Garden Warbler

A small scattering of migrants arrived at Loop Head today 1st October.  There were flocks of Chaffinches, corvids were building up on the headland with a mixed flock of 300 Hooded Crows, Rooks and Jackdaw on the road to the lighthouse.  Throughout the rest of the headland there was one Garden Warbler, four Lapland Buntings, six Chiffchaff, one Willow Warbler, ten Wheatears, 16 Chough, two Raven, one Peregrine, one Merlin and one dark-phased Arctic Skua in Kilbaha Bay.

All's Quiet

Wheatear © John N Murphy

On what looked like a promising day for the Loop, three of us braved the strong southerly winds to check the headland for a lost European vagrant, But to no avail.  The headland had about 200 Meadow Pipits and six Wheatears near the light, but these were being harassed by a Peregrine.  Down the Fodry there were two Lapland Buntings and a flock of 18 Skylarks.  A small male Merlin was hunting this area and flushed a flock of 30 Golden Plover that flew off towards the tip of the light.  No birds of interest were in the gardens. A large mixed flock of Sparrows, Linnets and Chaffinches were feeding on Fat hen behind Peter Gibson's Cattle Sheds.  With these there was one Tree Sparrow.  The Harbour, pond and Lough were All Quiet.

John N Murphy, Brian Finnegan & Geoff Pearson.

Common Rosefinch

Common Rosefinch at Kilbaha © Richard Bonser

It is rare for Niall Keogh to leave the draw of the Bridges of Ross, but today the North-westerly winds and horrendous sea spray drove him off, for only the third time in the last month.  On his wonderings he ended up in Walshe's haggard at the top end of Kilbaha village, the last farm on the way to Loop Lighthouse. Here he found a first-winter Common Rosefinch.  This is only the fourth record for the headland and three out of the four recorded at Loop have turned up in this exact same field.  Great find Niall.

Also on the headland today were nine Buff-breasted Sandpipers and two Lapland Buntings.

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