^st and the last Swallow of the season turned up on the same day. Ireland’s third Pied Wheatear arrived on the 5^th and was seen until the 8^th. The final rarity of the season was a lovely male Serin on the 12^th. A female Eider on the same day was also a first. A Twite and a Water Rail on the 16^th were the last birds of interest of the season, the rail being the first record for the site. A late visit on the Dec. 17^th produced a Black-throated Diver in the harbour.

In all, 142 species were recorded. Black-throated Diver, Shoveler, Eider, Buzzard, Water Rail, Dotterel, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Jack Snipe, Common Sandpiper, Mediterranean Gull. Short-eared Owl, Yellow Wagtail, Serin, Ortolan Bunting and Little Bunting were recorded for the first time.

Systematic List:

Rarities listed have still to be considered by the Irish Rare Birds Panel. All the rarity records listed in the 1987 report have been accepted by the panel, with the exception of the Wryneck. This record has been held over pending a decision.

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Red-Throated Diver: there were nine records in all in September and October. The first were two birds on Sept. 3^rd. One or two birds were normally involved. The peak count was on Sept. 23^rd, when 25 were seen, with 7 on the 24^th.

Black- Throated Diver: One was on the water in Kilbaha Bay on Dec. 17^th. This is the first definite record, though there have been a few previous ‘probable’ sightings, involved flying birds on seawatches.

Great Northern Diver: 3, seen on Sept. 24^th, was the first record and there were six other sightings involving single birds.

Fulmar: Very poor passage, though definitely under-recorded. The best days, Aug 20^th and 27^th had about 200 birds per hour. 150 was the highest day’s total in September, with 37 the next highest for the month. Some days only produced single-figure counts.

Cory’s Shearwater: One was seen off the Bridges of Ross on Aug. 25^th.

Great Shearwater: One was seen off the Bridges of Ross on Aug 20^th.

Sooty Shearwater: A very good autumn passage. 30 on July 30^th was the earliest record. 600 per hour were counted on Aug 20^th. In September, 900 were seen on the 2^nd and 500 on the 24^th. An impressive 3000 were counted on Sept. 23^rd. 100 were recorded on Oct. 6^th.

Manx Shearwater: Peak counts were as follows …. 1000 per hour on July 30^th and 31^st; 2500 p.h. on Aug 20^th; 3120 p.h. on Aug. 23^rd; 1250 the days total on Sept. 11^th.

Balearic Shearwater: One was recorded on Sept. 23^rd.

Leach’s Petrel: A marvellous total of 749 birds, seen between Sept. 2^nd and Oct. 8^th, made this the best season since 1984 (when 855 were recorded). Highest daily counts were 64 on Sept. 2^nd and 23^rd, 80 on Oct. 8^th. A staggering 486 were counted in 4 ½ hours on the evening of Sept. 11^th. A few were seen to the south of the peninsula this season, with the vast majority as usual at Ross.

Storm Petrel: Better-than-usual numbers throughout the season. 1000 and 750 per hour were recorded on July 30^thand 31^st. There were 401 in 2 hours on Aug 23^rd, 500 on Sept. 2^nd, 350 on Oct. 6^th and 500 on Oct. 7^th.

Gannet: Recorded daily, though in relatively small numbers, 300 on Aug 21^st being the best count. Frequently under-recorded.

Shag: Usually less than 10 per day, with 18 the best count.

Cormorant: Regular, in small numbers, with 20 the best day’s count.


Grey Heron: Recorded on 18 days, mainly seen singly. 4 were present on Sept. 19^th.

Whooper Swan: A single adult was at Cloghaun Lough on October 30^th.

Barnacle Goose: 20, on Oct. 9^th was the only sighting. This flock was seen to wander about the peninsula.

Brent Goose: Four records … 2 in both September and October. 30 was the maximum count on Sept. 25^th, with 1 to 6 birds involved in the other sightings. All were seen on sea watches off Ross.

Wigeon: Five records, all from Cloghaun Lough. Singles or pairs were usually recorded, with 8 on Nov. 13^th.
Four records … 2 in both September and October. 30 was the maximum count on Sept. 25, with 1 to 6 birds involved in the other sightings. All were seen on sea watches off Ross.: Five records, all from Cloghaun Lough. Singles or pairs were usually recorded, with 8 on Nov. 13.

Teal: Regulars from Sept. 10^th 10 or less were encountered daily in September 10 to 50 in October. Highest counts were in November, with 85 on the 12^th and 250 on the 16^th.

Mallard: Recorded on 14 days; 15 on Sept. 16^th was the maximum.

Shoveler: Two were at Ross bay on Sept. 25^th. This is the first recorded sighting of the species in the area.

Eider: A duck was in Ross bay on Nov. 12^th. There are very few records of this bird for the Clare Coast.

Common Scoter: There were three records in October. Singletons were seen on the 9^th and 16^th, with 9 on the 22^nd. All were seen from Ross.

Hen Harrier: Present on 12 days in all, with 2 sightings in September 7 in October and 3 in November. Mainly seen singly, 3 birds on Oct. 30^th was the highest.

Sparrowhawk: Seen on 16 days, generally involving single birds, with 2 present on one day.

Buzzard: One flew westwards between Kilbaha and Fodry on October 31^st. This is the first site record.

Kestrel: Recorded on 16 days. Generally singles recorded, with 2 seen on three days.

Merlin: Recorded on 22 days. 1 to 2 were the normal daily counts, but three were present on two days in late October. Several took up residence in the lighthouse area and were seen attacking migrants on several occasions.

Peregrine: Recorded on 17 days. There were two sightings of 2 birds, with the rest seen singly.

Pheasant: One was seen on Oct. 15^th.

Water Rail: One, at Fodry Bog, on Nov 16^th, was the first site record.

Moorhen: Single birds were seen on three occasions at Cloghaun Lough, with 2 there on Dec. 17^th.

Oystercathcer: Normally 35 or less recorded daily, with one count of 70 on Sept. 19^th.

Ringed Plover: Regularly seen throughout the season. 25 was the best count on Nov. 1^st 1 to 15 was the normal daily range.

Dotterel: One was watched for several hours on the afternoon of October 9^th in the open country about a half a mile short of the Light.

Golden Plover: 12 birds on Sept 4^th were the first seen. Overall, they were recorded on 17 days, all but two of these records involving 50 birds or less. 130 on Oct.13^th and 150 on Nov 1^st were the highest counts.

Grey Plover: From mid-October there were four sightings of 1 to 3 birds, all in Ross bay.

Lapwing: Single birds on Sept. 18^th and 20^th were the only records that month. From Oct. 1^st when 19 appeared, numbers picked up gradually, peaking at 180 in the 22^nd. 650 were present on Nov. 16^th

Knot: Six September records, mainly on seawatches and all from Ross, involved 20 birds or less on any day.

Sanderling: Three were at the Ross bay storm beach on August 26^th.

Little Stint: Two were at the pool at Ross on September 4^th. This is the first record for the site.

Curlew Sandpiper: Not recorded before this season. There were six records in all. The first was seen to come in off the sea during a seawatch on Sept. 3^rd. Single birds were seen on Sept. 11^th, 8th, and 21^st. Two were seen on the 17^th and a further 4 were seen on a seawatch on the 23^rd.

Purple Sandpiper: Two birds seen at Ross on Sept. 24^th was the only record.

Dunlin: Regular in September, with 1 to 13 the daily range. Scarce thereafter, with only a further 8 records involving 1 to 6 birds.

Ruff: Four were on flooded fields at the back of Ross bay on Sept. 24^th.

Jack Snipe: One, the first recorded in the area, was flushed at Kilbaha Pool at dawn on October 29^th.

Snipe: A very good autumn for the species, with good numbers regular, particularly at Kilbaha Pool. A wisp of 22 on Aug 20^th was an interesting sighting for such an early date. There were 10 other counts of 20 or more birds and 50 were present on Sept 10^th. Recorded almost daily.

Woodcock: Given the dearth of previous records, their presence on 7 days in the autumn was very satisfactory. The first was seen on Oct. 23^rd, with the exception of 5 recorded on Nov. 6^th. All the other records were of single birds. Birds were found throughout the area, but most occurred near the Light.

Bar-Tailed Godwit: Much more common than in previous years, being recorded on 22 days in all between Aug 20^th and Nov. 15^th. In general, daily counts were in single figures, with many counts of singletons. However, there were four counts of between 20 and 30 in September, with the peak on the 20^th.

Whimbrel: Present on 11 days from late August to Oct 17^th. 1 to 5 were usually recorded, with 7 seen on three days. There were only two records of single birds in October.

Curlew: Recorded daily, with 10 counts of over 100 birds. The highest monthly totals were 219 on Sept. 20^th, 185 on Oct. 13^th and 250 on Nov. 16^th

Spotted Redshank: One was seen at Cloghaun Lough on Sept 16^th.

Redshank: Recorded almost daily, 12 being the highest count.

Greenshank: Single birds recorded on eight days, mainly at Ross bay, but also at Kilbaha pool and Cloghaun Lough.

Common Sandpiper: Not recorded in previous years, this surprisingly scarce bird turned up twice this season, on Sept. 10^th and Oct. 15^th, both being seen at Kilbaha harbour.

Turnstone: Recorded daily, both scarce in November, when 6 was the maximum count. 100, on Oct. 1^st, was the peak, with 40 or less the normal daily tally.

Phalarope Species: 150 birds were recorded between Sept. 2^nd and Oct. 7^th, most probably Grey Phalaropes. 90 on Oct. 7^th was the best count. 5 were seen on Sept. 2^nd, 15 on Sept 23^rd and 6 on Oct. 6^th.

Great Skua: First seen on July 30^th and regular on all late August to October seawatches at Ross with a grand total of 339 birds counted on 19 days. 30 were seen o Aug 20^th, 70 and 55 on Sept. 23^rd & 24^th and the peak day’s count was 80 on Oct. 6^th.

Artic Skua: Early records were 3 and 1 on July 30^th and 31^st. 150 birds in all were seen on 23 days up to Oct. 16^th. 24 on Sept. 3^rd was the best count, with 20 on the previous day. 1 to 12 was the normal day’s range.

Pomarine Skua: Recorded on 11 days between Aug 22^nd and Oct. 9^th, involving 233 birds in all. Some very good day’s counts were had with 51 and 46 on Sept. 23^rd and 24^th. 59 and 60 were seen on Oct. 6^th and 7^th. Otherwise 1 to 4 was the normal day’s tally.

Long Tailed Skua: The best year to date, with 11 recorded. All were juveniles. 4 were seen on Sept. 2^nd, with single birds on Sept. 3^rd and 22^nd, with no more than two seen on any day. Some records may not have been received.

Mediterranean Gull: One was seen off the Bridges of Ross on Aug. 20^th the first record for the area.

Little Gull: A good season, with 12 seen between Sept. 19^th and Oct 22^nd, with no more than two seen on any day. Some records may not have been received.

Sabine’s Gull: 51 were recorded, making it an excellent season for the species. Birds were seen on 9 days. The first was very early, on July 31^st. 44 were counted in September, the best days being the 11^th, 23^rd and 24^th involving 10 and 15 birds respectively. Six were seen in October, the last two on Oct. 7^th.

Black-Headed Gull: Recorded daily, with 49 birds or less normally seen. 125 on Oct 25^th was the peak count.

Common Gull: Scarce up to October, when they were regularly recorded. Normally 1 to 10 was the daily tally, with a maximum of 25 seen on Oct. 23^rd.

Lesser Black-Backed Gull: Usually less than 20 recorded daily. 65 on Sept 19^th was the best count.

Kittiwake: Numbers in September were poor, with only four instances of over 200 birds. 700 were seen on Sept. 23^rd. There were three counts of 200 in October and 600 and 800 were counted on Oct. 6^th and 7^th. There were some very small counts, for instance, only 10 were seen all day on Sept. 9^th when there was an otherwise heavy passage.

Sandwich Tern: Regular on seawatches, with a few seen at Kilbaha Bay. Counts usually varied from 2 to 24, with a high of 42 on Aug 22^nd.

Common Tern: Only specifically identified twice – 5 on Aug 25^th and 8 on Sept. 3^rd.

Little Tern: Recorded on 11 days between Aug 22^nd and Oct. 9^th, involving 233 birds in all. Some very good day’s counts were had with 51 and 46 on Sept. 23^rd and 24^th. 59 and 60 were seen on Oct. 6^th and 7^th. Otherwise 1 to 4 was the normal day’s tally.

Black Tern: Three records. Two were seen on Aug 27^th and one on Sept 4^th, all off the Bridges of Ross.

Razorbill: One was seen off the Bridges of Ross on Aug. 20^th the first record for the area.

Guillemot: There was no check on numbers in the colony. On seawatches, they were specifically identified on only a few occasions.

Puffin: Definitely recorded only twice. One was seen on Sept.23^rd and 3 on Oct 8^th.

‘Auk Species’: Under recorded. Regular in fairly small numbers, with a peak of 150 on Oct. 22^nd.

Rock Dove: One was seen off the Bridges of Ross on Aug. 20^th the first record for the area.

Woodpigeon: Recorded on five days. 8 on Sept 11^th was the maximum.

Collared Dove: Ten were in the orchard on May 6^th, and they were very scarce in autumn, as usual, with only a single bird seen on Sept. 18^th.

Turtle Dove: Two records, both in September. The first was near the Light on the 16^th and the other on the main road near the junction with Horse Island on the 19^th.

Short-Eared Owl: Two records, which were the first for the site. Both were seen in the lighthouse area, on Sept. 21^stand Oct. 16^th.

Skylark: 206 on Sept. 21^st at the Light and 100 on Oct. 9^th were unusually high counts. The first counts were had at dawn as rain cleared, the birds then heading off south-westwards. Numbers otherwise were in the 2 to 46 range. In all, a good autumn for the species, with them regularly recorded.

Swallow: Over 100 were present on Sept. 4^th. September numbers were otherwise poor, with 31 the highest day’s total. The last September bird was on the 21^st. There was only one October record, 2 birds on the 3^rd. There was a late sighting of a singleton on Nov. 1^st.

Meadow Pipit: Again plentiful. There were 10 counts of 100 or more. The period from Sept. 17^th to 21^st was particularly good, with 150+ regular, and 269 the maximum October and November numbers weren’t as good, with the exception of 200 on Oct. 2^nd and 160 on Nov. 16^th.

Rock Pipit: Plentiful on the shore, the maximum being 52 on Sept. 20^th. Scarce in November.

Yellow Wagtail: A single bird appeared briefly over Lillis’ on Oct. 2^nd. This was the first record of the species for the area.

Grey Wagtail: Seen daily, with 7 the peak daily count.

Pied wagtail: 5 to 20 regular. 37 on Oct. 19^th was the maximum count. There were no records of White Wagtails.

Wren : Resident

Dunnock: Resident. 21 was the daily maximum.

Robin: 26 was the maximum daily count.

Black Redstart: Nine or ten records, as follows …October – singles on October 2^nd and 25^th, 2 on 29^th/30^th with one remaining to the 31st. There were 4 on Nov 12^th. The bird on Oct. 25^th was seen opposite Lillis’; all the others were at the Lighthouse.

Redstart: Two records. A female was the lighthouse on Sept. 20^th and a juvenile male was there on Oct 16^th.

Whinchat: Five birds were recorded, all in October … one on the 22^nd/23^rd…. 3 on the 26^th…. 1 on the 28^th. All were in Kilbaha.

Stonechat: Recorded daily in good numbers, with 10 to 20 at least each day. 20 were logged on both Oct. 15^th and 31^st.

Wheatear: Recorded on about 20 days, with 1 to 4 generally involved. 8 and 9 were present on Sept. 20^th/21^st. The latest bird was seen on Oct. 26^th.

Pied Wheatear: A male frequented the farms east of the orchard from Nov. 5^th to 8^th. This was the third Irish record of this eastern species.

Blackbird: Up to 20 were recorded daily in Sept/Oct. From Oct 26^th onwards, 18 to 25 were regular. An influx of 74 was recorded on Nov 6^th. An obvious migrant, weighing only 77 grams, was trapped on Nov. 1^st.

Fieldfare: 4 birds on Oct. 9^th was the first record. 1 to 30 were involved in the daily counts from then until Nov 6^th, when 42 were recorded. 5 were present on Nov 13^th and the highest count was 180 on Dec 17^th.. An unremarkable season for this species.

Song Thrush: Scarce in September 10 being the daily maximum. Almost absent late in the month and scarce up to Oct. 26^th, with 7 the maximum. Influxes in late October produced a very good count of 125 on the 28^th with 50 on the 29^th; arrivals continued into November when 38 were recorded on the 6^th.

Redwing: First appeared on Sept (the 93 birds). Numbers wee irregular thereafter, with from 1 to 76 the daily tally. A poor autumn for the species.

Mistle Thrush: Probably bred. Present on 21 days, which is a more regular occurrence than in previous autumns. 5 was the maximum present. There were no obvious influxes as had been the case in the autumn of 1987.

Grasshopper Warbler: Three different birds were reeling in the Kilbaha/Fodry area in the summer. A juvenile trapped in the Heligoland on Sept 10^th was the first record of the species outside of the breeding season.

Sedge Warbler: Present in the summer. No autumn records.

Garden Warbler: Seven recorded. Single birds were noted on Sept 17^th, 20^th, 30^th and Oct 15^th, 17^th. Two were present on Oct. 14^th 6 were ringed.

Blackcap: 2 recorded from Oct 16^th onwards. Present on 6 days in October, with 3 the maximum on the 29^th. Present on 6 days up to mid-November, with 4 the maximum on the 6^th. 11 were ringed.

Yellow-Browed Warbler: Three records. Single birds were trapped in Lillis’ haggard on Oct 16^th and 17^th. Another was at the Sallows on Oct. 26^th. Eight birds in all have been recorded since 1985.

Chiffchaff: Present on 22 days from Sept. 16^th, with 1 to 3 birds the usual daily tally. 5 on Nov 16^th was the best count.

Willow Warbler: Present on 13 days in the autumn up to Oct 12^th, with a single bird seen in May. 2 on Oct was the maximum.

Goldcrest: Another good reason for this bird. First recorded on Sept. 10^th. A small arrival was obvious in mid-September and 23 were seen on the 20^th. They were scarce again until Oct 3d, when 12 were present. The best influx was on Oct 14^th, when 60 appeared, and 30 were logged the following day. Late October and early November saw them regular in single figures. A bird bearing a ring was still present on Dec 27^th. 64 were ringed.

Red –Breasted Flycatcher: A juvenile, the third record for the area and the first since 1985, was seen and later trapped at the Sallows on Oct. 9^th.

Pied Flycatcher: There were three September records, contrasting with the complete absence of the commoner Spotted Flycatcher. Single birds were involved and they were found on the Sallows, the Sycamores and the Light, respectively. The last bird was seen to be in a very tired condition.

Coal Tit: Present on 5 days. Singletons were seen on Sept 18^th and 30^th as well as Oct 1^st. Three were seen on Oct 2^ndand 3^rd.

Blue Tit: Recorded daily, in small numbers. 28 on Sept 21^st was the maximum count.

Great Tit: Recorded daily, in small numbers, 6 being the maximum daily total.

Magpie: Continuing to thrive, with up to 40 recorded daily. Most roost in the sycamore grove.

Chough: 3 to 10 seen daily. 19 on Sept 20^th was the maximum.

Jackdaw: A flock of 70 was seen to disappear out to sea in a south-westerly direction on Oct 14^th. 150 were counted on both Oct 14^th and 15^th, with 98 of that total at the Light on the 15^th. Movement through the peninsula was obvious on those days. There was one other count of 100+ on Oct 23^rd, with 20 to 80 otherwise recorded daily.

Rook: Recorded daily, with 35 the maximum count.

Hooded Crow: Recorded daily, with 20 the maximum count.

Raven: Recorded most days. Parties of 4 to 5 were regular and 9 was the maximum daily count.

Starling: Good numbers were seen throughout the autumn, with 200+ recorded on 10 days, 700 on Sept 21^st was the peak.

House Sparrow: Up to 40 were recorded daily.

Tree Sparrow: There were no checks on their breeding status, but autumn levels were almost back to 1985 levels after two very poor years. Birds were recorded on 18 days from Sept 17^th onwards with maximum of 10 on Oct 28^th.

Chaffinch: An exceptional season for this bird. 3 on Sept 16^th and one on the 30^th were the only records for the month. From mid-October they became regular, with larger-than-usual arrivals, starting with 80 on the 22^nd. This was eclipsed by 350 on the 28^th and an amazing 2020 on the 29^th, with 230 on the following day and 380 on Nov. 11^th. On these days birds could be seen arriving from the North near the lighthouse and streaming eastwards along the peninsula. Of the birds trapped at this time, all were large birds, with many big enough to be of the nominate (northern) race, f .c. coelebs. The September and early October birds were of the smaller Irish/British race, f.c. hortensis.

Brambling: Four records … one on Oct. 16^th, 2 on Oct 28^th, 3 on Nov 6^th and 2 on Nov 16^th.

Greenfinch: Nine records, from Oct 3^rd onwards. 2 to 5 were the usual counts, with 8 on Nov. 6^th.

Goldfinch: The season contrasted favourably with previous ones, with birds present on 14 days from Oct. 15^th onwards. 10 or less were seen on most days, but 27 were recorded on Oct. 28^th, co-inciding with the arrival of other finches.

Siskin: Present on 11 days from Oct 22^nd onwards, when 15 were seen. An unprecedented 75 arrived on the 26^th, coinciding with he first notable Chaffinch influx. 37 were seen on the 28^th, with 18 the following day. 1 to 9 was regular up to Nov. 9^th.

Redpoll: In September, single birds were recorded on the 16^th and 20^th, in October on the 9^th and in November on the 1^st and 5^th. 15 were in fields above the ‘top farm’ on Sept 19^th.

Linnet: Recorded almost daily, 185 on Sept 19^th was the peak, with 160 on Oct. 3^rd the highest count for that month. Fewer thereafter with less than 30 daily in late October and still scarcer in November.

Serin: An adult male was seen at the orchard on Nov 12^th after a heavy downpour. It was watched for only a minute before disappearing eastwards.

Twite: Two records. One was flushed above the cliffs near the lighthouse on Oct 22^nd and a record was seen at Ross bay on Nov. 16^th

Bullfinch: 5 birds arrived on Oct 31^st and single birds were present on Nov. 2^nd and 5^th, presumably remnants of the earlier arrival. The only previous record was of a single bird in 1985.

Lapland Bunting: One was at the lighthouse on September 20^th.

Snow Bunting: A flock of about 35 remained in the lighthouse area into early January. From Oct 1^st onwards, birds were recorded on nine days. 1 to 2 was the normal number, but 8 were seen on Oct. 9^th. 6 of these were at Ross, 2 at the Light.

Reed Bunting: Recorded daily. 60 on Oct. 3^rd was the highest count.

Little Bunting: A juvenile was trapped beside the hedge bordering Bonfil’s garden, Kilbaha, on Oct. 16^th.

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Omissions and Errata from Previous report

Phalarope Species: Most likely Grey Phalarope. These records were accidentally omitted from last year’s report. 11 probable Grey Phalaropes were seen on Sept. 12^th. Specifically identified Grey Phalaropes were seen on five days from Oct 4^th to 9^th, involving 46 birds in all, with the final record, a singleton, on Oct 16^th.

Lapland Bunting: It is not known whether the bird seen on Sept 12^th 1987 was submitted to the Irish Rare Birds Panel or not.

_____________________________________________________________________

Ringing Totals, Loop Head, 1988

Birds Ringed loop Head	May	June	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	total
Storm Petrel		59					59
Cormorant				1			1
Sparrowhawk				1	1		2
Merlin					1		1
Curlew Sandpiper				1			1
Dunlin				6			6
Curlew					1		1
Redshank			1				1
Woodpigeon			1				1
Swallow	1		9	1			11
Meadow Pipit	3			2	29	7	41
Rock Pipit						4	4
Grey Wagtail				2	3		5
Pied Wagtail				1	6	3	10
Wren					6		6
Dunnock					5		5
Robin			3	23	15	2	43
Stonechat				9	12	4	25
Wheatear					1		1
Fieldfare					1	2	3
Blackbird				16	18	12	46
SongThrush				11	14	11	36
Redwing					6	1	7
Grasshopper Warbler				1			1
Garden Warbler				2	4		6
Blackcap					7	4	11
Chiffchaff				4	7	3	14
Willow Warbler				6	2		8
Yellow-Browed Warbler					2		2
Red Breasted Flycatcher					1		1
Pied Flycatcher				1			1
Goldcrest				18	41	5	64
CoalTit				1	4		5
Blue Tit			7	17	33	1	58
Great Tit			4	5	10		19
Magpie				1	2	1	4
Jackdaw						1	1
Starling				12	5	5	22
House Sparrow			1	1	5	4	11
Tree Sparrow					4	1	5
Chaffinch					115	12	127
Bullfinch					1		1
Greenfinch					1		1
Goldfinch					3	1	1
Siskin					1	4	5
Redpoll Lesser					1	2	3
Linnet	1			21	16	4	42
Reed Bunting				10	51	3	64
Little Bunting					1		1
Yearly Totals	5	59	26	174	441	92	797

Bird Ringing: 793 birds of 49 species were ringed in 1988. Most of these were trapped from September to mid-November, though some Storm Petrels were tape-lured in June. Totals were well up on last year’s tally of 468, despite the fact that most of the ringing was done by two people.

The big influx of Chaffinches at the end of October is well reflected in the totals. Goldcrest numbers were high for the second year in succession and numbers of Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Linnet and Reed Bunting were also good, while Swallows were down and Willow Warblers continue to be low. Five Tree Sparrows ringed reflected their return to 1985 levels.

The Little Bunting was the rarest bird handled. Red-breasted Flycatcher was eventually added to the ringing list – the two previous ‘good’ birds ringed were two Yellow-browed Warblers, Merlin and Pied Flycatcher. As well as the Little Bunting and Red-Breasted Flycatcher, seven others were ringed for the first time. These included Curlew Sandpiper, Curlew, Dunlin, Grasshopper Warbler, Bullfinch, Wheatear and Goldfinch.

Birds Ringed loop Head	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	ToT.
Storm Petrel	7	180	156	34	1	59	447
Cormorant						1	1
Sparrowhawk			1	1	1	1	4
Merlin					1	1	2
Curlew Sandpiper						1	1
Dunlin						6	6
Curlew						1	1
Redshank					1	1	2
Woodpigeon				1	3	1	5
Swallow		2		15	32	11	60
Tree Pipit			1				1
Meadow Pipit			5	6	31	41	83
Rock Pipit				1	6	4	11
Grey Wagtail				3	3	5	11
Pied Wagtail				8	16	10	34
Wren		1	11	8	10	6	36
Dunnock			15	17	15	5	52
Robin		1	34	25	39	43	142
Redstart			1				1
Whinchat					2		2
Stonechat			5	8	16	25	54
Wheatear						1	1
Fieldfare			1			3	4
Blackbird			28	16	35	46	125
SongThrush			10	5	37	36	88
Redwing			2	1	7	7	17
Mistle Thrush			2				2
Grasshopper Warbler						1	1
Sedge Warbler					3		3
Whitethroat					4		4
Barred Warbler			1				1
Garden Warbler			2	1	6	6	15
Blackcap			2	1	10	11	24
Wood Warbler				1			1
Chiffchaff			6	6	8	14	34
Tristis Chifchaff					1		1
Willow Warbler			1	20	7	8	36
Yellow-Browed Warbler			1	1		2	4
Spotted Flycatcher			2		1		3
Red Breasted Flycatcher						1	1
Pied Flycatcher			3		2	1	6
Goldcrest			6	1	52	64	123
CoalTit			54		3	5	62
Blue Tit			40	8	24	58	130
Great Tit			33	10	21	19	83
Treecreeper			1				1
Magpie			4	1	2	4	11
Jackdaw						1	1
Starling				22	1	22	45
House Sparrow			2	5	2	11	20
Tree Sparrow			2			5	7
Chaffinch			13	13	14	127	167
Brambling			1				1
Bullfinch						1	1
Greenfinch					3	1	4
Goldfinch						4	4
Siskin			3			5	8
Redpoll Lesser						3	3
Redpoll  Mealy			4				4
Linnet			4	13	14	42	72
Reed Bunting			22	27	34	64	147
Rustic Bunting			1				1
Little Bunting						1	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler				1			1
Yearly Totals	7	184	476	284	468	797	2212

Recoveries:

3365057 Storm Petrel 4 02.08.1987 Ballygalley Head, Antrim

V 26.06.1988 Loop Head

V 09.08.1988 Sanda Island, South Kintyre,

Stratchclyde, Scotland (Tape Lured)

RV45812 Song Thrush 3 27.10.1987 Loop Head

X 10.03.1988 O’Brien’s Bridge, Co. Clare

(Found dead, 75 Km.)

(Song Thrushes had begun to arrive the day before this bird was ringed. The influx continued over the next two weeks. This recovery shows that at least this bird wintered in Clare.)