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Sunday 8 May 2016

Ireland Home Visit

Back home in Ireland for a few day's to catch up with family & friends and also do some birding on my local home patch around Drogheda, Baltray & Clogherhead area.
Went out to Clogherhead this afternoon and had some great birds around Clogherhead & Port Oriel Harbour.

Over 50+ Great-black backed Gull, 3 Kittiwake, 10 Black Guillemot, 2 Sandwich Term, 2 Brent Geese(flying north), 12 Manx Shearwaters & 4 Gannets passing offshore. No sign of reported Iceland Gull.

Plenty of migrants up on the headland best seen included 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 8 Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler, 3 Willow Warbler. Plenty of Stonehcat, Linnet, Meadow Pipit and 10 Wheatear across the headland. No joy in finding a Woodchat Shrike or Golden Oriole in the glorious sun and basking temperatures!! :(

Some amazing birds report across southern England with decent arrival of Golden Oriole, Woodchat Shrike, Black-headed Wagtail, Red-footed Falcon, Red-rumped Swallow, several Hoopoe, Bluethroat, Red-backed Shrike, Alpine Swift also about... Patch birding when back in Dorset could throw up a fantastic surprise!!! Woodchat Shrike, Subalpine Warbler, several Glossy Ibis reported in South & East Ireland last few day's bringing a Mediterranean feel to Ireland and to the UK.

Back in the garden at home a fantastic male Sparrowhawk made an appearence on the back wall giving some stunning but brief views.. Cracker of a bird!!
Plenty of Swallows also moving through today back home.
Great to see pair of Blue Tit and House Sparrow's using nestboxes in the garden once again this year.

Black Guillemot-Port Oriel harbour
Great black backed Gulls-Port Oriel

One of three Kittiwake-Port Oriel

Grey Seal-Clogherhead 
Brent Geese flying north off Clogherhead


Sapprowhawk (male) My garden-Drogheda





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