Bridges Season 2012

Bonxies at the Bridges of Ross © John N Murphy

Monday 27th August 2012

Time: 06:45-10:30 & 14:00-18:30

Weather: F3-4 SW, overcast & clear to start, later sunny, dry & hazy (am). F3 W-SW, sunny, dry & hazy (pm).

Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Alan Clewes, Paul Flint, Cory Flint, Neal Warnock, Andy Clifton, Malcolm Goodman, Geoff Clewes, Steve Webb, John N Murphy et al.

Barolo’s Shearwater: 1 West @ 15:45 (Niall T. Keogh, Neal Warnock & John N Murphy)

Balearic Shearwater: 1

Sooty Shearwater: 14

Manx Shearwater: 2,500+ (am)

Fulmar: 250+ (am)

Storm Petrel: 10

Common Scoter: 4 males

Great Skua (Bonxie): 7

Arctic Skua: 6

Sandwich Tern: 5

Arctic Tern: 16

Puffin: 2

Black-tailed Godwit: 1

Common Sandpiper: 2

Common Dolphin: 7+ (incl. a juv) feeding in the morning.

Bottlenose Dolphin: c.12 (incl. a juv) West in the evening.

Minke Whale: 1 breaching on four occasions @ 14:30

Niall T Keogh at al

Sunday 26th August 2012

Time: 06:30-10:30 & 13:30-17:45

Weather: F1-2 S, good vis, dry & sunny (am). F 2-3 S, dull, clear & light showers (pm).

Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Alan Clewes, Paul Flint, Cory Flint, Jan Nordblad, Tom Nordblad, Peter Gluth, Lee Gregory, Neal Warnock, Andy Clifton, Malcolm Goodman, Geoff Clewes et al.

Sooty Shearwater: 5

Manx Shearwater: 200-300

Fulmar: 300+

Storm Petrel: 2

Common Scoter: 16

Great Skua (Bonxie): 9

Arctic Skua: 11

Sandwich Tern: 18

Arctic Tern: 22

Common Tern: 1

Puffin: 1

Whimbrel: 6

Dunlin: 71

Sanderling: 3

Knot: 2

Bar-tailed Godwit: 1

Peregrine: 1

Chough: 2

Common Dolphin: 6+ throughout the day.

Bottlenose Dolphin: 26+ throughout the day.

Minke Whale: 2+ in the afternoon.

Ocean Sunfish: 1 off Loop Head.

Niall T Keogh et al

Saturday 25th August 2012

Time: 06:30-10:30 & 11:00-19:00

Weather: F4-5 NW later N-NW, overcast, mild, excellent vis & some light drizzle. F3 NW, sunny, dry & hazy (pm).

Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Alan Clewes, Dan Pointon, Paul Flint, Cory Flint, Jan Nordblad, Tom Nordblad, Peter Gluth, Lee Gregory, Joe Adamson, Jim Sheehan, Steve Webb, Neal Warnock, Mick Derwin, Steve Millar, Owen Foley, Conor Foley, Donal Foley, Eanna O’Flynn, Geoff Hunt, Mike Flanagan et al.

Balearic Shearwater: 3

Sooty Shearwater: 3

Manx Shearwater: 500+

Fulmar: 360+

Storm Petrel: 3

Common Scoter: 2 males

Great Skua (Bonxie): 14

Pomarine Skua: 5 subadults

Arctic Skua: 32

Sabine’s Gull: 2 adults

Kittiwake: 215+ incl. 22 juvs.

Sandwich Tern: 71

Arctic Tern: 20

Puffin: 11

Whimbrel: 4

Dunlin: 13

Sanderling: 2

Common Dolphin: 3+ in the morning.

Bottlenose Dolphin: 3+ in the morning.

Niall T Keogh et al


Friday 24th August 2012

Time: 06:45-11:00 & 13:00-18:30

Weather: F3 E-SE, overcast, mild & good vis. F3 E-NE, overcast, cool & excellent vis (pm).

Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Alan Clewes, Dan Pointon, Paul Flint, Cory Flint, Jan Nordblad, Tom Nordblad, Peter Gluth, Lee Gregory, Joe Adamson, Jim Sheehan, Steve Webb et al.

Balearic Shearwater: 4

Sooty Shearwater: 54

Manx Shearwater: 2,700+

Fulmar: 240+

Storm Petrel: 24

Common Scoter: 1 male

Great Skua (Bonxie): 6

Pomarine Skua: 2 adult pale phase

Arctic Skua: 10

Sabine’s Gull: 2 adults

Kittiwake: 36 incl. 15 juvs.

Sandwich Tern: 2

Arctic Tern: 16

Black Tern: 2 juvs.

Puffin: 10

Whimbrel: 4

Dunlin: c.90

Sanderling: 1

Ringed Plover: 1

Knot: 3

Common Dolphin: 12+ in the evening.

Bottlenose Dolphin: 2+ in the morning.

Ocean Sunfish: 1

Niall T Keogh et al


Thursday 23rd August 2012

Time: 06.30-10.45 & 16.15-19.00
Weather: F3 SW, bright, mild, some light showers, F3 S-SW, dull, mild 7 some showers (PM).
Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Alan Clewes, Dan Pointon, Paul Flint, Cory Flint, Jan Nordblad, Peter Gluth et al.

Sooty Shearwater:5
Manx Shearwater: c.300
Fulmar:c.325
Storm Petrel:c.100
Great Skua (Bonxie): 12
Pomarine Skua: 1sub-adult pale phase
Arctic Skua: 6
Kittiwakes: 23 incl: 5 juvs.
Sandwich Tern: 17
Arctic Tern: 4
Puffin: 1 adult

Chough:2
Wheatear:1

Common Seal: 1 close offshore for much of the day.
Bottlenosed dolphine: 2 + in the morning & c.8 in the evening.

Niall T Keogh et al.


Wednesday 22nd August 2012 

Time: 06:30-11:30 & 13:00-19:55

Weather: F3-5 W, largely dry, bright & warm but some showers (am). F2-3 SW, sunny, warm & hazy (pm).

Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Alan Clewes, Dan Pointon, Brian Porter, Paul Flint, Cory Flint, Brian Finnegan, Tom Tarpey, Jan Nordblad et al.

Great Shearwater: 2

Sooty Shearwater: 56

Manx Shearwater: 5,000+

Fulmar: 1,300+

Leach’s Petrel: 1

Storm Petrel: 90+

Great Northern Diver: 1 summer plumage

Red-throated Diver: 1 summer plumage

Great Skua (Bonxie): 48

Pomarine Skua: 5 (subadult pale phases)

Arctic Skua: 32

Long-tailed Skua: 1 adult @ 09:35 (Alan Clewes)

Kittiwake: 82 incl. 22 juvs.

Sabine’s Gull: 1 adult & 2 juvs.

Sandwich Tern: 13

Arctic Tern: 33

Puffin: 5

Black-headed Gull: 22

Merlin: 1

Wheatear: 1

Common Seal: 1 close offshore for much of the day.

Bottlenose Dolphin: 8+ in the evening.

Ocean Sunfish: 1

Niall T Keogh et al

Tuesday 21st August 2012

Time: 06:30-10:30 & 12:00-19:50
Weather: F2-3 SW, largely dry, bright & warm but some showers (am). F4-5 W-SW, sunny, warm & hazy but with heavy showers in evening (pm).
Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Keith Langdon, Mikey Hoit, Dave Farrow, Reg Land, Simon Woodhouse, Dave Andrews, Alan Clewes, Dan Pointon, Brian Porter, Paul Flint, Cory Flint et al.

Balearic Shearwater: 2
Sooty Shearwater: 84
Manx Shearwater: 3,000+
Fulmar: 1,000+
Leach’s Petrel: 1
Storm Petrel: 88
Kittiwake: 54 incl. 18 juvs.
Common Scoter: 6 (4 males & 2 females)
Great Skua (Bonxie): 15
Pomarine Skua: 9 (adult & subadult pale phases)
Arctic Skua: 39
Sandwich Tern: 6
Common Tern: 2 juvs.
Arctic Tern: 19
Razorbill: 90+
Guillemot: 15
Auk sp: 40+
Puffin: 3
Black Guillemot:  1 juv.
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 adult
Common Gull: 1

Teal: 6
Whimbrel: 10
Dunlin: 7
Sanderling: 21
Knot: 2

Merlin: 1

Common Seal: 1 close offshore for much of the day.
Bottlenose Dolphin: 8+ in the evening.
Common Dolphin: 10+ in the morning.







Ocean Sunfish: 1

Niall T Keogh et al

Monday 20th August 2012

Time: 06:30-10:30 & 15:00-19:00

Weather: F2-3 SW-S, dry, bright & warm (am). F3-4 SW-S, sunny, warm & hazy (pm).

Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Keith Langdon, Mikey Hoit, Dave Farrow, Reg Land, Simon Woodhouse, Dave Andrews, Alan Clewes & Dan Pointon.

Balearic Shearwater: 2

Sooty Shearwater: 32

Manx Shearwater: 855+

Fulmar: 720+

Storm Petrel: 155

Kittiwake: 97 incl. 32 juvs

Common Scoter: 14 (11 males + 3 females)

Great Skua (Bonxie): 8

Pomarine Skua: 4 pale phase (3 adults & 1 subadult)

Arctic Skua: 35

Sandwich Tern: 3

Arctic Tern: 9

Razorbill: 50

Guillemot: 12

Puffin: 8

Black Guillemot: 1 juv.

Whimbrel:16

Black-tailed Godwit: 9

Dunlin: 27
Sanderling: 5
Ringed Plover: 1
Knot: 2


Chough: 2
Merlin: 1 chasing passerines at the seawatch site.


Common Seal: 1 close offshore for much of the afternoon.

Bottlenose Dolphin: 6+ in the evening.

Common Dolphin: 10+ in the afternoon.
Leatherback Turtle: Three sightings at 06:45, 17:42 & 18:50.

Niall T Keogh et al

Sunday 19th August 2012

Time: 06:30-12:00 & 15:00-18:00

Weather: F1-2 S-SE, dry, bright & warm (am). F2-3 SW-S, sunny, warm & hazy (pm).

Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Keith Langdon, Mikey Hoit, Dave Farrow, Reg Land, Simon Woodhouse, Dave Andrews, Dan Brown and the BirdWatch Ireland Clare & Limerick Branches.

Balearic Shearwater: 2

Sooty Shearwater: 30

Manx Shearwater: 395+ (06:30-09:55)

Fulmar: 190+ (06:30-09:55)

Storm Petrel: 142

Gannet: 450+ incl. 4 juvs (06:30-09:55)

Kittiwake: 96 incl. 34 juvs (06:30-10:30)

Common Scoter: 7 (6 males + 1 female)

Great Skua (Bonxie): 4

Pomarine Skua: 1 pale phase

Arctic Skua: 12

Black Tern: 1 juv.

Arctic Tern: 12

Razorbill: 38

Guillemot: 4

Puffin: 2

Black Guillemot: 1

Black-headed Gull: 1

Whimbrel: 9

Black-tailed Godwit: 11

Spotted Redshank: 1 flew North at 10:20

Chough: 2

Willow Warbler: a tired migrant juvenile landed on a seawatchers chair!

Bottlenose Dolphin: 8-10 in the morning.

Common Dolphin: 30+ in the morning.

Leatherback Turtle: Two sightings of (different?) individuals showing well, resting at the surface for c.1 minute at 07:33 & 09:50.

Niall T Keogh et al

Saturday 18th August 2012

Time: 06:30-10:30 (Seatrack survey) & 15:00-17:45

Weather: F1-2 S-SE, dry, bright & warm (am). F2-3 SW-S, sunny, warm & hazy (pm).

Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Keith Langdon, Mikey Hoit, Dave Farrow, Reg Land, Simon Woodhouse, Dave Andrews & Dan Brown.

Balearic Shearwater: 1 pale bird, West at 09:22

Sooty Shearwater: 16

Manx Shearwater: 470+

Fulmar: 590+

Storm Petrel: 20

Gannet: 825+

Kittiwake: 85 (8 juvs)

Common Scoter: 5 females

Pomarine Skua: 1 subadult (2^nd-summer type)

Arctic Skua: 8

Arctic Tern: 7

Sandwich Tern: 5

Razorbill: 54

Guillemot: 2

Puffin: 6

Common Gull: 11

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2

Whimbrel: 13

Dunlin: 4

Sanderling: 10

Ringed Plover: 6

Black-tailed Godwit: 7

Bar-tailed Godwit:2

Knot: 1

Chough: 2

Wheatear: 1

Kestrel: 1

Bottlenose Dolphin: 5 or 6 in the afternoon.

Common Dolphin: 100+ in the morning & c.30 in the afternoon.

Niall T Keogh et al

Friday 17th August 2012

Time: 06:40-10:40 & 15:20-19:20

Weather: F1 S, dry, bright & warm (am). F 2-3 S-SE, bright, warm, some showers & sea mist at times but generally good vis & dry (pm).

Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Keith Langdon, Mikey Hoit, Dave Farrow, Reg Land, Simon Woodhouse & Dave Andrews.

Balearic Shearwater: 1

Sooty Shearwater: 24

Manx Shearwater: 3,250+

Fulmar: 710+

Wilson’s Petrel: 1 feeding & heading West, from 06:55-07:05.

Storm Petrel: 60+

Common Scoter: 1 male

Great Skua (Bonxie): 8

Pomarine Skua: 5 subadults (2^nd-summer types)

Arctic Skua: 14

Black Tern: 1 juv.

Arctic Tern: 3

Sandwich Tern: 10

Razorbill: 25+

Guillemot: 1

Puffin: 5

Whimbrel: 6

Dunlin: 22

Sanderling: 1

Black-tailed Godwit: 5

Chough: 2

Swift: 2

Wheatear: 1

Niall T Keogh et al

Thursday 16th August 2012

Time: 13:15-18:00

Weather: F3 S-SW, dry, bright, warm.

Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Keith Langdon, Mikey Hoit, Dave Farrow, Reg Land, Simon Woodhouse & Dave Andrews.

Balearic Shearwater: 1

Sooty Shearwater: c.20

Storm Petrel: c.20

Common Scoter: 2 males

Great Skua (Bonxie): 2

Arctic Skua: 3

Black Tern: 1 juv.

Sandwich Tern: 12

Arctic Tern: 1

Puffin: 1

Whimbrel: 10

Common Dolphin: 8-10 (incl. a calf)

Ocean Sunfish: 4

Niall T Keogh

August Pelagic

On a pelagic off Loop Head this morning there were two Wilson's Storm Petrels, one first-summer Long-tailed Skua, one 2nd summer Pomarine Skua, one Arctic Skua, seven Bonxies, 30 Sooty Shearwaters, one Balearic Shearwater, two adult Sabine's Gulls, 300 Storm Petrels two Minke Whales and 150 plus Common Dolphins.

Owen Foley et al.

August Already

Wednesday 1st August 2012

August has arrived and with it birders look to the Bridges to find that first Wilson's Storm Petrel of the year or something better.  Today Southerly winds shifted to SW then strong from the West and with that in mind, Dave McNamara spent a couple of hours on the Bridges in the late afternoon.  The only birds of note were one Sooty Shearwater, two Bonxies and eight European Storm Petrels.  On the landward side there were three Chough and 20 Rock Doves.

North west not always best

Last Saturday on a strong north westerly wind shearwaters and skuas trickled past the Bridges.  Two Grey Phalaropes were the highlights along with 28 Sooty Shearwaters, two Arctic Skuas, one Bonxie, one Storm Petrel and good numbs of Manx Shearwaters.

Graham Clarke & Owen Foley.

Shearwaters are building

Monday 23rd July 2012

A wet misty day with prolonged wet conditions all day at The Loop. A short clearance in the evening allowed one hours seawatching off the Bridges where there was one Balearic Shearwater, seven Sooty Shearwaters, 500 Manx Shearwaters per hour, one Puffin and smaller movements of auks, Fulmamrs, Kittiwakes and some gulls. On the headland there were two Wheatears, four Raven and mixed flocks of large gulls in freshly cut fields.

 John N Murphy & Brian Finnegan.

Seabirds on the move

Tuesday 17th July 2012

 One Arctic Skua, one Bonxie and 100 Manx Shearwaters per hour were off the Bridges of Ross today.

 Brian Finnegan.

Open Season

Sunday 15th July 2012

Today has seen the beginning of the seawatching season at the Bridges of Ross where there was one Cory,s Shearwater, 200 Manx Shearwaters per hour and one Bonxie.

Geoff Hunt.

Golden Oriole

Sunday 3rd June 2012 A female Golden Oriole was seen going to roosts late this evening at a garden near Feard (Tony Mee).

Little Auk & more

First-winter Iceland Gull near Kilbaha © John N Murphy

Saturday 21st January 2012

My first visit to Loop of the new year proved to be very productive. On a half hour sea watch from the car park at the Bridges of Ross there was on Little Auk flying in a south west direction.  There were good numbers of Guillemots, few Razorbills, Fulmars, Kittiwakes and Gannets.

There were seven white-winged gulls on the headland. One first-winter Glaucous was roosting on the rocks between Kilbaha and Cloughaun Lough.  Along these rocks there were also three first-winter Iceland Gulls.  One adult and two first-winter Iceland gulls were feeding within a large flock of Herring Gulls in fields adjacent to Ross Bay.

Other birds of note were two Chough on the lighthouse road and one Raven in Kilbaha village.

John N Murphy & Finbarr MacGabhann

2011 Loop Head Report

The round up of all 2011 records will soon be published, check back later for full report.