Early Seawatch

During the week of 24th to 26th May, severe North West winds blew over the Irish coastlines bringing with them a fair scattering of early seabirds and North American waders.  Paul Troake and Geoff Pearson ended up doing a bit of seawtching off the Bridges of Ross and were rewarded with the following;

Sabine's Gull 4

Leach's Storm Petrel 1
Storm Petrel 9

Pomarine Skua 1

Arctic Skua 2

Bonxie 3
Manx Shearwater 5,000 plus off the head.
Bonxie 3 off the head.

Lesser Yellowlegs

On Saturday 21st May 2011, I received a text from Pearse Ryan, saying he had an unusual wader in the pond at Kilbaha.  First impressions, he thought it might have been a Wood Sandpiper or Ruff.  I phoned Pearse asking him to describe the bird as Wood Sandpiper is a very rare Spring migrant in Clare, and considering the weather patterns that we had on the lead up to this week, it could possibly be a North American vagrant.  Pearse mentioned that the bird was very tame and described the bird to me on the phone. From his description, especially when he mentioned the bright yellow legs, I suggested that it may be a Lesser Legs.  At the time PR did not have a camera with him so he returned home, went back to the scene of the crime later in the evening, and got the pictures below.  He also sent me on some video and it was clear that the bird was indeed a Lesser Yellowlegs.  This is only the 4th Clare record of this wader, all others have turned up in autumn.  Congratulations Pearse, Great find.

John N Murphy

Lesser Yellowlegs in Kilbaha Pond © Pearse Ryan.

Iceland Gull

I was back at the Loop again today.  Things were still very quiet with one Grasshopper Warbler up the headland, no sign of the Turtle Dove, the second-year Iceland Gull below flew into the harbour at about 15.00 and landed on the rocks just over the harbour wall and stayed resting for a short while.  Other birds of note on the headland were two House Martins, one Wheatear, two Chough, 14 Rock Doves and about five Sedge Warblers.  At the Bridges of Ross there were at least 2,000 Manx Shearwaters and one Puffin, all flying south west against the wind.

Other bits of interest were; two Wall Brown Butterflies, one Speckled Wood, one Common Seal and two Hares.

John N Murphy, 16th May 2011

Iceland Gull resting in Kilbaha Harbour © John N Murphy

Iceland Gull on rocks in Kilbaha © John N Murphy

Species List

To date there have been 248 species of birds recorded at Loop Head since the early 1900's, the majority of which have been found since the early 1980's.

Ring Ouzel © John N Murphy

1.              Red-throated Diver Gavia Stellata

2.              Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica

3.              Great-northern Diver Gavia immer

4.              Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiseps

5.              Little Grebe Tachybaptus rufficollis

6.              Great-crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

7.              Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegna

8.              Black-browed Albatross  Diomedea melanophris

9.              Fulmar  Fulmaris glacialis

10.            Cory’s Shearwater Calonectis diomeda

11.            Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis

12.            Fea’s Petrel Pterodroma feae

13.            Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus

14.            Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus

15.            Balearic Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan

16.            Little Shearwater   Puffinus assimilis

17.            Wilson’s Storm Petrel Oceanites oceanicus

18.            European Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus

19.            Leach’s Storm Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa

20.            Swinhoe’s Petrel Oceanodroma monorhis

21.            Gannet Morus bassanus

22.            Cormorant   Phalacrocorax carbo

23.            Shag  Phalacrocorax aristotelis

24.            Little Egret Egretta garzetta

25.            Grey Heron   Ardea cinere

26.            Mute Swan   Cygnus olor

27.            Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus

28.            Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus

29.            Greenland White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons

30.            Greylag Goose Anser anser                       

31.            Canada Goose   Branta canadensis

32.            Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis

33.            Brent Goose Branta bernicla

34.            Shelduck Tadorna tadorna

35.            Wigeon   Anas penelope

36.            Gadwall Anas platyrhynchos

37.            Teal Anas crecca

38.            Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis

39.            Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

40.            Pintail   Anas acuta

41.            Shoveler Anas clypeata

42.            Pochard Aytha femi

43.            Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

44.            Scaup Aythya marila

45.            Common Eider Somateria mollissima

46.            Long-tailed Duck   Clangula hyemalis

47.            Common Scoter Melanitta nigra

48.            Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca

49.            Goldeneye Bucephala clangula

50.            Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrato

51.            Red Kite   Milvus milvus

52.            White-tailed Eagle   Haliaeetus albicilla

53.            Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

54.            Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus

55.            Goshawk Accipiter gentilis

56.            Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus

57.            Common Buzzard Buteo buteo

58.            Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

59.            Merlin Falco columbarius

60.            Hobby  Falco subbuteo

61.            Peregrine Falco peregrines

62.            Red Grouse Lapogus lapogus

63.            Pheasant   Phasianus colchicus

64.            Water Rail Rallus aquaticus

65.            Spotted Crake   Porzana parva

66.            Corncrake   Crex crex

67.            Moorhen   Gallinula chloropus

68.            Coot   Fulica atra

69.            Oystercatcher   Haematopus ostralegus

70.            Black-winged Stilt   Himantopus himantopus

71.            Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

72.            Dotterel   Charadrius morinellus

73.           American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica

74.           Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria

75.           Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola

76.           Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

77.           Knot Calidris canutus

78.           Sanderling Calidris alba

79.           Little Stint Calidris minuta

80.           Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotus

81.           Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

82.           Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritime

83.           Dunlin Calidris alpine

84.           Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis

85.           Ruff Philomachus pugnax

86.           Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus

87.           Snipe   Gallinago gallinago

88.           Long-billed Dowitcher   Limnodromnus scolopaceus

89.           Woodcock Scolopax rusticola

90.           Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

91.           Bar-tailed Godwit   Limosa lapponica

92.           Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

93.           Curlew Numenius arquata

94.           Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda

95.           Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus

96.           Redshank Tringa totanus

97.           Greenshank Tringa nebularia

98.           Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus

99.           Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

100.         Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia

101.         Turnstone Arenaris interpres

102.         Wilson’s Phalarope   Phalaropus tricolor

103.         Red-necked Phalarope   Phalaropus fulicarius

104.         Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius

105.         Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarius

106.         Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus

107.         Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus

108.         Great Skua Stercorarius skua

109.         Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalu

110.         Little Gull Larus minutes

111.         Sabine’s Gull  Larus sabini

112.         Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus

113.         Ring-billed Gull Larus delewarensis

114.         Common Gull   Larus canus

115.         Lesser Black-backed Gull   Larus fuscus

116.         Herring Gull Larus argentatus

117.         American Herring Gull  Larus argentatus smithsonianus

118.         Yellow-legged Herring Gull   Larus argentatus michahellis

119.         Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides

120.         Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus

121.         Great Black-backed Gull   Larus marinus

122.         Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla

123.         Gull-billed Tern   Sterna nilotica

124.         Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis

125.         Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus

126.         Roseate Tern Sterna dougalli

127.         Common Tern   Sterna hirundo

128.         Arctic Tern Sterna paradisae

129.         Little Tern Sterna albifrons

130.         Black Tern   Chlidonias niger

131.         White-winged Black Tern   Chlidonias leucopterus

132.         Guillemot Uria aalge

133.         Razorbill Alca torda

134.         Black Guillemot Cepphus grille

135.         Little Auk Alle alle

136.         Puffin Fratercula arctica

137.         Rock Dove Columbia livia

138.         Stock Dove Columba oenas

139.         Woodpigeon Columbia palumbus

140.         Collared Dove   Streptopelia decaocto

141.         Turtle Dove Streptropelia turtur

142.         Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

143.         Barn Owl Tyto alba

144.         Short-eared Owl Asio flammaeus

145.         Swift Apus apus

146.         Kingfisher Acedo atthis

147.         Wryneck   Jynx torquilla

148.         Short-toed Lark   Calandrella brachydactyla

149.         Skylark Alauda arvensis

150.         Sand Martin Riparia riparia

151.         Swallow Hirundo rustica

152.         Red-rumped Swallow   Hirundo daurica

153.         House Martin Delichon urbica

154.         Richard’s Pipit   Anthus novaeseelandiae

155.         Blyth’s Pipit Anthus godlewskii

156.         Tree Pipit   Anthus trivialis

157.         Meadow Pipit Anthus pratenis

158.         Red-throated Pipit   Anthus cervinus

159.         Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus

160.         Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta

161.         Yellow Wagtail   Motacilla flavaa

162.         Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinera

163.         Pied/White Wagtail Moticilla alba alba

164.         Waxwing   Bombycilla garrulus

165.         Wren Troglodytes troglodytes

166.         Dunnock Prunella modularis

167.         Robin Emithacus rubecula

168.         Nightingale   Luscinia megarhynchos

169.         Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochuros

170.         Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

171.         Whinchat   Saxicola ruberta

172.         Stonechat Saxicola torquata

173.         Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

174.         Pied Wheatear   Oenanthe pleschanka

175.         Rock Thrush   Monticola saxatilis

176.         Siberian Thrush   Zoothera sibirica

177.         Grey-checked Thrush   Catharus minimus

178.         Ring Ouzel   Turdus torquatus

179.         Blackbird Turdus merula

180.         Fieldfare Turdus pilaris

181.         Song Thrush Turdus philomelos

182.         Redwing Turdus iliacus

183.         Mistle Thrush Turdus visivorus

184.         Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia

185.         Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

186.         Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola

187.         Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus

188.         Icterine Warbler   Hippolais icterina

189.         Melodious Warbler   Hippolais polyglotta

190.         Barred Warbler   Sylvia nisoria

191.         Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca

192.         Whitethroat Sylvia communis

193.         Garden Warbler   Sylvia borin

194.         Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

195.         Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides

196.         Pallas’s Warbler Phylloscopus propegulus

197.         Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus

198.         Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix

299.         Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

200.         Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus

201.         Goldcrest Regulus regulus

202.         Firecrest   Regulus ignicapillus

203.         Spotted Flycatcher Muscicpa striata

204.         Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva

205.         Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca

206.         Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos candatus

207.         Coal Tit Parus ater

208.         Blue Tit Parus caeruleus

209.         Great Tit Parus major

210.         Treecreeper Certhia familiaris

211.         Magpie Pica pica

212.         Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

213.         Jackdaw Corvus monedula / Nordic Jackdaw Corvus m. soemmerringii

214.         Rook Corvus frugilegus

215.         Hooded Crow/Carrion Crow  Corvus cornix/corone

216.         Raven Corvus corax

217.         Starling Sturnus vulgaris

218.         House Sparrow Passer domesticus

219.         Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

220.         Philadelphia Vireo   Vireo philadelphicus

221.         Red-eyed Vireo    Vireo olivaceus

222.         Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs

223.         Brambling Fringilla montifringilla

224.         Serin   Serinus serinus

225.         Greenfinch Carduelis chloris

226.         Goldfinch Cardeulis chloris

227.         Siskin Carduelis spinus

228.         Linnet Cardeulis caunabina

229.         Twite Carduelis flavirostris

230.         Redpoll Cardeulis flammea

231.         Common Crossbill Laxia curvirostra

232.         Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus

233.         Bullfinch   Pyrrhula pyrrhula

234.         Yellow Warbler   Dendroica petechia

235.         Yellow-rumped Warbler   Dendroica coronata

236.         Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas

237.         Canada Warbler Wilsonia canadensis

238.         Dark-eyed Junco   Junco hyemalis

239.         Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus

240.         Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis

241.         Yellowhammer Emberiza citronella

242.         Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana

243.         Rustic Bunting   Emberiza rustica

244.         Little Bunting   Emberiza pusilla

245.         Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniculus

246.         Black-headed Bunting   Emberiza melanocephala
247.         Rose-breasted Grosbeak   Pheucticus ludoviciannus
248.         Lesser Yellowlegs   Tringa flavipes
249.         Blue-winged Teal Anas crecca

Sabine's Gull © John N Murphy

Turtle Dove

The first Turtle Dove of the year arrived near Gibsons Garden this morning Saturday 14th May.  This is only the second spring record of this species at Loop.  Also at Loop today were one Whitethroat, one Willow Warbler, 15 Sedge Warblers, ten Collared Doves, 32 Rock Doves, ten Sand Martins, four Chough, one Raven, 2,500 Manx Shearwaters off the Bridges of Ross, two Puffins there also with four Whimbrel.  Other species of note were large numbers of Gannets off the tip of the headland where within a feeding flock of 800 Kittiwakes.

Unfortunately there was more habitat destruction over the past few weeks on the headland with the loss of Willows at the bottom of Sides Garden near the drain at the pool in the harbour.  Also along the track where the Heligoland Track was built in 1987, this track was completely cleared out with a hymac machine and the old frame of the trap wiped out as well.

John N Murphy, 14th May 2011

 Turtle Dove near Gibson's Garden Kilbaha © John N Murphy

 Sedge Warbler near Crotty's, the last house before the light © John N Murphy

 Two Common Seal were out basking on rocks in the harbour, just in front of the Lighthouse Inn  © John N Murphy

 There were two Small Copper Butterflies on a track in the middle of the headland © John N Murphy

 A count of 42 Wall Brown Butterflies was made today © John N Murphy

 Over 37 seperate clusters of The Lackey moth caterpillars were seen on the headland © John N Murphy

 The Lackey baby, junior and senior caterpillars at Loop © John N Murphy

Marsh Orchid in the open ground near the Lighthouse © John N Murphy

Today 11th May 2011, this wrecked, wet Willow Warbler was picked up in the Lighthouse compound by Dave McNamara.  It was the only migrant seen at Loop Head today.

A wet Willow Warbler at Loop Head Lighthouse © Dave McNamara