Monthly Archives: October 2014

Brambling in Kilbaha Harbour, one of three birds at Loop Head today John N Murphy

At Loop Head today there were 16 Crossbills seen flying past the lighthouse and out to sea. Also at Loop were three Brambling, two Lapland Buntings, one Snow Bunting, seven Chiffchaffs, one Peregrine, one Merlin, one Sparrowhawk, 28 Choughs, 16 Golden Plover, eight Snipe, two Redpolls, eight Wheatears, one Bonxie off The Bridges of Ross and six Barnacle Geese flew over the headland.

Swainson’s Trush at Loop Head Jeff Copner

A Swainson’s Thrush was seen along the Lighthouse Road this evening just freshly in off the sea (Jeff Copner) (19.00).  This is a first county record of this rare North American Thrush and a sixth for Ireland.  Also at Loop Head today was one Dotterel (Tony Mee, Tom Tarpey, Gerry Butler et al). There was also one Snow  Bunting at the tip of the headland, a flock of 50 Golden Plover, two Whimbrels, 40 Chough, 38 Rock Doves, four Swallows, two Wheatears, four Chiffchaff in the gardens, one Common Sandpiper in the Harbour and one Greenshank.  At the Bridges of Ross there were 2,00 Sooty Shearwaters, 50 Pomarine Skuas, one Arctic Skua, 12 Bonxies, two Leaches Petrels, 12 Arctic Terns and one Grey Phalarope.