Friday 30th May 2008
There was a male Blackcap singing this morning at Applewood,
Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus. 

Thursday 29th May 2008
There was one male Blackcap singing at the Michael Cusack Center in Carron.
One male Blackcap and two Jays were at the Lees Wood Raod.
Six Yellowhammers were at Mullaghmore, the Burren.  

Wednesday 28th May 2008
There was a possible Hobby at Doonbeg today.
Three Black-throated Divers, five Great Northern Divers,
one Red-throated Diver and one Arctic Skua were Liscannor.
A flock of 92 Dunlin and 85 Sanderling were at Seafield, Quilty.
There was one Roseate Tern at the Shannon Airport Lagoon this evening.
Four Yellowhammers were at Mullaghmore, the Burren.

Tuesday 27th May 2008
One male Blackcap was at Kilnaboy National School.
Two Yellowhammers were at Mullaghmore, the Burren.
One Yellowhammer was at Moanreel.
Two Storm Petrels were off GreenIsland, Miltown Malbay.

Redpoll Jeff Copner

Monday 26th May 2008
One male Blackcap and two Cuckoos were at the Michael Cusack Center
in Carron.

Sunday 25th May 2008
One  male Blackcap was heard singing at the Lees Road Wood this evening.
One Peregrine was at Applewood, Ballycar.

Saturday 24th May 2008
There were three Blackcaps and two Jays at Ardnacrusha.

Friday 23rd May 2008
One adult Yellow-legged Gull was in Kilbaha harbour, Loop Head.
One first-year Iceland Gull was in a field near Kilkee.
Four Storm Petrels were off Green Island, Miltown Malbay. 

Yellow-legged Gull at Kilbaha John N Murphy

Iceland Gull near Kilkee John N Murphy

Friday 22nd May 2008
There was one Storm Petrel, 100 Manx Shearwaters, and a first-winter
Iceland Gull off Green Island, Miltown Malbay.
A flock of  21 Purple Sandpipers and 30 Sanderlings plus the colour
ringed Sanderling were at Seafield.
One Jay was at Drommia on the Corofin road near Rath Cross.
One male Blackcap was at Mullaghmore.
A  pair of Yellowhammers were at South Commons near Kilnaboy.

Wednesday 21st May 2008
There was one male Pochard at Lough Atedaun Corofin.

Tuesday 20th May 2008
One male Blackcap was singing at Aplewood, Ballycar. 

Monday 19th May 2008
There was one Blackcap at Fin Lough, Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Two male Blackcaps were at Clifden Hill, Corofin.
One Jay was at Gort Coirce, Dysert. 
Six Chough were at Clahane, Liscannor Bay.
The hybrid Herring  x Glaucous Gull was at Seafield, Quilty
along with a flock of 40 Sanderling, one of which was wearing
 a set of colour bands (see picture below).

A Sanderling at Seafield with coulour bands Dave McNamara

Sunday 18th May 2008
There were six Yellowhammer, twoBlackcaps and five Whitethroat at
the dawn chorus outing this morning at Mullaghmore, the Burren.
One male Blackcap was at Ballyallia Lake,  Ennis.

Saturday 17th May 2008
One Red Grouse was at Booltiagh, Kilmaley.
One Ruff, 80 Dunlin, 200 Black-tailed Godwits and
12 Knot were at the Shannon Airport Lagoon.
One Dipper was on the Claureen River.
Two Peregrines were near Farrihy.
 
Red Grouse John N Murphy

Friday 16th May 2008
Three Tree Sparrows and a Barn Owl were near Doonbeg.
One Dipper and a Spotted Flycatcher were at the Claureen River, Kilmaley.

Thursday 15th May 2008.
Four Yellowhammers and one Blackcap were at Mullaghmore, the Burren.
One Common Sandpiper was at Creg Beach, Liscannor Bay.
One Blackcap was at Moy, Lahinch.
One Peregrine was at Barrtra, Lahinch.
One Little Egret was at Doonbeg.  
A male Blackcap was singing at Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.
The Jay was seen at Darragh again today.

Wednesday 14th May 2008
A male Hen Harrier and four Cuckoos were seen at Ben Dash.
One Jay and a male Blackcap were at Darragh.

Tuesday 13th May 2008
There was one male Blackcap at Cahermacnaghten, the Burren this morning.
There were 25 Cuckoo’s throughout a few locations in the north west Burren
this morning.

Wheatears were plentiful in the Burren today John N Murphy

Monday 12th May 2008
Eight male Blackcaps were heard singing this morning in and around
Cratloekeal, Cratloe Woods. 

Sunday 11th May 2008
Ten Yellowhammers and one Blackcap were at Mullaghmore, the Burren.
A flock of 30 Purple Sandpipers were at Seafield, Quilty.
Three Tree Sparrows, three Great Northern Divers and on
Brent Goose were at Liscannor.
Two male Blackcaps were singing near Keevagh, Quin.
Two Greylag Geese and one Blackcap were at Ballycar Lough,
Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Whiterthroats seem to be very plentiful in Clare this year © John N Murphy

Stonechats are enjoying the fine weather with many busy feeding young © John N Murphy

Saturday 10th May 2008
The Hobby was back near Keevagh, Quin (Finbarr Mac Gabhann).

Friday 9th May 2008
At Loop Head today there was one Turtle Dove, one White Wagtail,
one Peregrine, 50 Whimbrel, 12 Chough and six Raven.
There were two male Blackcaps at the Lees Road Wood and
another male bird at Ballyallia Lake, Ennis.

Turtle Dove at Loop Head © John N Murphy.

Thursday 8th May 2008
There was a Hobby near Keevagh, Quin this afternoon (John N Murphy).
Male Blackcaps were heard calling at Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus,
with two near Keevagh and another at Finanagh, Quin.
One Spotted Flycatcher was also in woods near Finanagh,
the first recorded in Clare this year.
One Greylag Goose was at Ballycar Lough. 


Hobby at Keevagh © John N Murphy

Wednesday 7th May 2008
One male Blackcap was singing at Ballycar with another at
the Lees Road Wood and one also at Ballyallia Lake, Ennis.

Tuesday 8th May 2008
One male Blackcap was singing at Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus. 

Knot in summer plumage at Quilty©  Dave McNamara

Monday 5th May 2008
There was one male Blackcap at Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Another male Blackcap was singing in the square at Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Sunday 4th May 2008
There was one male Blackcap singing at Darragh.
Another male Blackcap was heard singing at Applewood,
Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Two first-winter Iceland Gulls were at Clahane, Liscannor.
Three Tree Sparrows were at Liscannor Bay.
One Common Sandpiper was at Lough Bunny.
Ten Whimbrel were also at Ballycar Lough.

Iceland Gull at Clahane © Dave McNamara

Saturday 3rd May 2008
There were two Common Sandpipers and 50 Whimbrel at the White
Strand, Doonbeg.
One Peregrine was at Killard, Doonbeg.

Friday 2nd May 2008
There was one first-winter Mediterranean Gull at Clahane today along with
one Common Sandpiper, two White Wagtails and 30 Whimbrel.
Eight Yellowhammers, two Blackcaps, one Common Sandpiper and
four Raven were seen at Mullaghmore, the Burren today.
One Swift was at Ennis.
One Dipper was on the Claureen River, Kilmaley.

Mediterranean Gull at Clahane © Dave McNamara

Yellowhammer in the Burren © John N Murphy 

Willow Warblers have settled in to breeding throughout Clare © John N Murphy