There was an Eastern Jackdaw and two Turtle Doves at Gibson’s garden Loop Head today along with

one male and one female Blackcap, four Chiffchaffs, two Merlin. two Peregrines, 

three Kestrels, 40 Chaffinches, six Snipe and one Robin at the Lighthouse compond.

At the Bridges of Ross there were three Bonxies and two Grey Phalaropes.

A flock of 29 Whooper Swans and 25 Black-tailed Godwits were at Lough Gash.

Two Turtle Doves at Kilbaha © James Hayes

Eastern Jackdaw at Loop Head © Tom Tarpey

Five Greenland White-fronted Geese were seen flying North over Lisdeen Church, Kilkee.

The Turtle Dove was still at Loop Head, along with one Brambling, one female Blackcap, one Water Rail, one Jack Snipe, three Chiffchaffs, four Tree Sparrows, five Siskins, one male Hen Harrier, one Peregrine, one Great Northern Diver and two Merlins.

One Green Sandpiper was in a flooded field east of Doonbeg.

There were over 100 Snipe and one Water Rail at Kilcredaun Marsh.

Turtle Dove on a shed roof at Kilbaha © John N Murphy

Today on flooded Turloughs between Tubber and Beagh there were 120 Little Grebes, 140 Tufted Ducks, 80 Shoveler, 22 Pochard, 70 Lapwings and seven Whooper Swans.

The Turtle Dove and three Tree Sparrows were at Kilbaha today.

Two Green Sandpipers, one Kingfisher and two Little Egrets were at Ballycorrick Bridge, Ballynacally.

One Green Sandpiper was at the Claureen River Attenuation Pond in Ennis.

One Wheatear and one Jack Snipe were at Seafield.

One female Hen Harrier was at Lough Donnell.

One male Hen Harrier was at Lough Muckanagh.

One Merlin was at Doonagore Bog.

One female Scaup and one Greylag Goose and the two Black Swans were at Lough Murree.

A colour ringed Black-tailed Godwit at Ballycorick Bridge © John N Murphy

Ringed Whooper Swans at Lough Murree © Dave McNamara

The Black Redstart and Turtle Dove were still at Kilbaha today, along with three Chiffchaffs, four Tree Sparrows, one Hen Harrier and  two Merlin at Loop Head Lighthouse.

At the Bridges of Ross this evening there were six Pomarine Skuas, two Bonxies, one Arctic Skua, three Leach’s Petrels, six Manx Shearwaters, four Grey Phalaropes, three Red-throated Divers, one Great Northern Diver, two Brent Geese, one Common Scoter and hundreds of Razorbills, Guillemots and Kittiwakes.

There were 42 Greylag Geese at Applewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Black Redstart near Keatings Pub, Kilbaha © John N Murphy

The WATER PIPIT was at Seafield (Dave McNamara), along with one Wheatear, one Merlin and three Great Northern Divers.

There were 66 Whooper Swans at Lough Atedaun.

Three Jays and 55 Gadwall were at Lough Inchiquin.

Twenty eight Whooper Swan including four juveniles were at Lough an Lionáin on the road to Carron.

One Little Egret was at Lahinch Marsh.

One Woodcock was at Gort Coirce, Corofin.

Two Raven were at Eagle’s Rock.

The drake Green-winged Teal was at Bell Harbour (Tom & Nuala Lynch),  along with one Little Egret.

Four Chough were at Alliwee Cave.

There were four Whooper Swan at Lough Muree.

The drake Green-winged Teal has returned to Bell Harbour for the winter (Gerry Butler).

At Loop Head today there was one Turtle Dove, one Black Redstart, one Brambling, one male Blackcap, four Tree Sparrows, one Fieldfare, six Chiffchaff, one Willow Warbler, two Short-eared Owls, two Merlin, one Hen Harrier while 60 Magpies and 200 Jackdaws flew out over the sea at Loop Head.

One Green Sandpiper and one Kingfisher were at Moyasta.

Four Whooper Swans flew over Applewood, Ballycar this evening.

One Little Egret was at Kilcredaun Marsh.

Twelve Gadwall were at Ballyallia and also a Raven.

A Turtle Dove at Kilbaha wearing a green metal wire band on its right leg © John N Murphy

One of the two Short-eared Owls being mobbed by crows at Loop Head Lighthouse © John N Murphy

A Green Sandpiper at Moyasta © John N Murphy

One immature male Ring-necked Duck was at Ardclooney (Paul Troake), along side

two Scaup and nine Goldeneye.

There were one Green Sandpiper at Doonbeg.

A small group of Whooper Swans flew over Dromoland  Castle Estate while in the woods there were three Jays.

Three Green Sandpipers were at the Claureen River Attenuation Pond.

A flock of 16 Black-throated Diver were seen near Black Head.

There were 38 Whooper Swans, one Scaup and 18 Little Grebe at Ballyallia Lake. 

There were two Whooper Swans at Lough Murree today.

Three Jays were at Dromoland Estate.

The two Black Swans were still at Lough Murree.

The first Whooper Swans in the county this Autumn were seen today with Mutes at lough Murree © Jim Nolan

One Grey Phalarope was off the Bridges of Ross along with thousands of Kittiwakes, one Red-throated Diver, a flock of Wigeon and

a mixed passage of waders.

One Hen Harrier was near Cross Vilage.

One Merlin was at Doonbeg.

There was one Merlin and two Chough at Clahane.

One female Scaup, 20 Gadwall and three Jays were at Lough Inchiquin.

Three Little Stints, one Curlew Sandpiper and a Peregrine were at Seafield, Quilty.

One second-winter Mediterranean Gull was at Doonbeg Lough.

Three Jay and 16 Gadwall were at Lough Inchiquin.

Seven Little Egrets were at Blackweir Bridge.

One Little Egret was at Manusmore, Clarecastle.

One male Blackcap was in a garden in Ennis today.

There were 44 Greylag Geese at Appewood, Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus this morning.

The Blue-winged Teal was at Shannon Airport Lagoon this afternoon (James Hayes, Clodagh Glasgow, Geoff Hunt et al).

Also at the Shannon Airport Lagoon there was the immature Garganey and two Hen Harriers.

One Slavonian Grebe was at Clahane, Liscannor.

One Wheatear was on the cliff walk  Kilkee.

A flock of 22 Greylag Geese were at Ballycar, Newmarket-on-Fergus.

Another small flock of Greylag Geese were at Darragh.

A male and female Blackcap were in a garden at Oak Park Ennis.

The Blue-winged Teal was at the Shannon Airport lagoon this morning (Finbarr McGabhainn), along with the immature Garganey, one Barn Owl, one Peregrine and ten little Egrets.

There were two Little Stints and three Curlew Sandpipers at Seafield, Quilty.

Seven Jays were at Clifden Hill, Corofin.

Ten Gadwall and 55 Little Grebes were at Lough Inchiquin.

Little Stint with Dunlin at Seafield © Dave McNamara

At Loop Head today were two Lapland Buntings, one Blackcap, one Tree Sparrow, two Willow Warblers, one Merlin, one Hen Harrier, 22 Chough, over 100 Golden Plover, five Redwing and a flock of 51 Magpies at the Lighthouse.

At Kilcredaun the Pink-footed Goose was still present along with two Snow Buntings at the Lighthouse and one Willow Warbler near the O’ Curry Irish speaking college.

One Ruff and a Little Stint were at Lough Donnell.

Four Curlew Sandpipers were at Seafield, Quilty.

Hen Harrier at Loop Head © John N Murphy

Pink-footed Goose at Kilcredaun © John N Murphy

Willow Warbler at Kilcredaun © John N Murphy

One Garganey, seven Water Rails and 27 Little Egrets were at the Shannon Airport Lagoon.

At Loop Head today there were 12 Lapland Bunting, one Buzzard, one Short-eared Owl, four Willow Warblers, three Chiffchaff, two Twite, three Merlin, one Peregrine, a Pied Flycatcher, one Blackcap, a Redwing and one Fieldfare.

Twenty Chough and 125 Golden Plover were at the Fodry.

One Barn Owl was near Doonbeg.

Another Barn Owl was near Mount Callan.

At Moyasta there were 470 Golden Plover.

The Paddyfield Warbler was still at Loop Head Lighthouse compound today (Brian Haslam, Dermot O Mahony, Sean Farrell et al).

A Red-throated Pipit was found near Loop Head lighthouse (Brian Haslam). This is a first county record of this rare eastern European vagrant.

The Nightingale was also still at the lighthouse (Sean Farrell et al), along with one Redstart, three Pied Flycatchers, one Lesser Whitethroat, three Whinchat, one Blackcap, one Spotted Flycatcher, four Chiffchaff, one Short-eared Owl, one Hen Harrier and one Lapland Bunting.

Lesser Whitethroat at Loop Head Lighthouse © Jeff Copner

At Loop Head Lighthouse today there was one Paddyfield Warbler (John N Murphy, Finbarr McGabhann, Tony Mee et al), one Nightingale was also in the lighthouse garden (John N Murphy, Finbarr McGabhann, Tony Mee, Frank O’ Duffy et al).  Both these are new species and first time records for the county.  There have only been 5 previous records of Paddyfield Warbler in the country.

Other migrants at Loop Head Lighthouse were; one Pectoral Sandpiper, one Redstart, four Pied Flycatcher, two Lesser Whitethroats, two Whinchat, two Spotted Flycatchers, one Ringed Ouzel, one Garden Warbler, four Blackcap, one Willow Warbler, one Hobby, one Short-eared Owl, two Merlin, four Redwing, one Tree Sparrow, three Lapland Buntings and one Snow Bunting.

The two Black Swans were still at Lough Murree.

Paddyfield Warbler at Loop Head Lighthouse © John N Murphy

Nightingale at Loop Lighthouse ©  John N Murphy

Redstart in Loop Head Lighthouse © John N Murphy

A very pale looking Pied Flycatcher in the compound of Loop Lighthouse © John N Murphy

Pied Flycatcher at Loop Head © John N Murphy

Whinchat at Loop Head © John N Murphy

One immature Blue-winged Teal was at the Shannon Airport Lagoon (John N Murphy), along

with one immature Garganey and three Little Egrets.

Two Pied Flycatchers,one  Lesser Whitethroat, two Wheatears and a Merlin were at  Loop Head.

The two Black Swans were still at lough Murree.

Blue-winged Teal bottom right with Teal at Shannon Airport Lagoon © John N Murphy

Blue-winged Teal at Shannon Airport Lagoon © John N Murphy

Garganey at Shannon Airport Lagoon © John N Murphy

Pied Flycatcher Loop Head Lighthouse © James Hayes

Pied Flycatcher Loop Head ©  Barry Howell

Friday 8th October 2010
There was one juvenile Arctic Tern, a Purple Sandpiper and four White Wagtails at Clahane.

Juvenile Arctic Tern at Clahane © Jeff Copner

One Lesser Whitethroat was seen at the Lighthouse at Loop Head.

A first-winter Turtle Dove was at Gibson’s garden in Kilbaha.
Also seen in the Loop Head area today were two Great Skuas, a Willow Warbler, one Wheatear, seven Golden Plovers and nine Snipe.

Two Jay were at Lees Road Wood.

There were five Curlew Sandpiper, 250 Dunlin, 16 Knot, 120 Golden Plover, 700 Black-tailed Godwits and 200 redshank on the mudflats at at the Shannon Airport this afternoon. 

A pair of Black Swans were at lough Murree today, probably the pair that have been frequenting Limerick City over the past few weeks.

Black Swans Lough Murree © Christian Staunton

The Pink-footed Goose was at Kilcredaun earlier today.

At Loop Head today there were 12 Lapland Buntings, three Snow Buntings, one Twite, ten Redpolls, one Willow Warbler, one Merlin, one Peregrine and four Chough.

One Curlew Sandpiper was at the Bridges of Ross.

One Green Sandpiper was at Moyasta along side two Little Egrets.

One colour wing tagged Hen Harrier was at Querrin.

Snow Bunting on the road near Loop Head Lighthouse © John N Murphy