tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240617812024-03-07T23:16:24.925+00:00Peregrine's Bird BlogI now live in Scotland and my passion is watching and photographing birds.
On the right hand side of the blog there is a fairly comprehensive list of Bird Photographers from all over the world.Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.comBlogger257125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-63235689641282410282013-09-19T22:25:00.000+01:002013-09-19T22:25:02.098+01:00 Birding in Tarifa <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgwlC5WYpmE0rjDZZysTBTB97M5sL0El3fDIHYz0NL4dHPmGr_dNMwo52_2s-KQbth7SP3VmYVe-XtbPZd3GFdNhewLsC1c-s5Zrq2UPUPO71bJ7I5ruEBQwGHthWKvOxVNJL6g/s1600/untitled-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgwlC5WYpmE0rjDZZysTBTB97M5sL0El3fDIHYz0NL4dHPmGr_dNMwo52_2s-KQbth7SP3VmYVe-XtbPZd3GFdNhewLsC1c-s5Zrq2UPUPO71bJ7I5ruEBQwGHthWKvOxVNJL6g/s400/untitled-9.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Greater Flamingo Playa de Los Lances</td></tr>
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I have just spent the week with my family a few miles outside Tarifa in Spain. Tarifa is the most southern part of Spain and is only 9 miles from Africa. Tarifa is predominantly known for it's kite surfing. It is also known as one of the best spots in Europe for it's raptor migration with up to half a million birds passing through each spring and autumn.<br />
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We stayed in a hotel called La Codorniz ( The Quail in Spanish) it was full of birders. There was the famed raptor expert <a href="http://www.dickforsman.com/">Dick Forsman</a> staying at the same time, sadly I didn't realise he was doing a two day raptor id workshop in Tarifa while I was there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIkT4p0DxOE9YK48gedROvrek019lgga5OqQWYWjo1fcH0lfsIqXNfYvfUGtdIE4KoELcvBPs0DXW_Udc2QiIdV88DeKg8JYYQVdrXx7s2EJB8YaBls_ph67C8STvEpEukF1jgQ/s1600/untitled-46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIkT4p0DxOE9YK48gedROvrek019lgga5OqQWYWjo1fcH0lfsIqXNfYvfUGtdIE4KoELcvBPs0DXW_Udc2QiIdV88DeKg8JYYQVdrXx7s2EJB8YaBls_ph67C8STvEpEukF1jgQ/s400/untitled-46.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Codorniz Hotel and Restaurant</td></tr>
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On the first morning before any of the family had roused themselves I headed across the road and through the pine woods to the beach and then along the foreshore towards Playa de Los Lances Nature Reserve and the bird hide.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznoxOVgyFyBbqMjpVhShNoJcxptCsfFTf7ER54db2GDwlXx7QN39lrl5LEteHZDZDAdht6L3xDASGRGcn-yNNTlyyG2ZnuRm8MZUJ3ZadB7DiParBo5FIGMaQM84MMzR26qOJlQ/s1600/untitled-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznoxOVgyFyBbqMjpVhShNoJcxptCsfFTf7ER54db2GDwlXx7QN39lrl5LEteHZDZDAdht6L3xDASGRGcn-yNNTlyyG2ZnuRm8MZUJ3ZadB7DiParBo5FIGMaQM84MMzR26qOJlQ/s400/untitled-4.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paraje Natural</td></tr>
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I saw seven lifers. In the woods Spotted Flycatcher were everywhere as were Short-toed Treecreeper.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28_U5bseCm5IYTOAYQFK2hqspPK8bcHKfcL5QcRYEKrik5K-0By-6RDOz5T_IcEat_lnqp8igTg0vuNrCO8ldWdFJri2SvO5tfay4GxNmlmhbYTYcgtqiadoUMeII79Zho1Yncg/s1600/untitled-35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28_U5bseCm5IYTOAYQFK2hqspPK8bcHKfcL5QcRYEKrik5K-0By-6RDOz5T_IcEat_lnqp8igTg0vuNrCO8ldWdFJri2SvO5tfay4GxNmlmhbYTYcgtqiadoUMeII79Zho1Yncg/s400/untitled-35.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted Flycatcher</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted Flycatcher</td></tr>
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The most common birds were the Crested Lark and the Zitting Cisticola, a brilliant name for a bird, also known as the Fan-tailed Warbler.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWM694IdZfo2yNyWpw4HLmo_AxNLncmwbqCsZkccl2uIjMOvNBk8X4v8mrhca_PeHnzZiAP58cvBWwEXFdsFau7z7HqstIzE2lXzz8cMFLv6cHf0MYmVk3XdpGMo_Pywu7q4JxA/s1600/untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWM694IdZfo2yNyWpw4HLmo_AxNLncmwbqCsZkccl2uIjMOvNBk8X4v8mrhca_PeHnzZiAP58cvBWwEXFdsFau7z7HqstIzE2lXzz8cMFLv6cHf0MYmVk3XdpGMo_Pywu7q4JxA/s400/untitled.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zitting Cisticola-Fan-tailed Warbler</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDd4RTXazQ0X5Bg5goW-74JJhwjsU57UBGrZvXn8tCJSPxxNTissGecvwwlxY8GGxPIjnShNCK9gLwEh6oDU_xOL-fYpyUE4CMyKaAeyW7RMIHVg8jNyMBMuJ60bYfb6sN_SC3lA/s1600/untitled-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDd4RTXazQ0X5Bg5goW-74JJhwjsU57UBGrZvXn8tCJSPxxNTissGecvwwlxY8GGxPIjnShNCK9gLwEh6oDU_xOL-fYpyUE4CMyKaAeyW7RMIHVg8jNyMBMuJ60bYfb6sN_SC3lA/s400/untitled-19.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crested Lark</td></tr>
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The small river that ran on to the beach had Little Egret's and a Grey Heron feeding and a Common Sandpiper flying along the river banks. Out on the sand there were a number of small waders Sanderling being the most common, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper and a few Knot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmUPy_WheoQ63RN-pCWXnRQZti8-iRx5iRh_xykabs4OJSxbvd9jzhnEwh1RYa7xFHkblONapkC1z0FW07ssI3Jw6TyDTcdkCaKtqMN8ZwcXIX5ivGomjcHHpsyoPQ8cSXVqxwA/s1600/untitled-38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmUPy_WheoQ63RN-pCWXnRQZti8-iRx5iRh_xykabs4OJSxbvd9jzhnEwh1RYa7xFHkblONapkC1z0FW07ssI3Jw6TyDTcdkCaKtqMN8ZwcXIX5ivGomjcHHpsyoPQ8cSXVqxwA/s400/untitled-38.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knot</td></tr>
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There were also a few Ringed Plovers and another lifer for me Kentish Plover.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-C36aDqhb-30GBoM2BRtqS7H0dv837xX-dWhafENXoED9gAH9K2StwmTcC1xqTF7d0aLU4OMyGPEZ72RZETs_Scpm_7TE-V4YEES5LySmdpbr-cpXyWB6ZXtwhsgYlYqtH5XwoA/s1600/untitled-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-C36aDqhb-30GBoM2BRtqS7H0dv837xX-dWhafENXoED9gAH9K2StwmTcC1xqTF7d0aLU4OMyGPEZ72RZETs_Scpm_7TE-V4YEES5LySmdpbr-cpXyWB6ZXtwhsgYlYqtH5XwoA/s400/untitled-12.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kentish Plover</td></tr>
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Opposite the hide there were a number of gulls on the beach. Some Audouins and Yellow-Legged Gulls as well as about thirty Sandwich Terns sitting on pilings along with a Kingfisher.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNegMyDqy1BdIYHn1MJmib_OgmVnUuzC_bYR8J7AqNqv8Vjhs1K1TYBA57o-Tbb87-tWCjgk5kx_DBdqZcwMrSZfUXOEUKHPH_uB1VOMS4MI_M8E5HeKmgkntAEKqHn9hl9Xexrg/s1600/untitled-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNegMyDqy1BdIYHn1MJmib_OgmVnUuzC_bYR8J7AqNqv8Vjhs1K1TYBA57o-Tbb87-tWCjgk5kx_DBdqZcwMrSZfUXOEUKHPH_uB1VOMS4MI_M8E5HeKmgkntAEKqHn9hl9Xexrg/s400/untitled-10.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Audouin's Gull</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-r57AG1QnSyiTrv7B1Tyo9Vi1MMSZfepM2qgnXVLTWHEM_RVS8D6zYpA9eNMGghYkSI9px4b4rIGCY4vvUKD-4w52EEmrP9JXroCgM_JM42kM_jikcGHPbHCKop6vikdm3nYrA/s1600/untitled-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-r57AG1QnSyiTrv7B1Tyo9Vi1MMSZfepM2qgnXVLTWHEM_RVS8D6zYpA9eNMGghYkSI9px4b4rIGCY4vvUKD-4w52EEmrP9JXroCgM_JM42kM_jikcGHPbHCKop6vikdm3nYrA/s400/untitled-11.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Audouin's Gull</td></tr>
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In the air there were distant Honey Buzzards, Kestrels and Sparrowhawk. I saw my first Red-rumped Swallow and in the beach hinterland there were Stonechats and Whinchats everywhere along with some Sardinian Warblers. What a fab warbler the Sardinian is sadly I didn't get any usable photos. There were also Yellow Wagtails flying over.<br />
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I got back to the hotel hot and filled with excitement with all the new species I had seen. In the afternoon we headed out to the beach at Bolonia<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS8AHRfvgKJ9vhL21qU1t3YAMv4e5XXF6U76TLbUpQHyeaidaNb1Sb7_3O0gSjsuIIiHXiuy_3uDnrupVfrui-4sG4A6Y0V3Fii21fKu52wsqQHHiDSkLTBIYoCs1QMO6K845cA/s1600/untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS8AHRfvgKJ9vhL21qU1t3YAMv4e5XXF6U76TLbUpQHyeaidaNb1Sb7_3O0gSjsuIIiHXiuy_3uDnrupVfrui-4sG4A6Y0V3Fii21fKu52wsqQHHiDSkLTBIYoCs1QMO6K845cA/s400/untitled-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach at Bolonia</td></tr>
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and while the boys and Penny sunbathed I walked in the woods mainly finding common birds such as Bluetit, Great Tit and Chaffinch. There were a few Hoopoe, Short-toed Treecreeper, Spotted Flycatchers and another lifer a young Woodchat Shrike.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVi2VANSkeHFcY3txJdQ4__vw9XBuVS7DXXAqmVOfasKcAxtjpaYUpHp3MgCrDyvbzHgJb_Acw9kdUTUUep7qk7N9oJazgJkD3lSzR4DVQG2hN3vXkAp8u0DKGoUw1sPkg1goMg/s1600/untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVi2VANSkeHFcY3txJdQ4__vw9XBuVS7DXXAqmVOfasKcAxtjpaYUpHp3MgCrDyvbzHgJb_Acw9kdUTUUep7qk7N9oJazgJkD3lSzR4DVQG2hN3vXkAp8u0DKGoUw1sPkg1goMg/s400/untitled-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woodchat Strike</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjctW6E478wcctZHshL9LS_W8Nd_-3ETVmlhFbXFbv7HxipKllrG66LCo6Kpz7fA_Z6frjnOjm1l9F2qoBcFqwE5-7zkuB8mvuzwxXvbOYv1ep59TmXI4H5-d_kjVIB7Jj3NifnA/s1600/untitled-34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjctW6E478wcctZHshL9LS_W8Nd_-3ETVmlhFbXFbv7HxipKllrG66LCo6Kpz7fA_Z6frjnOjm1l9F2qoBcFqwE5-7zkuB8mvuzwxXvbOYv1ep59TmXI4H5-d_kjVIB7Jj3NifnA/s400/untitled-34.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoopoe</td></tr>
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I also saw my first distant Short-toed Eagle. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable first days birding with roman ruins thrown in for a wee bit of culture.<br />
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The following morning I headed down the beach again and in the distance I saw a bird scything the water along the edge of the river and I put the bins up and saw a juvenile Greater Flamingo. I was on the beach side of the river and laid down on the sand and watched it work away for about twenty minutes. It then just walked towards me and then came out of the water within the minimum focussing distance of my lens and walked right past me out onto the beach. What an exhilarating experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyBjy6PBO92afeU1H8McHRTjCRINnTeN6FsG5Z1R_8BvXGcTLL28emmKRP0XjaSdJBsfBdb57PF4541uPcWto5bVp2UTGqrhratHpcjbz0Rz4FXjIToqNvBtoWMwzmRXrkf9BAQ/s1600/untitled-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyBjy6PBO92afeU1H8McHRTjCRINnTeN6FsG5Z1R_8BvXGcTLL28emmKRP0XjaSdJBsfBdb57PF4541uPcWto5bVp2UTGqrhratHpcjbz0Rz4FXjIToqNvBtoWMwzmRXrkf9BAQ/s400/untitled-8.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greater Flamingo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTBVAxqf_iYMH_Q3onaZZbJBPtsSq4ISDbLtAnq6JFz4dB-iRADilSdwCNu1LP_ONKt-um4UNQvq-MdiZRjrwZxnFohiobEFUMK1LDJlOYCNKOcNKehp4JGKjSNhgylJD4UfJcdA/s1600/untitled-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTBVAxqf_iYMH_Q3onaZZbJBPtsSq4ISDbLtAnq6JFz4dB-iRADilSdwCNu1LP_ONKt-um4UNQvq-MdiZRjrwZxnFohiobEFUMK1LDJlOYCNKOcNKehp4JGKjSNhgylJD4UfJcdA/s400/untitled-5.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greater Flamingo feeding</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhdICr09vLrlTxXgJyGeq0nqzilb_bYxFBVJasx4qbVo4rTf__GIV4KsNLp9RI7dXhdaM0Jyp2zMxjQWcgojX8sc0W1kc44uZBQTwjh8Y66T0FdrJG8WET9Myeu1KlHxyp9ZC0Q/s1600/untitled-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhdICr09vLrlTxXgJyGeq0nqzilb_bYxFBVJasx4qbVo4rTf__GIV4KsNLp9RI7dXhdaM0Jyp2zMxjQWcgojX8sc0W1kc44uZBQTwjh8Y66T0FdrJG8WET9Myeu1KlHxyp9ZC0Q/s400/untitled-6.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greater Flamingo feeding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHFYkg70qVND9lOwCOsjln2qOGjSyHFiDq_4DzO8xXiEC3IyLDKLi4nDT6AQ6IZLhoOimKAW_-uZOawWI1jmwmZLF9L2KNwu8hnzyTAbS7J88QNJduYqjJU7SKL6zViG3w5ctIQ/s1600/untitled-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHFYkg70qVND9lOwCOsjln2qOGjSyHFiDq_4DzO8xXiEC3IyLDKLi4nDT6AQ6IZLhoOimKAW_-uZOawWI1jmwmZLF9L2KNwu8hnzyTAbS7J88QNJduYqjJU7SKL6zViG3w5ctIQ/s400/untitled-7.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greater Flamingo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The next morning I met up with Javier Elorriaga the owner of <a href="http://tarifabirdingtours.com/">Tarifa Birding Tours</a> and raptor expert. We headed up the road La Janda and a what a phenomenal place it is. It used to be a lake which was drained in the 60's and now has drainage channels criss crossing the area and there is rice cultivation which attracts birds in large numbers including raptors that prey on them. We turned off the N-340 onto a rough track and immediately there were Stonechats, Corn Buntings and Zitting Cisticola on the fences. As we went further down the track there were White Storks in the fields<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYz7nnk4Phl_DSQzul4LBX_O8YljKgadp_YELIy4DChSuJeFe-7HygrP4vuDtCSg6J37rZfOyx-ypLIkcZZUnWHwhluLgJUghyphenhyphenywyNNx5S_8Y0VR7CNCj6Pn_zmNGi5pVfE81BHQ/s1600/untitled-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYz7nnk4Phl_DSQzul4LBX_O8YljKgadp_YELIy4DChSuJeFe-7HygrP4vuDtCSg6J37rZfOyx-ypLIkcZZUnWHwhluLgJUghyphenhyphenywyNNx5S_8Y0VR7CNCj6Pn_zmNGi5pVfE81BHQ/s400/untitled-21.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Storks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
and juvenile Black-winged Stilts in the recently ploughed rice paddy.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRpI-JC-MlBgQqQ2jScQ3DUkhsGfa8ArATeUtAkc3JD1OWlNtujOuGsJn6G0TY5w3kacdFeCcIkrT8qVU-pnNjioqzbPoPr7Y3bKMI2uZCFpbUVniD-8vpMVXKRtBCgbPYU-gUQ/s1600/untitled-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRpI-JC-MlBgQqQ2jScQ3DUkhsGfa8ArATeUtAkc3JD1OWlNtujOuGsJn6G0TY5w3kacdFeCcIkrT8qVU-pnNjioqzbPoPr7Y3bKMI2uZCFpbUVniD-8vpMVXKRtBCgbPYU-gUQ/s400/untitled-13.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-winged Stilt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKF2utgTXAQBi1nQDdPHSTa7WLCY7pXbfFJIJthksOtT6pjGBtvXxB5OS-furAs5uQ82BC9nv8pdeneXuklPGI1hZQfy4zhuagxyLlzFdZZbzMTMFD7XWdUPXmxAJvPiWonskng/s1600/untitled-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKF2utgTXAQBi1nQDdPHSTa7WLCY7pXbfFJIJthksOtT6pjGBtvXxB5OS-furAs5uQ82BC9nv8pdeneXuklPGI1hZQfy4zhuagxyLlzFdZZbzMTMFD7XWdUPXmxAJvPiWonskng/s400/untitled-14.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-winged Stilt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
As we travelled alongside one of the canals we got great sightings of Marsh Harrier and Montague's Harrier and could hear Cetti's Warblers in the reeds. Occasionally the harriers would flush small flocks of Glossy Ibis and on one occasion a youngster let us get quite close. A Squacco Heron also afforded us nice views.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY94B_CkvwlkEAxEexucEEMvd65c1ahed8hzGTA3daEQUq7KMyeLDhSipjJPCgDclv_zog-sn22KYZ7ao6vjvBTrK5q6ruwCnXowhg-z54jyQptLzi-IBvG-frc2jlbqSH8SYRKw/s1600/untitled-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY94B_CkvwlkEAxEexucEEMvd65c1ahed8hzGTA3daEQUq7KMyeLDhSipjJPCgDclv_zog-sn22KYZ7ao6vjvBTrK5q6ruwCnXowhg-z54jyQptLzi-IBvG-frc2jlbqSH8SYRKw/s400/untitled-26.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glossy Ibis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLU-RBlqn0NOIBquFNguxgHtqWUApwBkOnfiT71xEm2mPUy2ivz1AxJCfL17fIadLFnQhTUXIDe1KrQI5wX6GIID4UP2atYSUOMG9eWTBekU8TwDPYTWcKmHasPOFaxB0DUfktw/s1600/untitled-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLU-RBlqn0NOIBquFNguxgHtqWUApwBkOnfiT71xEm2mPUy2ivz1AxJCfL17fIadLFnQhTUXIDe1KrQI5wX6GIID4UP2atYSUOMG9eWTBekU8TwDPYTWcKmHasPOFaxB0DUfktw/s400/untitled-22.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glossy Ibis in flight Top bird is ringed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_kt3stzV_VzWZtFQJ5QehEJaApwWqC3ANfK776-SB1W_e5_1wGHkQxqtjqkQvem0o87LvjjZGZCRIrYOc8t-GCPodNIBu_nrya1LzXLPSIuwybvqNFgEEsOPt-dIwMbeGQAweg/s1600/untitled-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_kt3stzV_VzWZtFQJ5QehEJaApwWqC3ANfK776-SB1W_e5_1wGHkQxqtjqkQvem0o87LvjjZGZCRIrYOc8t-GCPodNIBu_nrya1LzXLPSIuwybvqNFgEEsOPt-dIwMbeGQAweg/s400/untitled-24.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squacco Heron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
As we continued there were tons of Goldfinches and House Sparrows feeding alongside the roadway along with Greenfinches. In one bush there was a lone Turtle Dove.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9E8diP47WQsFvWXbP2it9VVqyWGQZ1xcJ4CN8ykrVeRjpGF0GwCebythIrAAgXRYtsSj4ucSL_X5ggYo_xeIUpxS2jS5cgo5QKLNSsnt5H8yNXIN3TOIrUIgq6oz7kn5yMz2T1A/s1600/untitled-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9E8diP47WQsFvWXbP2it9VVqyWGQZ1xcJ4CN8ykrVeRjpGF0GwCebythIrAAgXRYtsSj4ucSL_X5ggYo_xeIUpxS2jS5cgo5QKLNSsnt5H8yNXIN3TOIrUIgq6oz7kn5yMz2T1A/s400/untitled-15.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turtle Dove</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We drove for many kilometres around La Janda coming across both Kestrel and Lesser Kestrel and at one stop we spied a Little Owl and flying on the other side of the road was a Short-toed Eagle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UmQFJ9X9flhB0MFDIUs5KNyUKpAMYuyvu093XpdXj8kdgtoKQmCmR2ckKwxAdq0RjQiYNgeA5DmbnScF7ug_rdCso2ilRQzpm21FshF6_LUSTfiTFmXGQ46ZWnZJXFWoy34Bkg/s1600/untitled-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UmQFJ9X9flhB0MFDIUs5KNyUKpAMYuyvu093XpdXj8kdgtoKQmCmR2ckKwxAdq0RjQiYNgeA5DmbnScF7ug_rdCso2ilRQzpm21FshF6_LUSTfiTFmXGQ46ZWnZJXFWoy34Bkg/s400/untitled-17.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Owl in La Janda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqoLEzxB806watR81LWwNPgRIdOtUain7V_G45EwAG69sleTq7IhpX_1in9sOIEuw0uWPVQAARsTB-262gBUk-CU_l6pGOtd_bEctekt_AdWfSIZf31OHsiWn-dip8cs8U7gR5g/s1600/untitled-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqoLEzxB806watR81LWwNPgRIdOtUain7V_G45EwAG69sleTq7IhpX_1in9sOIEuw0uWPVQAARsTB-262gBUk-CU_l6pGOtd_bEctekt_AdWfSIZf31OHsiWn-dip8cs8U7gR5g/s400/untitled-18.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Short-toed Eagle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
One of the thing that strikes you is the enormous wind farms in the area and you suspect it has to have a dire effect on the avifauna. They are presently trialling radar that will stop a turbine the moment a bird comes within striking distance. As well there are ecologists on site that can contact control centres to shut down turbines when a raptor or other bird approaches. It is a fairly horrifying when you see a column of a few hundred storks approaching them. It makes me suspect that the offshore wind farms won't afford the same protection to seabirds. Out of sight out of mind and little chance of proving quantity of bird kills.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitv_rJAyYX07s0V4CDMTYk_txxNTPUw7yhR-v1G99z09l9_0ESW2elm0rZZUqc7BnW26P2uKtL-Ui7MHaJTQplHuqNAwph4mGRt3Er37VoyV2BPMt60Q2nQ_Rf-sat94coIU1Xg/s1600/untitled-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitv_rJAyYX07s0V4CDMTYk_txxNTPUw7yhR-v1G99z09l9_0ESW2elm0rZZUqc7BnW26P2uKtL-Ui7MHaJTQplHuqNAwph4mGRt3Er37VoyV2BPMt60Q2nQ_Rf-sat94coIU1Xg/s400/untitled-23.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storks within 500 metres of a bank of wind turbines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczTSB2eb40FzGrKmNNdJ96uUL8EqcMU6xyb09_QorP0npbjkhmpmzEFyGqOCuooVC6eOHi2EoR0gexmYCwyLJf2KEfx6v2jrdGuLmPjcY1PEjVMgUPvjXdZeU0HdtuCVFEilRhw/s1600/untitled-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczTSB2eb40FzGrKmNNdJ96uUL8EqcMU6xyb09_QorP0npbjkhmpmzEFyGqOCuooVC6eOHi2EoR0gexmYCwyLJf2KEfx6v2jrdGuLmPjcY1PEjVMgUPvjXdZeU0HdtuCVFEilRhw/s400/untitled-25.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windfarm at La Janda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
We left La Janda and headed for a raptor watching site near Algeciras over looking Gibraltar. We stopped off for a snack at a cafe half way between Tarifa and Algeciras at Mirador del Estrecho which is good for raptor watching and during lunch we saw Short-toed and Booted Eagle. It has a great view towards Africa over the Straits of Gibraltar.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lytPmMFEPeGptKhLn03r3WsoaN5zONCHoZUHSTKaQ-b_0zrjbO8zkVIydz0QlADQsRQQ_cabsx-r0OHEQxFV4JoMX6IXbPVxUTaI7lp-7-5kKKVQiIi5RkpwKUrxTx9hUZTT_g/s1600/untitled-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lytPmMFEPeGptKhLn03r3WsoaN5zONCHoZUHSTKaQ-b_0zrjbO8zkVIydz0QlADQsRQQ_cabsx-r0OHEQxFV4JoMX6IXbPVxUTaI7lp-7-5kKKVQiIi5RkpwKUrxTx9hUZTT_g/s400/untitled-31.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View to Africa from Mirador del Estrecho</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Above this watch site cum cafe is sited one of the first wind farms in Spain which is now antiquated and is up for replacement. i watched a Booted Eagle fly right through the centre of this wind farm and my heart was in my mouth the whole time until it had cleared it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1a48S2ycWo2YadsP_f2r6hU46nQSwUNjOGb_43sRsf7kf5BJitdyRI97REmeDGBoVFUOyty_xTsbPWVVpMfngyli73wI7WTHekABXc1McBBP-RoUAIr1WM8aOJ2zcYDENtLYNFg/s1600/untitled-43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1a48S2ycWo2YadsP_f2r6hU46nQSwUNjOGb_43sRsf7kf5BJitdyRI97REmeDGBoVFUOyty_xTsbPWVVpMfngyli73wI7WTHekABXc1McBBP-RoUAIr1WM8aOJ2zcYDENtLYNFg/s400/untitled-43.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Windfarm in Spain at Mirador del Estrecho</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTLERByI6eOyeHxlHV4R-t9gxCuaKKvnbgEu-pAH0KSojZEp-3IYbSY62OrPJJOinzqfLm9xN0LbrQ4QF6skEDtfMRZXkfwupny4DQgxqrAvm36jlX1Qjy9KTq9au2yt_KHmv5Q/s1600/untitled-42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTLERByI6eOyeHxlHV4R-t9gxCuaKKvnbgEu-pAH0KSojZEp-3IYbSY62OrPJJOinzqfLm9xN0LbrQ4QF6skEDtfMRZXkfwupny4DQgxqrAvm36jlX1Qjy9KTq9au2yt_KHmv5Q/s400/untitled-42.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from below Mirador del Estrecho looking west. Windfarm City</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
We got to the raptor watch site Observatorio Ornitològico at El Algarrobo where there were a number of Javier's colleagues that work for <a href="http://www.fundacionmigres.org/">La Fundación Migres</a> a NGO that counts raptors in the autumn and winter. We saw numbers of Griffon Vultures, Honey Buzzards, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Black Kite and Egyptian Vultures.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-wjdgFNssKLThBML0OiJ__DpuW5HHbF4VQrhQfBenKM_CNGs-_QGbfh6v4juwyTWxebiXxe0L2FLBWNx3j_js8KPs2YqQuQBa2Aom0JxKSySGGmwg92lCz_aKoa7dh7upVzI_w/s1600/untitled-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-wjdgFNssKLThBML0OiJ__DpuW5HHbF4VQrhQfBenKM_CNGs-_QGbfh6v4juwyTWxebiXxe0L2FLBWNx3j_js8KPs2YqQuQBa2Aom0JxKSySGGmwg92lCz_aKoa7dh7upVzI_w/s400/untitled-28.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Algarrobo Raptor watch site</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVArCyH1byxJmV0OkayThOKUSC1nywxHlLJeq75uGeVZrXBAADKr1jY4D_XCznByj8h_SAZuHBAGF2HnTesq0GuYv36zWy4FhMgHnBWPShQ8Q_n0WVppNLUOnLGYd_yuIGeCkIA/s1600/untitled-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVArCyH1byxJmV0OkayThOKUSC1nywxHlLJeq75uGeVZrXBAADKr1jY4D_XCznByj8h_SAZuHBAGF2HnTesq0GuYv36zWy4FhMgHnBWPShQ8Q_n0WVppNLUOnLGYd_yuIGeCkIA/s400/untitled-29.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raptor Counters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Griffon Vulture</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egyptian Vulture</td></tr>
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After an hour we headed back to the hotel via a little off-road detour where we saw my first Black-eared Wheatear.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_DS41qjcSJzCN2cPEnhdjw_A5sn8Xa_c3zGh-zywGgLgcYE3zV03n4wMWeBfGi6tjHu814FTh8SrXdExSg5LAt5g1YSq0OvBogxShnzhiU1uI8ThyphenhyphenDamwABc4llUONm5kYhyphenhyphenEA/s1600/untitled-32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_DS41qjcSJzCN2cPEnhdjw_A5sn8Xa_c3zGh-zywGgLgcYE3zV03n4wMWeBfGi6tjHu814FTh8SrXdExSg5LAt5g1YSq0OvBogxShnzhiU1uI8ThyphenhyphenDamwABc4llUONm5kYhyphenhyphenEA/s400/untitled-32.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black-eared Wheatear<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2uAlYd6QINndixwGFK3aYSry0-OwgZlxAQuo4IIeFVoS-LTKU9rspgIrym1QHq1IRr41gN8w2U1b1efybB3HZOQkBX4VuwJBzJ61gzKKVDCteuYX5ZFn_XUMm9lcPB3cIeLNuA/s1600/untitled-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2uAlYd6QINndixwGFK3aYSry0-OwgZlxAQuo4IIeFVoS-LTKU9rspgIrym1QHq1IRr41gN8w2U1b1efybB3HZOQkBX4VuwJBzJ61gzKKVDCteuYX5ZFn_XUMm9lcPB3cIeLNuA/s400/untitled-33.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Javier Elorriago Tarifa Birding Tours</td></tr>
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<div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">All in all I had a wonderful day and Javier was an excellent host and I would highly recommend him</span></div>
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to other birders visiting the area.</div>
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The following day didn't involve birding but a 35km mountain biking trip over some of the off road route that I had done with Javier the day previously with fairly horrible results. One son went over the handlebars, bruised and bloodied and my wife came off as well with same result and I got sunstroke which knocked me out for the next couple of days.</div>
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On my final morning I had one of those wonderful birding experiences which are so often unexpected.</div>
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I went to an observatorio ornitològico at Punta Camorro just a kilometre down the coast from Tarifa towards Gibraltar there was a strong easterly wind blowing and I was looking for birds out at sea and saw a glimpse of a wheatear nearby and was looking at it through my bins and when I stood up I was completely surrounded by raptors. There were around 30 Black Kites, 12 Booted Eagle and 11 Honey Buzzards within 200 metres of me. The Honey Buzzards just pushed on out over the Straits of Gibraltar towards Africa and the Kites and Eagles headed slowly into the wind down the coast. Magical</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmLPY6uqRxCt05-yU5L9_JSmgMiVgbLjy1h7XO2IQOgsRiF3kHxkMLh4ZkfpaL3k90xKh0XablOA_WRWLfgj22xA81DK4Hij6FMBIp6bmdD3gBWlECtjTYHOvA1odZX2RA0FJ6Q/s1600/untitled-40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmLPY6uqRxCt05-yU5L9_JSmgMiVgbLjy1h7XO2IQOgsRiF3kHxkMLh4ZkfpaL3k90xKh0XablOA_WRWLfgj22xA81DK4Hij6FMBIp6bmdD3gBWlECtjTYHOvA1odZX2RA0FJ6Q/s400/untitled-40.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Observatorio ornitològico</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJfCOjwWKVa4DQ19AcNaKUJtlagX-yCuxihlZQQtkiSeCqX_3DQpHszwVdOXgZmx7Itxs6NNCoRic23el50prnhZtHmoWWjqcPY_NJc3uVTaRhqNKLdMiaQVRKnnqpge7po7IuQ/s1600/untitled-44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJfCOjwWKVa4DQ19AcNaKUJtlagX-yCuxihlZQQtkiSeCqX_3DQpHszwVdOXgZmx7Itxs6NNCoRic23el50prnhZtHmoWWjqcPY_NJc3uVTaRhqNKLdMiaQVRKnnqpge7po7IuQ/s400/untitled-44.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey Buzzard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfz37aG0H_pAqi2rK9tzUA-0d8HQ4nXmJwwpNMACKhfnmIyTu6ONrCkFK3FybF96D8n3HBmBjVd9H4yaGk44QYKxxW-Zl0W5jGaIMkdj7QFtqpZ8FHLqoa9Gb7YxILtov-f-4fPQ/s1600/untitled-45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfz37aG0H_pAqi2rK9tzUA-0d8HQ4nXmJwwpNMACKhfnmIyTu6ONrCkFK3FybF96D8n3HBmBjVd9H4yaGk44QYKxxW-Zl0W5jGaIMkdj7QFtqpZ8FHLqoa9Gb7YxILtov-f-4fPQ/s400/untitled-45.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey Buzzard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfZ7ECQ91rPvACfZ8NWizm-_qGgRpFtvdHIWTuniQJc7D4ne48_1zh-GXgun5lZ4B4voSr3CnPELqCfINCPtTQIPObOkq1xn_fjbz0LmhIjiAHpGoNEDlSI3RfNjjOrhMY-AiDg/s1600/untitled-47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfZ7ECQ91rPvACfZ8NWizm-_qGgRpFtvdHIWTuniQJc7D4ne48_1zh-GXgun5lZ4B4voSr3CnPELqCfINCPtTQIPObOkq1xn_fjbz0LmhIjiAHpGoNEDlSI3RfNjjOrhMY-AiDg/s400/untitled-47.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Booted Eagle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvfDxNb96V88Mht2K7KeX_ZwqGo7YgLjShnxjJDvCj2a5ASUkhaZxbc1bT7KT9aUzQOPWiNJEx-kW9vBThVlmTbFy_gyCgKRQUIRLCKVfOqdfKOiwQcWHUIOsBSktSf6zKTdF8Q/s1600/untitled-48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvfDxNb96V88Mht2K7KeX_ZwqGo7YgLjShnxjJDvCj2a5ASUkhaZxbc1bT7KT9aUzQOPWiNJEx-kW9vBThVlmTbFy_gyCgKRQUIRLCKVfOqdfKOiwQcWHUIOsBSktSf6zKTdF8Q/s400/untitled-48.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Black Kites heading down the coast<br /></td></tr>
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Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-57632259938634561232013-06-11T11:59:00.000+01:002013-06-11T11:59:16.240+01:00 A Visit to Gigrin Farm in Wales <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXJAl1yAyQMRGCcsfqMJntqSUbhtR9koN0IuH0em1CghJ0pW9UlrWHb6LM-vve3Wugs5Zaut4FGwPA9cf86B-Y6_OtiFSXVw0cTr2dNaY_BUGxD6i-MrcH5gEdquCr5gcjAditQ/s1600/Kite+for+blog-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXJAl1yAyQMRGCcsfqMJntqSUbhtR9koN0IuH0em1CghJ0pW9UlrWHb6LM-vve3Wugs5Zaut4FGwPA9cf86B-Y6_OtiFSXVw0cTr2dNaY_BUGxD6i-MrcH5gEdquCr5gcjAditQ/s400/Kite+for+blog-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Kite</td></tr>
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It seems at present the main excuse to go over to Britain is birthday parties and last weekend was no exception. We headed over to a 50th birthday party in Wales. Arriving late on the friday night we then woke up to an incredibly bright and sunny saturday morning in the Welsh borders. Our hosts have a twenty acre farm with about 5 acres of which is deciduous woodland. So my first thing to do was take a walk round the farm. There were Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff singing everywhere with the occasional Blackcap. In the woods there was the chip chip of a Great Spotted Woodpecker and its very noisy young calling from a nest. I saw my first Grass Snake in the wild just lying in the sun on one of the paths running through the woods.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaGiP68EQNGpm5yyNUBIXckd-r9V07Wy2YxYAYwgGDoM8mEaKbOmsGWEn_5eZM5c-hJVTbwpDo8N-vCfDG9hcvzweVMm3Q4xbR8tkuAurtylY5GPEEH_4slQWCoxOY_cavjnMnw/s1600/Grass+Snake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaGiP68EQNGpm5yyNUBIXckd-r9V07Wy2YxYAYwgGDoM8mEaKbOmsGWEn_5eZM5c-hJVTbwpDo8N-vCfDG9hcvzweVMm3Q4xbR8tkuAurtylY5GPEEH_4slQWCoxOY_cavjnMnw/s400/Grass+Snake.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grass Snake</td></tr>
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Walking round the fields I came across a beautiful male Redstart which was too far to photograph properly. I mentioned the bird to other people who were camping in the fields and they told me both the male and female had been feeding young nearby. It was an idyllic day and a great party with pig roast in the garden. I sat most of the day drinking Tawny Owl Perry from the local cider mill<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLBrW45V_PMUD_XJuQuuhbdz8J-sqHdNpUmTHsl1QPXTQgdC6T_Rw9tfjJFhodFI7WAosh8dF3QWzTZ1SWxTO5Kj9TiuKFBvXwqJkbGWyFhKVXp2KV6nrinOb-3pcGiaH0wRYkA/s1600/Tawny+Owl+Perry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLBrW45V_PMUD_XJuQuuhbdz8J-sqHdNpUmTHsl1QPXTQgdC6T_Rw9tfjJFhodFI7WAosh8dF3QWzTZ1SWxTO5Kj9TiuKFBvXwqJkbGWyFhKVXp2KV6nrinOb-3pcGiaH0wRYkA/s400/Tawny+Owl+Perry.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">:-)</td></tr>
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watching House Martin coming to their nests.<br />
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The following morning we said our good byes, we were sad to hear that our friends were selling the house: so if you want a small holding in Wales the details are <a href="http://www.primelocation.com/for-sale/details/29270154?search_identifier=8296a20f8412b0a1b3b40fc465288482">here</a> , and headed on an hour and a half drive to Rhyader in central Wales where Gigrin Farm is situated. Gigrin Farm is The Red Kite Feeding and Rehabilitation Centre.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUI1qD2aaaK23v9nNN-yXXd4lbttKzUSHh7HOzyTdVHf9xmC-y4v47e53Z_0kDRcJXKk6ZYjzLG_ccuYirUDl18gZQgGLcDUt3E3Jtk8W-0hwLEIXwtohyphenhyphen-QyxzjIw3RcApFjCSA/s1600/Gigrin+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUI1qD2aaaK23v9nNN-yXXd4lbttKzUSHh7HOzyTdVHf9xmC-y4v47e53Z_0kDRcJXKk6ZYjzLG_ccuYirUDl18gZQgGLcDUt3E3Jtk8W-0hwLEIXwtohyphenhyphen-QyxzjIw3RcApFjCSA/s400/Gigrin+for+blog.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gigrin Farm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRRZyWs-T2DABFtWv5C0uuECgsQbkzcRIOD_CFtwNmUwbHk4ZLmIXUfGA83vvpxsbKof74s5tunDFxcGOFrvoaUSLAmw7Dbk9EPgVOMinaqRUhbUisPhM4EvfPzPmgexcUtM3lQ/s1600/Gigrin+Farm-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRRZyWs-T2DABFtWv5C0uuECgsQbkzcRIOD_CFtwNmUwbHk4ZLmIXUfGA83vvpxsbKof74s5tunDFxcGOFrvoaUSLAmw7Dbk9EPgVOMinaqRUhbUisPhM4EvfPzPmgexcUtM3lQ/s320/Gigrin+Farm-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gigrin Farm</td></tr>
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It became a feeding centre about twenty years ago when the Kites used to roost at Gigrin in the winter. At first there were about twelve kites that used it whereas in the very cold winter spell a couple of years ago as many as 600 birds came to the site.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAGlBoNSch08WAtsOeQIwP3dEYCviwbqHvcfxJ8mz820akAvQANCa_a5GV3ojr2C02BjcKZyukDgkkLtRsf-iXnQROX3BpRtrLya2y0Y6xhlsg9T2rnUpglt2Pi6VIIqJuZoPaQ/s1600/Gigrin+Farm-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAGlBoNSch08WAtsOeQIwP3dEYCviwbqHvcfxJ8mz820akAvQANCa_a5GV3ojr2C02BjcKZyukDgkkLtRsf-iXnQROX3BpRtrLya2y0Y6xhlsg9T2rnUpglt2Pi6VIIqJuZoPaQ/s400/Gigrin+Farm-4.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Track to the Hides at Gigrin Farm</td></tr>
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Just before you get to Rhyader you turn up a track past a small hotel to the farm itself on the side of a hill overlooking the valley below. They feed the birds at 2pm in the winter and 3pm in the summer. We arrived about an hour early and bought tickets to one of the photography hides. At this point there were quite a few Red Kites in the air and in trees around the feeding site. We made our way down the track above to the hides.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1ijTw_MGlcZi4Plx1FmiOv1yI1-SjE2G6A5NxrzcrAMy7SwfSoAfegnYnG1CZZrMu-jrpoLmXzK5V-w1QvUjr8wUSPRDlKC7vjkMZx5UANVmRmSNd-AqNvE9CLzzI0LU3EuW6g/s1600/Gigrin+Farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1ijTw_MGlcZi4Plx1FmiOv1yI1-SjE2G6A5NxrzcrAMy7SwfSoAfegnYnG1CZZrMu-jrpoLmXzK5V-w1QvUjr8wUSPRDlKC7vjkMZx5UANVmRmSNd-AqNvE9CLzzI0LU3EuW6g/s400/Gigrin+Farm.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hides at Gigrin Farm</td></tr>
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The photographer hides are open and are elevated and you look out on to the feeding area.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhto4-nCo7_Ew9U3FeCP9FA7CSH0YpRXVyypeFBaVgYuT9mey4eZ5-8Xzytt4haag8XwXux3l0IkQMRL90FJ3OX5ni0w7FUWmsedN5izlOE8tBjvNtZw5mdzKmm98ElYHKzEvXMvw/s1600/Gigrin+Farm-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhto4-nCo7_Ew9U3FeCP9FA7CSH0YpRXVyypeFBaVgYuT9mey4eZ5-8Xzytt4haag8XwXux3l0IkQMRL90FJ3OX5ni0w7FUWmsedN5izlOE8tBjvNtZw5mdzKmm98ElYHKzEvXMvw/s320/Gigrin+Farm-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeding Ground Gigrin Farm</td></tr>
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As we are sitting waiting in the open hide a female Redstart lands on the corner of the hide less than three feet from me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHbSXy9VVocA6B0I5HV2ak4q_5UVPZ4CspHAyGDzCP2EisfNUxE7q-bQHw72Dsg_fiXLcMy3T62qNijaYomOAp7lA3OYYsE8QyvC83MmdrVtjszujQteECyOGq7C-ADXdTXjjuw/s1600/Redstart-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHbSXy9VVocA6B0I5HV2ak4q_5UVPZ4CspHAyGDzCP2EisfNUxE7q-bQHw72Dsg_fiXLcMy3T62qNijaYomOAp7lA3OYYsE8QyvC83MmdrVtjszujQteECyOGq7C-ADXdTXjjuw/s400/Redstart-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Redstart</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNvF_A_tfX7LLonf__NuZ20aBRw8LXpWjsj4PyrT7y2X6GBE88xV8P9ovLTZb5q6s9_kYsRNzotNLc0e8-vlvblOVVD43I52w3ijDzQwodM0kKtHoN4Gdazo8agXJdUDa959zjA/s1600/Redstart+Closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNvF_A_tfX7LLonf__NuZ20aBRw8LXpWjsj4PyrT7y2X6GBE88xV8P9ovLTZb5q6s9_kYsRNzotNLc0e8-vlvblOVVD43I52w3ijDzQwodM0kKtHoN4Gdazo8agXJdUDa959zjA/s400/Redstart+Closeup.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Redstart with grub</td></tr>
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She then flies up to her nest in the corner of the hide.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8I6RELD5v4CIzhMBqn3F1GjhzinEV9SafjLUNcv4BrSHNFJfC54EUQnB4RRG4ctE6yuGMOvrGWwtq4KVi7bfvmCrl0Cfm_IlJ3Su18_lqHX3q-tO5a3pGopNVTULzo5Nvav_Fg/s1600/Redstart+at+nest+in+Gigrin+Farm+Hide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8I6RELD5v4CIzhMBqn3F1GjhzinEV9SafjLUNcv4BrSHNFJfC54EUQnB4RRG4ctE6yuGMOvrGWwtq4KVi7bfvmCrl0Cfm_IlJ3Su18_lqHX3q-tO5a3pGopNVTULzo5Nvav_Fg/s400/Redstart+at+nest+in+Gigrin+Farm+Hide.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Redstart at Nest at Gigrin Farm Hide</td></tr>
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Amazing to be so close.<br />
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At 3pm a tractor comes into the feeding area and the farmer forks the meat out of the link box onto the site. By this time there are 100- 200 Red Kites in the air along with a few buzzards.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWRNUYfa3JyxvUUv6zXfpvNkgJZkhum5PnRMo6cL9fUecnevMCeNB6_yc8nvuZApzqyvfa1g13HGX0XtB4T3jqjVxxmVtSAvKyv-DIweyPUkN8-3HjuubGC-J8UNe5tYN0w2OPA/s1600/Kite+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWRNUYfa3JyxvUUv6zXfpvNkgJZkhum5PnRMo6cL9fUecnevMCeNB6_yc8nvuZApzqyvfa1g13HGX0XtB4T3jqjVxxmVtSAvKyv-DIweyPUkN8-3HjuubGC-J8UNe5tYN0w2OPA/s400/Kite+for+blog.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Kite</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbtM8vOkS8lL5iOQPguo32Fq1IZ74O1S7lFrsZ8MAlsVBwbdiAgED38bGU5scU6nDOtvS2v6_obeXZQRaQZS1c2fgChDx6jCf-R3NectGMMbMgAtUMaxgGygVSrmcNpCsRCmuSQ/s1600/Kite-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbtM8vOkS8lL5iOQPguo32Fq1IZ74O1S7lFrsZ8MAlsVBwbdiAgED38bGU5scU6nDOtvS2v6_obeXZQRaQZS1c2fgChDx6jCf-R3NectGMMbMgAtUMaxgGygVSrmcNpCsRCmuSQ/s400/Kite-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Kite</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvz2klGxDN6pi_KiDZpLbeHPjH2XAGS3fBWk8R0krC_oqIAyVh4WHZVjKyp4HchKq13py-XXuTS2ncluVju7yd-8t7c3WhgZ1Ljc6d7o0InsrS9t4F8D4dFulAcmwBawX2Kumkpg/s1600/Buzzard+and+Bodyguards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvz2klGxDN6pi_KiDZpLbeHPjH2XAGS3fBWk8R0krC_oqIAyVh4WHZVjKyp4HchKq13py-XXuTS2ncluVju7yd-8t7c3WhgZ1Ljc6d7o0InsrS9t4F8D4dFulAcmwBawX2Kumkpg/s320/Buzzard+and+Bodyguards.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Kite and Buzzard</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhC8iAPOs_3HzFCeUp5zkGMRYDcfi1HmD8psw7taYOJVRio1ngazM7OzHQ8mva-acPIMc-D_3Yf1NPAriQBP-gbbWUaC_fyfPeC25lHTpXiHRNDC-w-PWrz5ltdpTQRJl9YBJoA/s1600/Buzzard+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhC8iAPOs_3HzFCeUp5zkGMRYDcfi1HmD8psw7taYOJVRio1ngazM7OzHQ8mva-acPIMc-D_3Yf1NPAriQBP-gbbWUaC_fyfPeC25lHTpXiHRNDC-w-PWrz5ltdpTQRJl9YBJoA/s1600/Buzzard+for+blog.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buzzard</td></tr>
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The Kites swoop down and grab the meat whereas the Buzzards just land and gorge themselves. The noise is amazing. It is an extraordinary sight. There is even a leucistic kite amongst them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTwysiJf2j1NOeDgdgdDeTo2Mlt7jNRohQL6FKGyslBvE7Uf4lySCoDQ-6VnY04MeQuBZk-D1Ca0kyvXfYnVakxMyHfcds9YUXijxvDlgzqbxc5ixCZy3C6ZVlER4jDwmD-pC4g/s1600/Leucistic+Kite+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTwysiJf2j1NOeDgdgdDeTo2Mlt7jNRohQL6FKGyslBvE7Uf4lySCoDQ-6VnY04MeQuBZk-D1Ca0kyvXfYnVakxMyHfcds9YUXijxvDlgzqbxc5ixCZy3C6ZVlER4jDwmD-pC4g/s400/Leucistic+Kite+for+blog.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leucistic Red Kite</td></tr>
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Forty minutes later and it is all over with most birds having disappeared and only a few remaining. But what an afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3P5JsyvxjZcC5b5sBAE2TJlNd346MibMYiIIiVyVhl9MPuyU9jwhMNs_UxjRpTIc-hykqkwNoGXxNliVPMReP4pLplpj4PYuyDblViJypvg8vwbKMWG8xNeXqKTCiMOget1NRZQ/s1600/Kite-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3P5JsyvxjZcC5b5sBAE2TJlNd346MibMYiIIiVyVhl9MPuyU9jwhMNs_UxjRpTIc-hykqkwNoGXxNliVPMReP4pLplpj4PYuyDblViJypvg8vwbKMWG8xNeXqKTCiMOget1NRZQ/s400/Kite-4.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Kite diving</td></tr>
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<br />Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-23747711080971136862013-06-10T16:55:00.003+01:002013-06-10T16:55:53.257+01:00 A 21st Birthday and A Few Days Birding in Scotland <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVZ2uzV0Tcha2M9wAUDw0m102L_k7Y9_wrw6lc7RuWZ9RJXzdM-ahPXYIdJszIaDRvAXUvhM5YCfVCuKPEKKw4Aw1vktlmYL178vlb_2zJdgTbaBx9XczWzxGKd57XhHwkXiuFw/s1600/Black+Grouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYVZ2uzV0Tcha2M9wAUDw0m102L_k7Y9_wrw6lc7RuWZ9RJXzdM-ahPXYIdJszIaDRvAXUvhM5YCfVCuKPEKKw4Aw1vktlmYL178vlb_2zJdgTbaBx9XczWzxGKd57XhHwkXiuFw/s400/Black+Grouse.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Grouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was Charlie my youngest son's 21st Birthday. As he was just about to start his exams he didn't want a big party so Penny and I headed over to Edinburgh to take him out to dinner with his girlfriend Jess, elder brother Jeremy and Tyrella his aunt. We had a lovely evening at a restaurant I would highly recommend called Bia Bistrot. After dinner we took him to a bar where about twenty of his friends had gathered unbeknown to him for a few drinks.<br />
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The following day with slightly sore head I headed up to Dalguise near Pitlochry to stay with my sister.<br />
On arrival I noticed her nyjer seed feeder was being besieged by Siskins. I counted as many as eighteen queuing up to use the feeder. I love Siskins such a small and beautifully coloured bird. I see them rarely on my own feeders so the ability to sit and listen and watch them fighting over the seed was a real treat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wbypYpge1kSXH4hjlhM3FUyXuMwIoB9NZZm1O9gKXZDl1__ZDAXMTAK9rn2307eP20eSUkmvaeTc3VwgIp2LHEZkapNiz8FXCUgwsBK_XxBOhrOhamvUsamYhjMRaRSnQzqxow/s1600/Male+Siskin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wbypYpge1kSXH4hjlhM3FUyXuMwIoB9NZZm1O9gKXZDl1__ZDAXMTAK9rn2307eP20eSUkmvaeTc3VwgIp2LHEZkapNiz8FXCUgwsBK_XxBOhrOhamvUsamYhjMRaRSnQzqxow/s400/Male+Siskin.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Siskin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTTy-sDaEcmZjbWjkPnnjH_4GdadC70fX_fygyS8A7Agbmo8xgEZ7geyccki8FpM7RNR5RlvtxU8YlOFnR6CWDrdXXDE-0rKe0-0jVJ1OrU6ubyo4KjQEW2KqlTM44S59Up2ijw/s1600/+Siskin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTTy-sDaEcmZjbWjkPnnjH_4GdadC70fX_fygyS8A7Agbmo8xgEZ7geyccki8FpM7RNR5RlvtxU8YlOFnR6CWDrdXXDE-0rKe0-0jVJ1OrU6ubyo4KjQEW2KqlTM44S59Up2ijw/s400/+Siskin.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Siskin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRqXVmvUMbF__CmpqE-YTOd4ChYVmM2Z0L9VxvYA9F7Ct9tRojUu7Lcbb1I1aCVB563NAZpQwM4KfKDsRSbMudm9DcHyxbac-tueYDInipdGJTaIhXF8bKSv7CjmmbpHIizPOBA/s1600/Male+Siskin-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRqXVmvUMbF__CmpqE-YTOd4ChYVmM2Z0L9VxvYA9F7Ct9tRojUu7Lcbb1I1aCVB563NAZpQwM4KfKDsRSbMudm9DcHyxbac-tueYDInipdGJTaIhXF8bKSv7CjmmbpHIizPOBA/s400/Male+Siskin-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Siskin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1X0N1NJk2kogErGJVRLalFHmWI0Qums5TRrDdakMp1VCyQ_tzuHJKiC286ma4sUToPyyufa2h3tgLRWkuobBdkJmy5eHcaJD8Tslo28YhWtFQkDrbrRuigFVHDyqWYHWXEFZYQ/s1600/Female+Siskin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1X0N1NJk2kogErGJVRLalFHmWI0Qums5TRrDdakMp1VCyQ_tzuHJKiC286ma4sUToPyyufa2h3tgLRWkuobBdkJmy5eHcaJD8Tslo28YhWtFQkDrbrRuigFVHDyqWYHWXEFZYQ/s400/Female+Siskin.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Siskin</td></tr>
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As I entered the house I noticed a Chaffinch collecting feathers to line a nest it had made in the cotoneaster right beside the front door.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZV6r_EojRvrtqhPVF39iNBhtp1BiuRXcLvobzLWasRMc8M6WvCZmAy5wk65W0xm3_ryS7N1h_xy-HvaoaR5pv3liPG9eMDMXpyiSqnX5RlSCHS6kPqcb5t3qggXI4X05sic7NQ/s1600/Chaffinch+building+nest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZV6r_EojRvrtqhPVF39iNBhtp1BiuRXcLvobzLWasRMc8M6WvCZmAy5wk65W0xm3_ryS7N1h_xy-HvaoaR5pv3liPG9eMDMXpyiSqnX5RlSCHS6kPqcb5t3qggXI4X05sic7NQ/s400/Chaffinch+building+nest.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Chaffinch with nesting material</td></tr>
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We decided before supper to head down to the Loch of the Lowes to see the Ospreys. As we were driving over the River Tay into Dunkeld there was an Osprey fishing right beside the bridge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbg8vTwFEX9aHfzSyi0YviEIu1CcDgJxDixPmDCLrzzKVql_M8aB7QoGlqJ1YZOUEfe960xx56P61A-1TeP3sT2E6DEpsg3NydX5iMShJdjymULn0GG1-xS22ZS63JaDFB9H8xA/s1600/Osprey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbg8vTwFEX9aHfzSyi0YviEIu1CcDgJxDixPmDCLrzzKVql_M8aB7QoGlqJ1YZOUEfe960xx56P61A-1TeP3sT2E6DEpsg3NydX5iMShJdjymULn0GG1-xS22ZS63JaDFB9H8xA/s400/Osprey.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osprey</td></tr>
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I am a great fan of the Scottish Wildlife Trust's reserve at the Loch of the Lowes with their star attraction being the pair of breeding Ospreys. They have great hides where you can look over to the nest site. When we arrived one was already on the nest and the other was just coming in with nest material. At this point she had laid four eggs. There are very good <a href="http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes-jw/">webcams</a> both in the hides and in the visitor centre.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUB77TpPwsQLTdMK01YFAzkb0xjE4mtzUjvoP_PyGpgot6_U4-uEOjG6e-_PygR3EpHC4brn-ZmW528U1v9_ZNEFn5Oe5D3ocuSLuS6fowwE0t_tOa4zrOO2onK2NlBz6t0p3WBg/s1600/Loch+of+Lowes+Osprey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUB77TpPwsQLTdMK01YFAzkb0xjE4mtzUjvoP_PyGpgot6_U4-uEOjG6e-_PygR3EpHC4brn-ZmW528U1v9_ZNEFn5Oe5D3ocuSLuS6fowwE0t_tOa4zrOO2onK2NlBz6t0p3WBg/s400/Loch+of+Lowes+Osprey.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breeding Osprey at Loch of the Lowes<br />
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The following morning I looked out of the kitchen window and there was Red Squirrel on the feeders.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UzvUaszIClR0Uav92iN6hXh2IiUE2GV8HLtJnGA641V0sCWmX5x3RUYnsxNGCXc0RaXoo5dHH7CuvohabkziPId3EnUFtz1ShWI_haJvapazXTYOGjDGRmKpFZGYL8R07dCLCQ/s1600/Red+Squirrel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UzvUaszIClR0Uav92iN6hXh2IiUE2GV8HLtJnGA641V0sCWmX5x3RUYnsxNGCXc0RaXoo5dHH7CuvohabkziPId3EnUFtz1ShWI_haJvapazXTYOGjDGRmKpFZGYL8R07dCLCQ/s400/Red+Squirrel.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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We then headed off to see if we could find any Black Grouse which would be a lifer for me. I have tried on a few occasions but to no avail. My sister rang the local gamekeeper to see if he knew of any good lekking sites. He rang another keeper and we headed off up the A9 to see what we could find. We found this track and headed for miles deep into the countryside. There were Wheatears, Meadow Pipits, Hares and Deer but no Black Grouse. When we had run out of likely habitat for the Black Grouse we headed back and as we were driving along I caught a glimpse out of the side of my eye of a bird dropping to the ground and at first thought was it a Kestrel. I got out of the car and headed towards where I thought I had seen it when a female Hen Harrier flew up. It made my day to see a Hen Harrier on a Scottish estate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yZoq-tBZJlQjfPN5Kl372OtDTsDskpJ59jeRovaHkyIilVrJ3BRyqb1Urncwh2Xk4Y2aKWOr_Nw39puJWD6qt5VqEVuHROP0RcGybQNKRE_nTnA5-8NqEnHmKCBvoytsJzRbLw/s1600/Hen+Harrier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yZoq-tBZJlQjfPN5Kl372OtDTsDskpJ59jeRovaHkyIilVrJ3BRyqb1Urncwh2Xk4Y2aKWOr_Nw39puJWD6qt5VqEVuHROP0RcGybQNKRE_nTnA5-8NqEnHmKCBvoytsJzRbLw/s400/Hen+Harrier.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Hen Harrier<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZ1ly0Mk9n7dMrFmIu-STo4S_zIemihEiPeZTrjPu2gpuxHDM6PZex8OiPJ3Y-M243xGH1s2P9TyDOKqoF66xsgCRoqdebWX9ObdITwyxSK2wVJjriysCfXkkT_F6b0FYcPio7A/s1600/Scottish+Estate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZ1ly0Mk9n7dMrFmIu-STo4S_zIemihEiPeZTrjPu2gpuxHDM6PZex8OiPJ3Y-M243xGH1s2P9TyDOKqoF66xsgCRoqdebWX9ObdITwyxSK2wVJjriysCfXkkT_F6b0FYcPio7A/s400/Scottish+Estate.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scottish Estate</td></tr>
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We continued on our hunt, at one point passing a Red Grouse calling but not from a very photogenic perch,<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTthiQBth5Xf9OlRyH3lRVUaORHbZqcHDNyJmSBQqmPHg3HFK1-dNK_sDEbueL5Hi42p2OdGpUAP06p8_Hdp0sUia5pJ0LkW6FKZZ-nJSckrW7eiXjbsijp_eDTPY-v7pUhqkDCQ/s1600/Red+Grouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTthiQBth5Xf9OlRyH3lRVUaORHbZqcHDNyJmSBQqmPHg3HFK1-dNK_sDEbueL5Hi42p2OdGpUAP06p8_Hdp0sUia5pJ0LkW6FKZZ-nJSckrW7eiXjbsijp_eDTPY-v7pUhqkDCQ/s400/Red+Grouse.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Grouse</td></tr>
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to various lekking sites where my sister had seen birds previously. It wasn't until the last place only about 14 miles from my sister's house that we saw a couple of birds a hundred yards off the roadside. </div>
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I was able to get a few shots of them. What fabulous birds.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTCLYFkKOVL8p3l6y_eCWaMqVQjGY8Z-WoIe6fbqyjsp5wF91_ct_kqhI2KBsHxGqzAUMtVboNCIfcyTAVFdI3WR7IDpj4itfA0Rxf5wNLuto6yat0U8cU4hJB8TScDOdPazKtw/s1600/Black+Grouse-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTCLYFkKOVL8p3l6y_eCWaMqVQjGY8Z-WoIe6fbqyjsp5wF91_ct_kqhI2KBsHxGqzAUMtVboNCIfcyTAVFdI3WR7IDpj4itfA0Rxf5wNLuto6yat0U8cU4hJB8TScDOdPazKtw/s400/Black+Grouse-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Grouse</td></tr>
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I went back to my sister's house on a high. The following morning I went up the hill behind her house in the hope of finding a Capercaillie but to no avail. There were however lots of Tree Pipits around</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaUDG7oNlEUQdgOkwmqhsTxRBBfb3QdIvUjIHbDgqLCFYeFs3EAWZj8Kr40tHnQWT3l5v1CJpbRVlR2iI6tVnJITgtNnDsBRhJ5xP8kR8TiNV75__2U39E7QimvGouNs8c9HNRA/s1600/Tree+Pipit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaUDG7oNlEUQdgOkwmqhsTxRBBfb3QdIvUjIHbDgqLCFYeFs3EAWZj8Kr40tHnQWT3l5v1CJpbRVlR2iI6tVnJITgtNnDsBRhJ5xP8kR8TiNV75__2U39E7QimvGouNs8c9HNRA/s400/Tree+Pipit-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree pipit</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkSD8ynxALlcnIwrDoF_Ec27r6FG3gf3OfME78SmVOpWNtJ5gzAZo2egqHJ4GaMaapNdvs_MB3dIeyqyh0dFozBZFlAfWeX9n-lvAWexgZ1pRIFez_1AyYVXcnKF6B5xh8fC5fw/s1600/Tree+Pipit-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkSD8ynxALlcnIwrDoF_Ec27r6FG3gf3OfME78SmVOpWNtJ5gzAZo2egqHJ4GaMaapNdvs_MB3dIeyqyh0dFozBZFlAfWeX9n-lvAWexgZ1pRIFez_1AyYVXcnKF6B5xh8fC5fw/s400/Tree+Pipit-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree Pipit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiMZG7frbS2O5keWbRNyaD9ZBMcDodLsLJSEQlBKdD67a8XYyJR5IDCt8hv5slbvETpdMp0ntczUFpGwKUt9V5xu4pQ3r_SObU-j9WZsbneyh9JYSQJn4aEpguyIA9-NM365jkw/s1600/Tree+Pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiMZG7frbS2O5keWbRNyaD9ZBMcDodLsLJSEQlBKdD67a8XYyJR5IDCt8hv5slbvETpdMp0ntczUFpGwKUt9V5xu4pQ3r_SObU-j9WZsbneyh9JYSQJn4aEpguyIA9-NM365jkw/s400/Tree+Pipit.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Displaying Tree Pipit</td></tr>
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Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-18346477635912573702013-05-21T09:14:00.000+01:002013-05-21T09:14:11.129+01:00An Obliging Garganey and Some Slightly Better Images of the Castle Ward Tawny Owl <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_SkiNpL5VDdlI5N2NoVILdLaCJ-7XEuupPcwjUejvl92bAlfGFy9ForgWMw1fm4KRhQ5k_YqOkFv2j_FT_PE4q-MaZsAb4TzsBYMP2v3yppaqhKqsg8aqpmWCY7vkbifYtDipw/s1600/Castle+Ward+Tawny+Owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_SkiNpL5VDdlI5N2NoVILdLaCJ-7XEuupPcwjUejvl92bAlfGFy9ForgWMw1fm4KRhQ5k_YqOkFv2j_FT_PE4q-MaZsAb4TzsBYMP2v3yppaqhKqsg8aqpmWCY7vkbifYtDipw/s400/Castle+Ward+Tawny+Owl.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle Ward Tawny Owl</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7cNaf6roqcIbbTLBrUium0bdxXz7bOTV-MHyAt9meoOaD4pawL9Cj9fMxpKv1Zf0HZ8-fze0XgjuJSVcDgdFnBdDGKgXCzll6goElVjTq_UGB0BaaXyZAdWdk6kbeOUbjVd3RA/s1600/Tawny+Owl-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7cNaf6roqcIbbTLBrUium0bdxXz7bOTV-MHyAt9meoOaD4pawL9Cj9fMxpKv1Zf0HZ8-fze0XgjuJSVcDgdFnBdDGKgXCzll6goElVjTq_UGB0BaaXyZAdWdk6kbeOUbjVd3RA/s400/Tawny+Owl-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle Ward Tawny Owl in Flight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfN1O7QMNMEo2jB4x2Z7dVCFMrWRC7vQh0zp2amB1nwRRVu62X_OiuD9-y0GQlRmbMmbEjcWFpG85w02dqgWvT5GzrOhbOEnop0Khw1kswqH6vWJ-CpH9qS4sPdpxD1BOxxkq3IA/s1600/Tawny+Owl-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfN1O7QMNMEo2jB4x2Z7dVCFMrWRC7vQh0zp2amB1nwRRVu62X_OiuD9-y0GQlRmbMmbEjcWFpG85w02dqgWvT5GzrOhbOEnop0Khw1kswqH6vWJ-CpH9qS4sPdpxD1BOxxkq3IA/s400/Tawny+Owl-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle Ward Tawny Owl in Flight</td></tr>
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I popped down to Castle Island Hide where there had been a recent hatch of flies. In front of the hide there were over a hundred Common Terns feeding and some within a few metres of the hide.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKmHWFPKgbSNHY6J8H-H_-UwbZ4GfZz0U6pFrt4ALJ676kUjrjgea_tZo6-rIylTG2mjdn86Gw6IoyeALQfYva5ZlhFQDghzQo9rYm0D67ZbY2Yfil5rb5uLPFgGVVWVROXEiCw/s1600/Common+Tern-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKmHWFPKgbSNHY6J8H-H_-UwbZ4GfZz0U6pFrt4ALJ676kUjrjgea_tZo6-rIylTG2mjdn86Gw6IoyeALQfYva5ZlhFQDghzQo9rYm0D67ZbY2Yfil5rb5uLPFgGVVWVROXEiCw/s400/Common+Tern-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Tern feeding on Flies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-o46kRDxtnfGItWgTMUUV-ElF5u7Tt91zX_s4bdfyUHMRNxPuhzUcZOx34sWpIAf3GD2F07NffNT4Z56HmQblu1fcsAML2Vmi76JSiViWliELDP6riOPepl2Bf8oHhhFeVsRkA/s1600/Common+Tern-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-o46kRDxtnfGItWgTMUUV-ElF5u7Tt91zX_s4bdfyUHMRNxPuhzUcZOx34sWpIAf3GD2F07NffNT4Z56HmQblu1fcsAML2Vmi76JSiViWliELDP6riOPepl2Bf8oHhhFeVsRkA/s400/Common+Tern-3.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Common Tern<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0llG1iASpM_jJUDUNNXAJaEHcrBhQfnUYM_TFD-90FOM0juUO1b56u3Oam0jRsHccW7IabsN8kjWIf4FAS7CERMOA-aD8sFypdmKfoKPCvZC1g3kxauAAatJu1FQT6SaLaFVDA/s1600/Common+Tern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0llG1iASpM_jJUDUNNXAJaEHcrBhQfnUYM_TFD-90FOM0juUO1b56u3Oam0jRsHccW7IabsN8kjWIf4FAS7CERMOA-aD8sFypdmKfoKPCvZC1g3kxauAAatJu1FQT6SaLaFVDA/s400/Common+Tern.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Common Tern<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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So as I was photographing away when I noticed a couple of wigeon and another duck take off far to my left and the smaller one flew straight for the hide and much to my surprise it was a fab male Garganey. It landed to the right of the hide and then fed its way all the way back past the front of the hide constantly being pestered by a couple of drake Mallard<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEili3TFnydWl2NrZY7q74Xu20hr8b6qEmodwqRSaf_4H1KP8uDqa11sb70rbPK9xVkK2kgcum97SJHoZzJOrP0xNY_AcYxwv4qYsTQlfsi10EHeUkoA8jX6rIMUiDS1SOWxzwXLIQ/s1600/Garganey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEili3TFnydWl2NrZY7q74Xu20hr8b6qEmodwqRSaf_4H1KP8uDqa11sb70rbPK9xVkK2kgcum97SJHoZzJOrP0xNY_AcYxwv4qYsTQlfsi10EHeUkoA8jX6rIMUiDS1SOWxzwXLIQ/s400/Garganey.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Garganey flying past Castle Island Hide Quoile Co.Down</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFNfTg_vS51y7lJ83IeJvIZ3H9WNvt2TQD3XILiDG-GOSmO44jj5xi0nfzMil_W-wWp2WGSkiK6i8H6sndVtn58XO3d5jlIjPCOz6LCnYORstYAgDcf3IlUfAMFoU5q975gAexw/s1600/Garganey-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFNfTg_vS51y7lJ83IeJvIZ3H9WNvt2TQD3XILiDG-GOSmO44jj5xi0nfzMil_W-wWp2WGSkiK6i8H6sndVtn58XO3d5jlIjPCOz6LCnYORstYAgDcf3IlUfAMFoU5q975gAexw/s400/Garganey-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Garganey</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VtksFyVFTBnTT_X2YZHqxf10wD04-QCwO8fyl7ADV1vnsfpwk8I0IqYO4xqhQ9TAXHtKNVYegeJtqUecuJy97LWLXGAI1BX8CNuSfBIN7GLTV8r4HEyW8hm2aA1vJdNW5c7KbA/s1600/Garganey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VtksFyVFTBnTT_X2YZHqxf10wD04-QCwO8fyl7ADV1vnsfpwk8I0IqYO4xqhQ9TAXHtKNVYegeJtqUecuJy97LWLXGAI1BX8CNuSfBIN7GLTV8r4HEyW8hm2aA1vJdNW5c7KbA/s400/Garganey.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Rear View Male Garganey</td></tr>
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Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-6212003543482748352013-05-18T18:13:00.001+01:002013-05-18T18:43:12.818+01:00 An Interview about the Tawny Owl at Castle Ward by the BBC <div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0196q19">http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0196q19</a><br />
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Click on the Above Link to listen<br />
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22583431">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22583431</a><br />
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News Story Above</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0196q19"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcsMzu627Yrl49umfXN5NLWVwTfsNWplZ5k_DWwb8OtKkP6shJ4QnjF8Hk22k2jmVBDdjpul1oQNVIbAJjoNj3_wUD8p6rv0srMzCiwlaaCfyRDdtd_17hSd2Nn51BGLdFR6DDQ/s1600/Tawny+Owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcsMzu627Yrl49umfXN5NLWVwTfsNWplZ5k_DWwb8OtKkP6shJ4QnjF8Hk22k2jmVBDdjpul1oQNVIbAJjoNj3_wUD8p6rv0srMzCiwlaaCfyRDdtd_17hSd2Nn51BGLdFR6DDQ/s320/Tawny+Owl.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-38774710128722652072013-05-14T23:16:00.000+01:002013-05-14T23:16:14.561+01:00 A Montagu's Harrier and a Possible 1st for Ireland a Tawny Owl all in One Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TwvP15OnKjcBKFkG99J2XrSBcIlJD33g-n2H3lhmLiX_wU2x4xyjWNQkaD5hNFRhENUKRkQDw_ehahpMnErxWcVJMHQE8Wb2G-OdM8k_eGwZ9IbZhpkNuQIvG_pUKRi19JDpGw/s1600/Tawny+Owl-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TwvP15OnKjcBKFkG99J2XrSBcIlJD33g-n2H3lhmLiX_wU2x4xyjWNQkaD5hNFRhENUKRkQDw_ehahpMnErxWcVJMHQE8Wb2G-OdM8k_eGwZ9IbZhpkNuQIvG_pUKRi19JDpGw/s400/Tawny+Owl-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tawny Owl at Castle Ward</td></tr>
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This morning I took the early ferry to Portaferry to go and see whether the Montagu's Harrier found by Keith Bennett was still at Lough Cowey. I parked the car and hopped over the gate and there it was off to my right. If only twitching was always that easy. The bird stayed for about a minute before flying out of sight. It wasn't until two hours later that it reappeared and then only for a few minutes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEytvvEfAsrUNCH5dP0GN4rYB5ddF2cT9ADDB2Jm-VLPO5r46xim2pXgRgCRV4sdvFzg4VkqaeiP4tncHZfJwmr2szFYHvYuC2bYHLWJ2afwEXWzULDV90YEGEb6GB0J7TD8atqQ/s1600/Montagu's+Harrier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEytvvEfAsrUNCH5dP0GN4rYB5ddF2cT9ADDB2Jm-VLPO5r46xim2pXgRgCRV4sdvFzg4VkqaeiP4tncHZfJwmr2szFYHvYuC2bYHLWJ2afwEXWzULDV90YEGEb6GB0J7TD8atqQ/s400/Montagu's+Harrier.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montagu's Harrier at Lough Cowey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiDrqcaiA1IJDGNuWuzrORnTWv_siS7i5fhZ4QfsUAuSAxhDXJV-aOlx_QYgX_gTHzEIFAtTTeVtk8cWr9VTx9K84hsoT9tYZXbxZlBK2ch6l0PVtVsAdg-FEuiniSRqCFpFc2Q/s1600/Montague's+Harrier-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiDrqcaiA1IJDGNuWuzrORnTWv_siS7i5fhZ4QfsUAuSAxhDXJV-aOlx_QYgX_gTHzEIFAtTTeVtk8cWr9VTx9K84hsoT9tYZXbxZlBK2ch6l0PVtVsAdg-FEuiniSRqCFpFc2Q/s400/Montague's+Harrier-4.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montagu's Harrier</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmEeUEJBhhmRxy4DeKJcNZmFWI1Rr433RFvOKHjQdROgNW3Nmp3Km3_vgctc8kMOdExEzRSJWHM3K3bbj40RT8lqxWUX_LGdjwnEaUbe_B5Dqb959gglp_qwmc3KZyDO7CqC7-Q/s1600/Montague's+Harrier-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmEeUEJBhhmRxy4DeKJcNZmFWI1Rr433RFvOKHjQdROgNW3Nmp3Km3_vgctc8kMOdExEzRSJWHM3K3bbj40RT8lqxWUX_LGdjwnEaUbe_B5Dqb959gglp_qwmc3KZyDO7CqC7-Q/s400/Montague's+Harrier-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montagu's Harrier</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04jv7uCTWFP6F0x_v_3CNO3-oE7z-5SQgZCSwFDpQn3x72hjRAvJ1EPE5mSkwrv5VtuG14R_b2HFd4rD0IiL0yUwabzOaeFJ3KeiOJ8BOWcsNVgafntdnRmnMcGBoB_1SWUH8Xw/s1600/Montague's+Harrier-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04jv7uCTWFP6F0x_v_3CNO3-oE7z-5SQgZCSwFDpQn3x72hjRAvJ1EPE5mSkwrv5VtuG14R_b2HFd4rD0IiL0yUwabzOaeFJ3KeiOJ8BOWcsNVgafntdnRmnMcGBoB_1SWUH8Xw/s400/Montague's+Harrier-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montagu's Harrier</td></tr>
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While I was there I had a text from David Thompson who is the National Trust's Property manager for Strangford Lough and South Down saying that he wanted a second opinion as he felt he had heard a Tawny Owl calling near the sunken garden and that other people had been wondering for the past few weeks what it was. I texted him back saying that I thought it would probably be Long-eared Owl from my past experiences with them on the Castle Ward Estate having lived on the estate for 12 years.</div>
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Any way this evening I took Pickle for a walk and dropped off Penny to do a run round the estate and meet me back at the sunken garden, while I looked for the bird. I heard it almost immediately I got there and tried to find the exact tree it was calling from. I was helped by three blackbirds, a Mistle Thrush and a song thrush all who were mobbing the bird deep in some bushes. I still couldn't see it when all of a sudden I looked at my level rather than in the tree tops and bingo there it was one beautiful Tawny Owl. My only hope is that it isn't an escape. I couldn't see any rings or jesses. I rang the World of Owls and they were not aware of any escapes. </div>
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Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-23711050788605867832013-04-16T23:12:00.001+01:002013-04-16T23:12:53.501+01:00 A Wonderful Afternoon at Killard Nature Reserve with an Otter <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtZHCtYs9oC3zthMA6I6OSx__578h_US2hTNsr5ubzIeElN7aoBb6QthJu_eN66Co4CdLdqnIw1HlWcSkERwHFJpKlcjViDEmJZhvEk2qG5vW4FDh75ngzakLIr_cKa0z-xyx1w/s1600/Otter+at+Killard-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtZHCtYs9oC3zthMA6I6OSx__578h_US2hTNsr5ubzIeElN7aoBb6QthJu_eN66Co4CdLdqnIw1HlWcSkERwHFJpKlcjViDEmJZhvEk2qG5vW4FDh75ngzakLIr_cKa0z-xyx1w/s400/Otter+at+Killard-4.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi</td></tr>
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I went out to Killard Nature Reserve with the dog this afternoon and it was sunny but blowing a gale. There were a few Goldcrests in the gorse bushes along with a new Hooded Crows nest. Skylarks were singing and quite a few Swallows were on the top level. On the main beach 6 Ringed Plover and a few Redshank. At sea there was a lot of toeing and froing of Shags and Cormorants and a few Gannets.</div>
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A couple of days ago I bumped into birder Tim Murphy out at Killard Nature Reserve and he had asked me whether I had seen any otters recently. I told him that it had been probably a couple of years since I had seen one out there.</div>
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Well blow me I had nearly finished my walk when I saw quite far out what I thought might be a duck until it's long tail went up into the air. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEa2XXomla2KMfCRfl-eNvOLrWnCfSTdQumWGiBlGHq_n7uQ2pX2RQt8V0ZVIH0BKgUmIN6f62VD_VRXl9ogLRjh18LNN1I_yE7VgRLe20mRbylrohE1lQNalBFVdDDFc-Fs1J_A/s1600/Otter+at+Killard-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEa2XXomla2KMfCRfl-eNvOLrWnCfSTdQumWGiBlGHq_n7uQ2pX2RQt8V0ZVIH0BKgUmIN6f62VD_VRXl9ogLRjh18LNN1I_yE7VgRLe20mRbylrohE1lQNalBFVdDDFc-Fs1J_A/s640/Otter+at+Killard-6.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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It then made its way to the shore quite quickly before getting out onto a rock. Then a wave came in right over it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_ttQUbQqXpkqvdOQzlHio9rzXIuBA2CGCZJW_T91ELJhuLrU5u65DbVo16lPaZPvKhLKYMEh2FsPpxNgYw_gYx3tDQf-wC0PMkELxCPKXaxpd-6tKb9yTAmR3j5RUhWP3Fg4uA/s1600/Wave+breaking+over+Otter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_ttQUbQqXpkqvdOQzlHio9rzXIuBA2CGCZJW_T91ELJhuLrU5u65DbVo16lPaZPvKhLKYMEh2FsPpxNgYw_gYx3tDQf-wC0PMkELxCPKXaxpd-6tKb9yTAmR3j5RUhWP3Fg4uA/s640/Wave+breaking+over+Otter.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Otter being engulfed by wave</td></tr>
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Whereupon it swam over to an adjacent rock got out and had a shake.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkdWNRTjLzgjV8Yjy5jOfy5-BRG8D1RSCURpbVA-nQn3nmN9KAOz0e2pknsDXs2lcvYMR8p0-UZGLqxiZCjriZYTROmnc2Snjbl9xB8PqsRqcyTmA0q3hKt3DXChCjs240N6bjA/s1600/Otter+having+a+shake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkdWNRTjLzgjV8Yjy5jOfy5-BRG8D1RSCURpbVA-nQn3nmN9KAOz0e2pknsDXs2lcvYMR8p0-UZGLqxiZCjriZYTROmnc2Snjbl9xB8PqsRqcyTmA0q3hKt3DXChCjs240N6bjA/s640/Otter+having+a+shake.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Then it had a good scratch.</div>
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Before rolling over and over in a cleft in the rocks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKAILT-ZKMRoxT2YiRBEmsP89_ZsPSA_f3q16UqBvjhGdYM8K2KlDWACIbB8Ttv2YtfEcAr-bd4tnHvqSOddEpYqgmYm3jFfDVgD-IWODYpERaG-6ukAwC-AOKfOBMDTgCaoXpA/s1600/Otter+at+Killard-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKAILT-ZKMRoxT2YiRBEmsP89_ZsPSA_f3q16UqBvjhGdYM8K2KlDWACIbB8Ttv2YtfEcAr-bd4tnHvqSOddEpYqgmYm3jFfDVgD-IWODYpERaG-6ukAwC-AOKfOBMDTgCaoXpA/s640/Otter+at+Killard-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvffPkGJbDH5A75NmbpP9K-B3Bn4Kyc5i8y-MHC8OM0JP73_UOdgQKp4ey2516nTIvd4pzN9eOA-iyelaNz7Ep6e0nDdL2PBqCK7r4Jw_m9qczNXSPW-FjvYHpkrnC8vF3MSgsA/s1600/Otter+at+Killard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvffPkGJbDH5A75NmbpP9K-B3Bn4Kyc5i8y-MHC8OM0JP73_UOdgQKp4ey2516nTIvd4pzN9eOA-iyelaNz7Ep6e0nDdL2PBqCK7r4Jw_m9qczNXSPW-FjvYHpkrnC8vF3MSgsA/s640/Otter+at+Killard.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div>
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Then after about 20 mins and with my memory card almost full it got back into the water and headed towards the lighthouse in the middle of the Strangford Narrows.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjth2eqCOqQdpafAUWI-ZPE74nzXIiVQOe3W3kQ4M8HGpydroe_qV3akH_d8kX5WUDnn8hQLWKdQ1uK791S1_pZfPC6mO5gRn6QC3gfHG5B4Tt7maTiaiEoMJjbJLhEJifB2FYwmg/s1600/Otter+at+Killard-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjth2eqCOqQdpafAUWI-ZPE74nzXIiVQOe3W3kQ4M8HGpydroe_qV3akH_d8kX5WUDnn8hQLWKdQ1uK791S1_pZfPC6mO5gRn6QC3gfHG5B4Tt7maTiaiEoMJjbJLhEJifB2FYwmg/s640/Otter+at+Killard-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<br />Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-27629446798114353882013-04-09T18:30:00.001+01:002013-04-09T18:30:43.947+01:00 Bird life at Clandeboye Estate <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On thursday night my friend Anthony McGeehan is giving a talk at the Clandeboye Estate for Lindy, The Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava about the birds found on her estate. Unfortunately I will be unable to go but the talk will be an interesting one.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #282828; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></div>
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<br />Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-8651101596436397142013-03-25T16:22:00.001+00:002013-03-25T16:22:44.123+00:00 Little Gull Feeding on Sand Eels <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNq5HHW0ZZq0KqNWamZHAXk3lWip4yAu7UsWGN50CEyWq4OQ99fNT6cRigi1JuoinlW6WUOtnUbTf_iNyVQBavhjBvJbD0cFSt74LSOd8E1Uock8kerP-SVA23jPkan-vjW8c4Q/s1600/Little+Gull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNq5HHW0ZZq0KqNWamZHAXk3lWip4yAu7UsWGN50CEyWq4OQ99fNT6cRigi1JuoinlW6WUOtnUbTf_iNyVQBavhjBvJbD0cFSt74LSOd8E1Uock8kerP-SVA23jPkan-vjW8c4Q/s320/Little+Gull.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Gull at Killard</td></tr>
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Today was one of those days that I think embody the reasons why I love birding. It is the surprise when you see something new or an interaction that you haven't seen before. This morning I went out to my favourite spot Killard Nature Reserve. There was a strong easterly wind and it was absolutely baltic. I didn't have high expectations as to what I would see, maybe an early Wheatear or possibly a Short -eared Owl at most.<br />
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There were a few Bar-tailed Godwits on the shore one of which was being constantly pushed away by the others.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2W7QZksSi7PaKgHHB_Dq0mZ5t1-slnot0Qd-SpCXachQgFvRe8v7asxcMq8hHb7B-Vhe2HiJZ_HzKhk88BYts9ZPR92aGzYanHky-t0j34dNS-AYzsAR9E-8xBzFqkqPP-P9jzA/s1600/godwit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2W7QZksSi7PaKgHHB_Dq0mZ5t1-slnot0Qd-SpCXachQgFvRe8v7asxcMq8hHb7B-Vhe2HiJZ_HzKhk88BYts9ZPR92aGzYanHky-t0j34dNS-AYzsAR9E-8xBzFqkqPP-P9jzA/s400/godwit.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Bar-tailed Godwits</td></tr>
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I saw a couple of Stonechats on the gorse bushes and a Little Egret feeding on the shoreline. I walked over the hill and down to the main beach and saw the NIEA(Northern Ireland Environment Agency) Warden driving towards the beach. It was the first time I have ever seen a vehicle out here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NIEA Warden</td></tr>
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I popped down and had a chat with him picking up some of the rubbish that had been blown above the beach for him to remove. Hopefully we are going to organise a beach clean in the not too distant future as it is getting fairly bad.<br />
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He left and I walked along the beach and was going to head back to the car when I spotted a Razorbill fairly close to the shore. I thought if I approached it every time it dived I might be able to get quite close. As I was approaching I noticed every time it dived a small gull was lifting off the water and seemed to follow it. As I got closer I saw that it was a Little Gull. (A new Killard patch tick for me)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGS-Pb_JV-lDr6lvXNxM9vw8MbZEcHlNTopW1sxtNo6QjY-XC06pY2Hk3NqhGXk8ZXEEk9LXnD2E8WTWEirEDhuV0A6UeSIe3JEmjhVUrsrx6XZmsUDitGo6Ec5jkGaYovI-7dA/s1600/Little+Gull-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGS-Pb_JV-lDr6lvXNxM9vw8MbZEcHlNTopW1sxtNo6QjY-XC06pY2Hk3NqhGXk8ZXEEk9LXnD2E8WTWEirEDhuV0A6UeSIe3JEmjhVUrsrx6XZmsUDitGo6Ec5jkGaYovI-7dA/s400/Little+Gull-2.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Gull and Razorbill</td></tr>
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I then spent the next hour watching them together. As soon as the Razorbill surfaced the Little Gull would land on the water beside it and the moment it dived the Little Gull would be airborne. They covered the whole length of the beach and back again in the time I watched them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7wlgZsM12Aa_N14hmSGT27hAZesbr-LeqaiIemvKYpy-LNPcp78qijAXxktCV4vD6H74-pghOBwh3xPwBJH27xpaWUvM4cmjH6gBPdARi7EJCljZugG0ExnuEdDLF2ld0NVmXg/s1600/Little+Gull-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7wlgZsM12Aa_N14hmSGT27hAZesbr-LeqaiIemvKYpy-LNPcp78qijAXxktCV4vD6H74-pghOBwh3xPwBJH27xpaWUvM4cmjH6gBPdARi7EJCljZugG0ExnuEdDLF2ld0NVmXg/s400/Little+Gull-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Gull and Razorbill</td></tr>
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Much to my amazement the Little Gull was feeding on sand eels that the Razorbill was disturbing as it dived. This new symbiotic observation to me is one of the reasons why I love birding.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1kfhEfd0w9JqFNVDY3bev0RZ6e6lkIPze-hXyABCjSDt2uxuzuraMOevU2CZ7SZqq0execwUPkxF_nvYK9sCagD0u0hHU5cQQf6LZbuOjrWG5W4MCo75_d486BbF46-DEHLEWA/s1600/Little+Gull+with+Sandeel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1kfhEfd0w9JqFNVDY3bev0RZ6e6lkIPze-hXyABCjSDt2uxuzuraMOevU2CZ7SZqq0execwUPkxF_nvYK9sCagD0u0hHU5cQQf6LZbuOjrWG5W4MCo75_d486BbF46-DEHLEWA/s400/Little+Gull+with+Sandeel.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Gull with Sand Eel</td></tr>
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Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-16343767097966915442013-01-08T14:24:00.000+00:002013-01-09T06:42:44.931+00:00A Happy New Year and A Not So Happy New Year at RSPB Belfast Harbour <div style="text-align: center;">
Happy New Year</div>
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I have been chastised by a number of people that I met over the christmas and new year period that I haven't been keeping up my blog. Guilty as charged. So I have decided I will do a blog post at least every month.<br />
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Every new years day I spend the day adding birds to my new years list and this year was no exception. I start in my living room and this is my view looking over Strangford Lough.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdVwRjlDy_OYZEkQhTDlqxZTFG0xyw7zDQZ4lKyzwYrMOL19LPnGke7_7UwVrrp-BlDIvSvFXcu0jGeKoJgDzE4_yrDK8lkTeWqc7MdX59pXe_FjHn8bCosgTmqu0vryQA9eeiw/s1600/View+from+Sitting+Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdVwRjlDy_OYZEkQhTDlqxZTFG0xyw7zDQZ4lKyzwYrMOL19LPnGke7_7UwVrrp-BlDIvSvFXcu0jGeKoJgDzE4_yrDK8lkTeWqc7MdX59pXe_FjHn8bCosgTmqu0vryQA9eeiw/s400/View+from+Sitting+Room.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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The first bird of the day was a Blackbird followed by a Buzzard sitting in the tree out of picture and within forty five minutes I had forty species of bird. My third bird of the day was a male Blackcap which much to my surprise starting feeding on sunflower hearts for a while before flying off and then returning to my apple feeder. The BTO are doing a Blackcap Survey at present in case any of you have Blackcaps coming to your feeders <a href="http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/about/background/projects/garden_blackcap_survey">http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/about/background/projects/garden_blackcap_survey</a><br />
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After Penny and I had breakfast we headed out to Killard and added a few more birds to the list including Skylark, Stonechat and Sandwich Tern. Then we headed to the Castle Island Hide, which has to be one of the coldest hides around. The water levels were very high but nevertheless there were quite a large amount of duck out on the water apart from the one I really wanted to see Pintail<br />
We then headed to WWT Castle Espie for lunch, a walk around the grounds and to buy a copy of Anthony McGeehans book for a birthday present. If you didn't see it Michael Viney of the Irish Times gave it a <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2012/1215/1224327858072.html">great review</a> Castle Espie were running a contest to see how many wild birds you could see on the reserve. In the fairly short time we were there we saw 39 species with a nice pair of Pink-footed Geese flying overhead.<br />
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We then drove a friend to the airport and stopped off at the RSPB Belfast Harbour Reserve where the first thing we saw was a fox. Another person in the hide told me that a couple of weeks previously it had caught 6 moorhen on the ice. Seeing the fox within the predator proof fence made my blood boil. It is painfully obvious to me that the RSPB in Northern Ireland could not care less about what was once a fabulous reserve. This particular fox has fairly distinct facial markings as can be seen here<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEHKx8nocsIQmcAnwwkKoalXjgau9TeeHHA6iz0JEcxMUWssNktIxTzdn6Ly1SzT9_lSpyZIXrJjsGQyNE3uXA6Ui9Jf16i2YXH8uMhbq79C42tC_Q_T8ZW7MtYGxnzQuj_U2FQ/s1600/Fox+with+distinct+face+markings+at+RSPB+Belfast+Harbour+in+2006.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEHKx8nocsIQmcAnwwkKoalXjgau9TeeHHA6iz0JEcxMUWssNktIxTzdn6Ly1SzT9_lSpyZIXrJjsGQyNE3uXA6Ui9Jf16i2YXH8uMhbq79C42tC_Q_T8ZW7MtYGxnzQuj_U2FQ/s400/Fox+with+distinct+face+markings+at+RSPB+Belfast+Harbour+in+2006.tiff" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screengrab</td></tr>
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this photo was taken July 2006 and the most recent one was taken last November 2012<br />
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So this fox has been within the predator proof fence for the breeding season of 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 2010, 2011 and 2012 Is it any wonder why the Lapwings have not been successfully breeding or much else for that matter. In the summer of 2011 the fox was even spotted on one of the tern islands which had been allowed to get into a state of disrepair. One wonders why an organisation spends 30,000 pounds on a predator proof fence and during all the time that it has been there, there have been foxes within it. I think it is high time the reserves manager pulled his finger out and hires a pest controller to trap or shoot the foxes within the reserve.<br />
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Maybe now because the RSPB seems to be more interested in nature than birds they will just leave it there to ruin yet again the breeding chances of many of the birds that breed on the reserve.<br />
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There seems to be so little expertise left within RSPB headquarters in Northern Ireland that they are now paying for a management plan of the Belfast Harbour Reserve from an external environmental consultancy. Madness<br />
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After the rant My New Years Day total was 71 species<br />
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Update: My Apologies to Mr. Ronald Surgenor for linking his flickr photographs of the fox without his permission.<br />
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<br />Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-23404169518249775492012-09-17T12:42:00.001+01:002012-09-17T12:42:25.429+01:00 A few days on Inishbofin and another lifer Ortolan Bunting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st Winter Ortolan Bunting Inishbofin Sept 2012</td></tr>
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Penny and I arrived on Inishbofin on monday at lunchtime. Paddy-Joe picked us up and took us to the cottage where I stay every year. After settling in and having a quick lunch we headed out to the East End. It was raining and within the first few hundred yards there were birds everywhere Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Swallows, Pied Wagtails, Wheatear, Robins, Dunnock and Starlings. We were just passing Pat Concannon's house and there were a few linnets on the ground beside a gate which all flew off as we approached. One bird remained on the ground and I raised the binoculars and the first thing I noticed was the white eyering followed by the moustachial stripe. I took two shots before it flew off back down the valley. I suspected it might be Ortolan but wasn't sure having never seen one before.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GPclPGUnGe6fXyQJChS0_A9XVfV3dusuK3TSCzEiB40pfAfVyL5yQ-xvecpAdePPuvmCDDuNoNLPUBVoizdMeF6hnwBKAaSymMLz0uC6Or4SS7B9k0eGAft5B_Nhd8s8iYvCXg/s1600/Ortolan+Bunting+Emberiza_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GPclPGUnGe6fXyQJChS0_A9XVfV3dusuK3TSCzEiB40pfAfVyL5yQ-xvecpAdePPuvmCDDuNoNLPUBVoizdMeF6hnwBKAaSymMLz0uC6Or4SS7B9k0eGAft5B_Nhd8s8iYvCXg/s320/Ortolan+Bunting+Emberiza_.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ortolan Bunting</td></tr>
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By now it was pissing down and I put the camera into my backpack before heading to East End Bay where there were a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits, some Dunlin, Turnstones, Ringed Plovers and Sanderling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oYe47FqAF5rKCB5D6n6A25Fftmlen0KsgdUZ_4-it-d_nCeJtj_fuuoh8508FzobBcA4rQYyaoPzAXMLDPyUxRZJKsMZN7R7ryN9lxQD4IyUecMI9tStNXhX4NdwAtV7uthYLA/s1600/Sanderling+Calidris+alba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9oYe47FqAF5rKCB5D6n6A25Fftmlen0KsgdUZ_4-it-d_nCeJtj_fuuoh8508FzobBcA4rQYyaoPzAXMLDPyUxRZJKsMZN7R7ryN9lxQD4IyUecMI9tStNXhX4NdwAtV7uthYLA/s320/Sanderling+Calidris+alba.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanderling at East End Bay Inishbofin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJetyfuF-orxZbv93ISjBmE9NjGss3BpF1H_Njly6UMVXv-dSVLgJ9qkPJruscUALojjb5ZsQpT7YtnuYnFn4iGgV8m7YfeXVGppEc_ock5Plyu9DzbhkGMTCA_ITn1-zG_Upa4A/s1600/Turnstone+Arenaria+interpres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJetyfuF-orxZbv93ISjBmE9NjGss3BpF1H_Njly6UMVXv-dSVLgJ9qkPJruscUALojjb5ZsQpT7YtnuYnFn4iGgV8m7YfeXVGppEc_ock5Plyu9DzbhkGMTCA_ITn1-zG_Upa4A/s320/Turnstone+Arenaria+interpres.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turnstone</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsdk-SPSkSYEUZk_uxBy_ct3zDWQd2SmE2nWTzZuP9WwObLRQPzznfFRvESUWOKFibyxQsYSD4RF-wQB5zTq0__MH-g-Fc2woN2WFQ1N7O1O1AruXQ4-1R3WRW-KZ5usd7_8VkQ/s1600/Turnstone+Arenaria+interpres-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsdk-SPSkSYEUZk_uxBy_ct3zDWQd2SmE2nWTzZuP9WwObLRQPzznfFRvESUWOKFibyxQsYSD4RF-wQB5zTq0__MH-g-Fc2woN2WFQ1N7O1O1AruXQ4-1R3WRW-KZ5usd7_8VkQ/s320/Turnstone+Arenaria+interpres-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turnstone in flight</td></tr>
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As we headed round the bay I stopped off at some willows and found both a Sedge Warbler and Chiffchaff. Stonechats were also in abundance on the stone walls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMXWtkf-sMf25gTdxTp3LqvhAvuKVP79SIJWovG6_zfotSauNuG4fULi8UWNMdNQoEZPVFG0rqUH8BPiyCwupgiyMczHfMED6jWHfhEPTYhIQ61CIW5jlqFmdAOUb1bxIFHTeww/s1600/Stonechat+Saxicola+torquata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMXWtkf-sMf25gTdxTp3LqvhAvuKVP79SIJWovG6_zfotSauNuG4fULi8UWNMdNQoEZPVFG0rqUH8BPiyCwupgiyMczHfMED6jWHfhEPTYhIQ61CIW5jlqFmdAOUb1bxIFHTeww/s320/Stonechat+Saxicola+torquata.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stonechat</td></tr>
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It was at this point that my camera fell out of my bag and crashed to the road. I very gingerly picked it up and fortunately the body was undamaged but my beloved 400m lens was dented and it has impacted on the autofocus. From now on I would have to use manual focus. With the camera lens being damaged and the pouring rain my mood was not a good one.<br />
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This changed somewhat when I reviewed the two images on the laptop and confirmed my suspicion that it was after all an Ortolan Bunting and a 1st Winter one to boot. Thanks must also go to Ronan McLaughlin for verifying it for me. A first for Inishbofin and Galway. I then went and put out some seed at the side of the road between the Dolphin Hotel and the cottage I was staying at, in the hope it would come and feed on it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApbn-ygfQebdk35tzZbNo7xKgRKyvAfDBhNlQDOJBvDMKwSuFiAl9pmSs11sj3cUR5OqJ49BofFfeKSmmzMJMkYLUOCgaC3fUpTxfWsSPhJvupQprVXa-Hq2C3Q6wjtXzsbF9BA/s1600/1st+Winter+Ortolan+Bunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApbn-ygfQebdk35tzZbNo7xKgRKyvAfDBhNlQDOJBvDMKwSuFiAl9pmSs11sj3cUR5OqJ49BofFfeKSmmzMJMkYLUOCgaC3fUpTxfWsSPhJvupQprVXa-Hq2C3Q6wjtXzsbF9BA/s320/1st+Winter+Ortolan+Bunting.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ortolan Bunting Feeding on Seed</td></tr>
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The following morning I went out as the sun was rising over the horizon and found it again a hundred yards past the Dolphin Hotel. Yet again it flew back up the valley towards the cottage in which I was staying. I continued onto the graveyard to see if anything else had popped in during the night. On my way back I found it feeding on the seed I had put out the previous night just fifty yards from the cottage. I then texted Dermot Breen, a Galway birder, to let him know that it was still around as he was thinking of coming to see it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-P8-rI4qRsNbL0snTg4R5f0upvxiGOJcJq6yDVM_oN61LNgYCLaV263192YNMHHzj2iyYb4AucFhqLRAubOzG1DJA8FeLxu8lvnGAwfG-RYEb2XGZe0WpskqW8ZIIq6NbK8fnQ/s1600/1st+Winter+Ortolan+Bunting-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-P8-rI4qRsNbL0snTg4R5f0upvxiGOJcJq6yDVM_oN61LNgYCLaV263192YNMHHzj2iyYb4AucFhqLRAubOzG1DJA8FeLxu8lvnGAwfG-RYEb2XGZe0WpskqW8ZIIq6NbK8fnQ/s320/1st+Winter+Ortolan+Bunting-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ortolan Bunting</td></tr>
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Penny and I then headed over to the west end of the island to see if there was anything about. Over Lough Bofin there were a flock of 33 Lapwing which I think is slightly higher than last years numbers. From the sea watching site just near the Stags of Inishbofin there were a steady stream of Gannets and Fulmars and nothing else. Above the beach that I think is the most beautiful in Ireland there were three Chough calling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasJSLQegugw_wtMCpsVK2p7IwoXE1gEZJx4i51VXH6QPS31d_wxOfQSMTw829mPTi0znBe3_6ON5pN-QIGRl_FTUopG-t4DBVTN81kv8A0HRv6dxOqhhHtHYWXyejbAHQPV1hVw/s1600/Inishark+from+most+beautiful+beach+in+Ireland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasJSLQegugw_wtMCpsVK2p7IwoXE1gEZJx4i51VXH6QPS31d_wxOfQSMTw829mPTi0znBe3_6ON5pN-QIGRl_FTUopG-t4DBVTN81kv8A0HRv6dxOqhhHtHYWXyejbAHQPV1hVw/s320/Inishark+from+most+beautiful+beach+in+Ireland.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most Beautiful Beach in Ireland</td></tr>
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I met Dermot off the ferry and headed to the bunting. It wasn't where I had seen it earlier and we had a quick look before I headed back to the cottage for some soup. After lunch I left the cottage and as soon as I was on the road I could see it with the naked eye and texted Dermot. He appeared with remarkable haste. His blog is <a href="http://dermotbreen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/ortolan-bunting.html">here</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JqO8alNRV6kveHnqw3crYiCV5Bf3KoqseTkledPYgCVibHkoknl7hTGVCNIOt1aoDZSj6ciZvocgpYFzDnIWrO1c0qHry2MKATglMhPq5axmjXrFsrYV1B19qVvcssfxobA40A/s1600/Dermot+Breen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JqO8alNRV6kveHnqw3crYiCV5Bf3KoqseTkledPYgCVibHkoknl7hTGVCNIOt1aoDZSj6ciZvocgpYFzDnIWrO1c0qHry2MKATglMhPq5axmjXrFsrYV1B19qVvcssfxobA40A/s320/Dermot+Breen.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dermot Breen photographing Ortolan Bunting</td></tr>
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The rest of the day was spent at the Dumhach Bay where my wife went for a swim before we headed to Day's Bar for a couple of pints of Guinness and free wifi.<br />
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Each morning I would head off early and walk down to the graveyard to see if any new migrants had arrived. Only on the last day was there a steady stream of Meadow Pipits flying through the valley. I tried to get a few shots of birds landing on the gravestones.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGOAeVOT3Ml2fqNe75n-ZSjOMj41BxsukL_eOoTX9ymCM0LkgYBcXNnJ8gw1Be5vj23VPM4suq1brf0lHHK2JFpbxg0xz5b8y0cDH1woQNZpjmz9XcGc3oMfC0qMC6Lh8visCmA/s1600/Meadow+Pipit+on+Gravestone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGOAeVOT3Ml2fqNe75n-ZSjOMj41BxsukL_eOoTX9ymCM0LkgYBcXNnJ8gw1Be5vj23VPM4suq1brf0lHHK2JFpbxg0xz5b8y0cDH1woQNZpjmz9XcGc3oMfC0qMC6Lh8visCmA/s320/Meadow+Pipit+on+Gravestone.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meadow Pipit on Gravestone</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2AR5yVpRhh3P40BHRCt2FExcffVsq4SuGC8usliJ1LSxV1VLG0UC_qtpWFWJynoK0VDM9VvHJBXN0JB-nvoc3LWjo2jY9BgfQWpd6HYjN3wosEBFonvKBY9NAarlI9QgFjAxEg/s1600/Stonechat+on+Gravestone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2AR5yVpRhh3P40BHRCt2FExcffVsq4SuGC8usliJ1LSxV1VLG0UC_qtpWFWJynoK0VDM9VvHJBXN0JB-nvoc3LWjo2jY9BgfQWpd6HYjN3wosEBFonvKBY9NAarlI9QgFjAxEg/s320/Stonechat+on+Gravestone.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stonechat on Gravestone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEetPHAQQfkz0AZPab4PIZhmImtzfplQIEikJRQhcaKdiTC9XblvP51CThq37RzJnrYZk3G95sCDnJqf6EfiCQOA1z2Skm-kSBKa_TZV0d0pwN-GeucwnHlxwZPiUwGFmxDEUjg/s1600/Blackbird+overlooking+Graveyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEetPHAQQfkz0AZPab4PIZhmImtzfplQIEikJRQhcaKdiTC9XblvP51CThq37RzJnrYZk3G95sCDnJqf6EfiCQOA1z2Skm-kSBKa_TZV0d0pwN-GeucwnHlxwZPiUwGFmxDEUjg/s320/Blackbird+overlooking+Graveyard.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackbird overlooking the ruins of the 14th century St.Colman's Abbey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On the wednesday Dermot texted me to see if the bird was still around as Conor Foley wanted to see the bird. I replied with positive news. Wednesday was a fab day and made for getting nice photos of the bunting. The bird spent most of the day feeding on the seed I had put out and when ever people walked by it would pop over or into the adjacent hedge. Conor connected with the bird fairly quickly after his arrival.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xulNe4tuzF9wDFpigsCF-eQqfJnGM-c4YAq384xUPKh0mGS4yeukofRe9p1635CymvKxcrhUtmNiEGGX5LT5vMuVMen8TZN7ZDEPGuNjZUqre91Qdhc10r5zElI5-pvFIrCt5w/s1600/Ortolan+Bunting+-+hiding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xulNe4tuzF9wDFpigsCF-eQqfJnGM-c4YAq384xUPKh0mGS4yeukofRe9p1635CymvKxcrhUtmNiEGGX5LT5vMuVMen8TZN7ZDEPGuNjZUqre91Qdhc10r5zElI5-pvFIrCt5w/s320/Ortolan+Bunting+-+hiding.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ortolan Bunting hiding in the hedge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYr1D8eAkNCUWHUOtH_eF9oPGe-YZnjHpOYNXrn4wQY8p_dDfw3TFArsrUjFHcbSkkGFbY59X6_bOxLAKhXhsrB2WPpjxq_JuhFNgKp4usJWmBL8PJtPT0dDlIGEmvc1bQs8Wpvw/s1600/Ortolan+Bunting+1st+Winter-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYr1D8eAkNCUWHUOtH_eF9oPGe-YZnjHpOYNXrn4wQY8p_dDfw3TFArsrUjFHcbSkkGFbY59X6_bOxLAKhXhsrB2WPpjxq_JuhFNgKp4usJWmBL8PJtPT0dDlIGEmvc1bQs8Wpvw/s320/Ortolan+Bunting+1st+Winter-2.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ortolan Bunting on New Zealand Flax</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOl3CikQXfsmeFujD80hxqw1xapHwEcnHK8OlPVtux_bUCX0Fr2Lo3_Uh4uvUQpzUbhq6GY4AiGVEzIj-zRvyYWL144gQy1WQMgCG66_oU_oE9BpWF46D9Crc3rhIk7xDKZSRuEg/s1600/1st+Winter+Ortolan+Bunting-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOl3CikQXfsmeFujD80hxqw1xapHwEcnHK8OlPVtux_bUCX0Fr2Lo3_Uh4uvUQpzUbhq6GY4AiGVEzIj-zRvyYWL144gQy1WQMgCG66_oU_oE9BpWF46D9Crc3rhIk7xDKZSRuEg/s320/1st+Winter+Ortolan+Bunting-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ortolan Bunting on the tarmac</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The weather was wonderful and I walked parts of the island that I hadn't covered before. In particular the ridge on the south side of the island that leads to Cromwell's Barracks. The views from the top of the hill were stunning. Unfortunately the tide was against us to get to see the Barracks but there will always be another time.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCaJjGkzCQWC-W_EaaFTITHbbGyt5MvgqJg0R0M-P1-sQL9R09V9zyLilWpcjxpoLNzPGgoWmN4xr10EVTG07LJWuLCaIHFg-OktGDM9vyDSHfaLLTMjz8diBWE020Lln6Zjp0A/s1600/Inishlyon+-+Inis+Laighean+from+Knock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCaJjGkzCQWC-W_EaaFTITHbbGyt5MvgqJg0R0M-P1-sQL9R09V9zyLilWpcjxpoLNzPGgoWmN4xr10EVTG07LJWuLCaIHFg-OktGDM9vyDSHfaLLTMjz8diBWE020Lln6Zjp0A/s320/Inishlyon+-+Inis+Laighean+from+Knock.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Inish Lyon from Knock looking towards Maumturk Mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On thursday there was no sign of the bunting and there were very strong winds all day and the occasional showers which made finding anything difficult. Every time there was movement it was usually one of the many resident Robins on the island. One in particular was so engrossed in eating a blackberry that I was within arm's reach of it and too close to get a photo. There were also quite a few young swallows sitting on the barbwire fences waiting to be fed by their parents. In Regina's garden in the house we were staying there were a family of five Blackbirds and three Song Thrush. In the afternoon we headed out to the sea watching site in the West and observed Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Razorbills, Manx Shearwaters and a single Sabine's Gull.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjogrG-H1rtZnISZXJwUhdjNqw03ZC6Uuk04YZ6l0-m7ocn1xB0Cu397A4vJNLi211iAoY-4jPzZCPiLZxliwHz93s3ytB-V3gXifDQrxtY4SzVCnl0JnX1GM33RPLfGtjDy5jw/s1600/Robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjogrG-H1rtZnISZXJwUhdjNqw03ZC6Uuk04YZ6l0-m7ocn1xB0Cu397A4vJNLi211iAoY-4jPzZCPiLZxliwHz93s3ytB-V3gXifDQrxtY4SzVCnl0JnX1GM33RPLfGtjDy5jw/s320/Robin.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robin on Inishbofin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZe70PowpOxQH8LsbhTB290e4YiKnvmAYRrVLJAkYJM21beKrbq_tM7bw4XAKa_jV0Jbndg9xuGR21g5XgPvl0k1fINFdOObesXCrROkZ1s33nbO0U8dGH2AAU7rrty0uDF4itw/s1600/Young+Swallow+Hirundo+rustica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZe70PowpOxQH8LsbhTB290e4YiKnvmAYRrVLJAkYJM21beKrbq_tM7bw4XAKa_jV0Jbndg9xuGR21g5XgPvl0k1fINFdOObesXCrROkZ1s33nbO0U8dGH2AAU7rrty0uDF4itw/s400/Young+Swallow+Hirundo+rustica.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young Swallow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPh5NY-QPC0nlxAygy-NTCX50WaknGIne7rJ6vOVCZCT587WcxTxd1uCT1QQeE1g3nAk9H5ihfH4cgyxyQpdU_C6lbmeEsEKaSp579DhpDiXteWY99sFTAx8xFWNDIXgAm-5sWQ/s1600/Song+Thrush+-+Regina's+Garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPh5NY-QPC0nlxAygy-NTCX50WaknGIne7rJ6vOVCZCT587WcxTxd1uCT1QQeE1g3nAk9H5ihfH4cgyxyQpdU_C6lbmeEsEKaSp579DhpDiXteWY99sFTAx8xFWNDIXgAm-5sWQ/s320/Song+Thrush+-+Regina's+Garden.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Song Thrush in Regina's Garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On the friday I decided to go to Leachta Beag one of the high points of the island at Middlequarter and see if there were any birds up by the airfield. There were three Lapwing, a Heron, a few Wheatear and Meadow Pipits. The views from the top were amazing and we could see in the distance the waves breaking on the Stags. So we set off to get a closer look. When we got there the rollers were coming in whipped up by the previous days wind and were crashing into the rocks. You could feel the power. Sometimes a wave would crash into the Stags and water would be shot a hundred feet into the air. Spectacular. My love of the island was reaffirmed.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-oFUtbv35wuMWnqrbT_i1depIaLOI_Blt9PZXQ1KulqGZAmTwOw5QPRCryEusABk77Thremcz7djTFy_g6Zukh8zf3AP-Q8MdQSU3gMWzoIizVCUTl7b8juwA56vZAjOvcpa7Q/s1600/Power+of+Waves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-oFUtbv35wuMWnqrbT_i1depIaLOI_Blt9PZXQ1KulqGZAmTwOw5QPRCryEusABk77Thremcz7djTFy_g6Zukh8zf3AP-Q8MdQSU3gMWzoIizVCUTl7b8juwA56vZAjOvcpa7Q/s320/Power+of+Waves.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waves crashing onto Inishbofin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6V53Br8aCj9y3Eov-hESnX1qqFVZ-oOyT9luUqIOowRZpD1lQEB7fCmhMZlS3VAt2UmHtdcc2-99ZMOJNw2hdtIzfYI3TFvdsDmD9sbLsn_LWAZ7tUSodi8cKzyHBL7_NtQpmg/s1600/Wave+Breaking+on+Stags+of+Inishbofin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6V53Br8aCj9y3Eov-hESnX1qqFVZ-oOyT9luUqIOowRZpD1lQEB7fCmhMZlS3VAt2UmHtdcc2-99ZMOJNw2hdtIzfYI3TFvdsDmD9sbLsn_LWAZ7tUSodi8cKzyHBL7_NtQpmg/s320/Wave+Breaking+on+Stags+of+Inishbofin.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wave Crashing into the Stags</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NAatDFHnGB52tdLoB4ntEfRN2Iq5Yl2fEXjSVcIDdyHawyZIwAEf05vg_3jLiunXNnmRepyXxHSy6cemhmrcfnMeP7Y9ucwpfUEOtIXVBXKUPp3D9u9z9d0PjSo4TcJUeUfmLg/s1600/Waves+breaking+on+Stags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NAatDFHnGB52tdLoB4ntEfRN2Iq5Yl2fEXjSVcIDdyHawyZIwAEf05vg_3jLiunXNnmRepyXxHSy6cemhmrcfnMeP7Y9ucwpfUEOtIXVBXKUPp3D9u9z9d0PjSo4TcJUeUfmLg/s400/Waves+breaking+on+Stags.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wave Crashing into the Stags of Inishbofin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYL_KV3V3a5jLd802WfslVcV_8VF81Q7X2_YLuzv-B8wSoUpjyR8iEUcw2x52P_rRBs7JOvCvO16XQ6UxCCxpldLKC-tzITJzrNxOdm0Ixo4ltPDpF14of2uOQXlBUGlav-VOfg/s1600/Waves+on+the+Stags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYL_KV3V3a5jLd802WfslVcV_8VF81Q7X2_YLuzv-B8wSoUpjyR8iEUcw2x52P_rRBs7JOvCvO16XQ6UxCCxpldLKC-tzITJzrNxOdm0Ixo4ltPDpF14of2uOQXlBUGlav-VOfg/s400/Waves+on+the+Stags.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maelstrom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoL-KnvRQFiHt4Z37ldZ00oPramot0ZOe06o8OJ6PdyGdOjhZz9GSGKkmgHYJzkbZH0UNYDrW48YcmVyPZhk-oDBA6Qk4w56l6rR05Q5HAn9ozuaqKcxBdDaI9Wr2T4Gy08NDI9g/s1600/Stags+of+Inishbofin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoL-KnvRQFiHt4Z37ldZ00oPramot0ZOe06o8OJ6PdyGdOjhZz9GSGKkmgHYJzkbZH0UNYDrW48YcmVyPZhk-oDBA6Qk4w56l6rR05Q5HAn9ozuaqKcxBdDaI9Wr2T4Gy08NDI9g/s320/Stags+of+Inishbofin.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Stags from the South</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
On the way back I saw in the distance a wader feeding in the short grass and was puzzled as it seemed to have a bill too short for Curlew or Whimbrel but on approach it was obviously a juvenile Whimbrel. I then wondered whether it might be a Hudsonian Whimbrel brought over with the recent gales, but as it took off the rump was obviously very white so excluded that possibility.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaImfelZdpcPeEKFn-W45ybjskyLBAp2UXzO7RCQLwS59GH-sVq-AoGlXwZ6GvJywKfHHw45ySYfx5E23VpPXRHsi6RTdLosbe9F0k21oDbaQGKlFDv6KkNOLlRwdtNWlb4LoXA/s1600/Young+Whimbrel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaImfelZdpcPeEKFn-W45ybjskyLBAp2UXzO7RCQLwS59GH-sVq-AoGlXwZ6GvJywKfHHw45ySYfx5E23VpPXRHsi6RTdLosbe9F0k21oDbaQGKlFDv6KkNOLlRwdtNWlb4LoXA/s320/Young+Whimbrel.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Whimbrel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOacvkKfmmpB2_uxTziy8_SOGsha_zBu1oJTTo2-EJZQCiLAjdR334EVNjQ1i10q4rnCeERRirXpipkRQP9cAmVAFyM1ME-Ijp46QjrLtIV_iTk1vZXdyta3KLGftKs-bKq5R5BQ/s1600/Young+Whimbrel-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOacvkKfmmpB2_uxTziy8_SOGsha_zBu1oJTTo2-EJZQCiLAjdR334EVNjQ1i10q4rnCeERRirXpipkRQP9cAmVAFyM1ME-Ijp46QjrLtIV_iTk1vZXdyta3KLGftKs-bKq5R5BQ/s320/Young+Whimbrel-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Whimbrel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Sadly that was the end of my short break and on the way home Anthony McGeehan texted me to say he had just received a few copies of his book that morning and did I want to pick one up from him on my way back. So I met him outside Sprucefield McDonalds at eleven o'clock at night and received my copy before he headed south. It is absolutely superb but there will be a blogpost about that at a later date.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoC9kOFxwEwxPjY2TQLXAexG3bnEf6kqVgAl0SditHUOwdvCIM_p7QIhnNKbQT01HUfrcVDhqY0-Bz4q1P6mIpP-xJ-WxEdDW0TGxi214mbvzTGKmD-KC7Z5_OWzNmOmbJLZoZA/s1600/Ant's+Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoC9kOFxwEwxPjY2TQLXAexG3bnEf6kqVgAl0SditHUOwdvCIM_p7QIhnNKbQT01HUfrcVDhqY0-Bz4q1P6mIpP-xJ-WxEdDW0TGxi214mbvzTGKmD-KC7Z5_OWzNmOmbJLZoZA/s320/Ant's+Book.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birds through Irish Eyes</td></tr>
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<br />Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-69252705788364547282012-08-14T22:29:00.001+01:002012-08-14T22:29:22.499+01:00 Owen Foley's Pelagic 2012 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFQRF-OY4SmPITcDtV41-Tln9f3E6d4QqFAuaNSRICAl8DNoCfJuRRJCtDR0W3zXXzqI4y98gQbMcyLD9JjBJZD694HR9YhxItZZMng14N0-sPmPtLpWgzNJ_hETArWwZUnJqtA/s1600/Storm+Petrel+with+chum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFQRF-OY4SmPITcDtV41-Tln9f3E6d4QqFAuaNSRICAl8DNoCfJuRRJCtDR0W3zXXzqI4y98gQbMcyLD9JjBJZD694HR9YhxItZZMng14N0-sPmPtLpWgzNJ_hETArWwZUnJqtA/s400/Storm+Petrel+with+chum.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm Petrel feeding</td></tr>
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The fingers were crossed the previous years pelagic had been cancelled due to poor weather. This time the weather was looking good but my main worry was that I was in Kent in England for a 50th birthday party and my flight to Belfast wasn't until nine in the evening on Easyjet. My two previous late evening flights with Easyjet had been cancelled. Not to mention the fact that the pelagic was due to leave Kilbaha in Co.Clare at 5.00am three hundred miles away from Belfast.<br />
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The Easyjet flight arrived on time and I was picked up by Anthony McGeehan and we drove through the night and reached Kilbaha with forty five minutes to spare. I set the alarm for five had a quick kip before meeting up with Owen and the guys, some who were Twitter friends and Facebook friends that I hadn't previously met, who were all heading out on the pelagic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7kS7zMkhRY8DzywRZz5e6b7BNL6XuiE7XDw77ONTzLepgbDqy44v3TF8D21g1FercMFR9sZOXhuBzhw7XT0okKvde2lIt5ou4NzJrKD6lv-V929D_NxfIK4EMowrakIhK58H_g/s1600/Owen's+Pelagic+Crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7kS7zMkhRY8DzywRZz5e6b7BNL6XuiE7XDw77ONTzLepgbDqy44v3TF8D21g1FercMFR9sZOXhuBzhw7XT0okKvde2lIt5ou4NzJrKD6lv-V929D_NxfIK4EMowrakIhK58H_g/s400/Owen's+Pelagic+Crew.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen Foley's Pelagic Summer 2012</td></tr>
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We left Kilbaha just as dawn was arriving. As we passed Loop Head a very bright shooting star came down and I took it for a good omen. Over the next hour the light of dawn was absolutely spectacular and there were many birds out on the water. Storm Petrels, Fulmars and Manx Shearwaters could be seen all over the place. There was little to no wind and the sea was remarkably calm even ten miles offshore. At the beginning there wasn't enough light to take a reasonable shot but as the sun came up over the horizon it was fab.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3a1LZjToEDPFUbvA3xv7VEiBQXPtCL5vu1mjXOCpD1uxuU5mPjVHfntWk70fwUYfJc8Sk-wDWypc7EYuUH96FARD_QsjVgo8It0qX3b5Wj1ZrUgfrVdvWpFZopVjoN7UgmyNlA/s1600/Manx+in+dawn+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3a1LZjToEDPFUbvA3xv7VEiBQXPtCL5vu1mjXOCpD1uxuU5mPjVHfntWk70fwUYfJc8Sk-wDWypc7EYuUH96FARD_QsjVgo8It0qX3b5Wj1ZrUgfrVdvWpFZopVjoN7UgmyNlA/s400/Manx+in+dawn+light.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lone Manx Shearwater at dawn</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAEG2QcvAoKS0rwWLQr37HATv6hMzY6WYWkgEu5bTN3nm4RvCt1fWXwj-QxXMS_lDwQJr-ipQxzWOfmvY0dlAcW6yIy3oyrlxCdJuNubbmMG2GVkDFz3dut9HrkpzhLafxAKbbA/s1600/Dolphins+in+dawn+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAEG2QcvAoKS0rwWLQr37HATv6hMzY6WYWkgEu5bTN3nm4RvCt1fWXwj-QxXMS_lDwQJr-ipQxzWOfmvY0dlAcW6yIy3oyrlxCdJuNubbmMG2GVkDFz3dut9HrkpzhLafxAKbbA/s400/Dolphins+in+dawn+light.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Dolphins in early morning light.</td></tr>
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Somebody shouted Minke Whales ahead of us and we steamed on out towards them. As we headed towards the sighting we passed a number of rafts of Manx Shearwaters some of which contained one or two Sooty Shearwaters. As we neared where the whale was seen we started to see Common Dolphins and before long we were in a massive pod which stretched hundreds of yards. It was so exciting as they jumped all around us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirW86j5SbtPMtnlQ-mQd_zpFaQ8gkEqh2NBcRXSVwM5nV05InivTLWXjesoOXanrmRCiKwbymjSjgyXPIyXpS6d_-5lBYQVeOoM5pk24Xq5ggbcE7HbaIgkHJz_WqbN_VArlELJg/s1600/Dolphins+of+Loop+Head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirW86j5SbtPMtnlQ-mQd_zpFaQ8gkEqh2NBcRXSVwM5nV05InivTLWXjesoOXanrmRCiKwbymjSjgyXPIyXpS6d_-5lBYQVeOoM5pk24Xq5ggbcE7HbaIgkHJz_WqbN_VArlELJg/s400/Dolphins+of+Loop+Head.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pod of Common Dolphins with Loop Head Co.Clare in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixNrjBffHCCePsr1fLLmn73loaDTXsaMfYkCyymCBvtx5MJfthGwqYcZpUBJpObdpEP1SibdiTzCvmg4BjYxYTJhgNkYaAg-fLTTTDh1Q2VZLnldyeuNwfYzu_Y-vvPtoQdVmGg/s1600/Dolphin+nose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixNrjBffHCCePsr1fLLmn73loaDTXsaMfYkCyymCBvtx5MJfthGwqYcZpUBJpObdpEP1SibdiTzCvmg4BjYxYTJhgNkYaAg-fLTTTDh1Q2VZLnldyeuNwfYzu_Y-vvPtoQdVmGg/s400/Dolphin+nose.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Dolphin beside the boat</td></tr>
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We put out some frozen chum that I had brought with me and the skipper put out a vile smelling liquid version and very quickly it attracted Fulmars and Storm Petrels and a couple of Great Skuas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcoyBn2F-uR4ec2hG8pOjiUcH5BJ5rE_LIpiRu0myUiRJ-Ys362J4m6nPcDovLdXb_oB9yo-cd5-53HwpYGbnbCwj4c87ZjCtJVGdm0qbTkHRO56WzdcaCYK84LxbEkX6VS95Zw/s1600/Fulmar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxcoyBn2F-uR4ec2hG8pOjiUcH5BJ5rE_LIpiRu0myUiRJ-Ys362J4m6nPcDovLdXb_oB9yo-cd5-53HwpYGbnbCwj4c87ZjCtJVGdm0qbTkHRO56WzdcaCYK84LxbEkX6VS95Zw/s400/Fulmar.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fulmar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyG-18pIY0Wtirj8ov_RXWPvgQow0WL3bisAxt14gsOLzwcM7Nb8ENrR91O-FrytguqfATqyk7aFSzbqL42Od4Dv4_uB7e2Tj8N86i4P_DlTiptsJXKHFGESyCnR8g7ZrmvLULg/s1600/Great+Skua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyG-18pIY0Wtirj8ov_RXWPvgQow0WL3bisAxt14gsOLzwcM7Nb8ENrR91O-FrytguqfATqyk7aFSzbqL42Od4Dv4_uB7e2Tj8N86i4P_DlTiptsJXKHFGESyCnR8g7ZrmvLULg/s400/Great+Skua.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Skua</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkn4K1mbLPF5TP08zkHvEN1RnCdcXnR4rd732aPlhTabPKe_3fMRm8KxbFplF-iy2CfyvnEXNj0lRAV8jiatNuLou8h7Ohs2sQWcfDzwF-uMvOQTAW2XZAOc8BN7sXO-ZoRIUYUA/s1600/Juvenile+Gannet+and+Great+Skua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkn4K1mbLPF5TP08zkHvEN1RnCdcXnR4rd732aPlhTabPKe_3fMRm8KxbFplF-iy2CfyvnEXNj0lRAV8jiatNuLou8h7Ohs2sQWcfDzwF-uMvOQTAW2XZAOc8BN7sXO-ZoRIUYUA/s400/Juvenile+Gannet+and+Great+Skua.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Gannet and Great Skua</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIchF3JSk-jBwIMr7t1Br_tooaLilrs-xn9GBikSXodKN_0l8D1W3tn7ezZiHz6I3d3Q5dWfKkAIP16EQJl05w12Di4np3hd8mXZwVKmp0jhddYQGFhppvMqWd3kDtdCoAyYUqQ/s1600/Storm+Petrel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIchF3JSk-jBwIMr7t1Br_tooaLilrs-xn9GBikSXodKN_0l8D1W3tn7ezZiHz6I3d3Q5dWfKkAIP16EQJl05w12Di4np3hd8mXZwVKmp0jhddYQGFhppvMqWd3kDtdCoAyYUqQ/s400/Storm+Petrel.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm Petrel</td></tr>
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There were quite a few Manx Shearwater flying past but whenever we approached a raft of birds they were very quick to disappear and they weren't really attracted to the chum. In each raft there appeared to be one or two Sooty Shearwaters some of whom came quite close to the boat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObxqXM5vIxCvoKEbNQc5k8dXeykTD3MXGbNnViNb_JDFMuA2qtvWCC0DFsZ0eBRdBgpH5HDTJyiahHI7xXUamJR6dBsiS080D9eMBltndbkuGIaEdL05eFo2sbKhL3ed6x71A4Q/s1600/Manx+Shearwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObxqXM5vIxCvoKEbNQc5k8dXeykTD3MXGbNnViNb_JDFMuA2qtvWCC0DFsZ0eBRdBgpH5HDTJyiahHI7xXUamJR6dBsiS080D9eMBltndbkuGIaEdL05eFo2sbKhL3ed6x71A4Q/s400/Manx+Shearwater.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manx Shearwater</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aJ_bhzAuVcbqweyf21WneHYNUQv9Gvpm1TtLkKGIyz3ckJvNJCTt38Bs6CthExbtcE2Da8hnZ2lHe81Fj4TaPtyK3OlJv6eL7RIqhtefUH-bXKGuPfgZHaHn3VrV8ZCxPAIwxg/s1600/Sooty+Shearwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1aJ_bhzAuVcbqweyf21WneHYNUQv9Gvpm1TtLkKGIyz3ckJvNJCTt38Bs6CthExbtcE2Da8hnZ2lHe81Fj4TaPtyK3OlJv6eL7RIqhtefUH-bXKGuPfgZHaHn3VrV8ZCxPAIwxg/s400/Sooty+Shearwater.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sooty Shearwater</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjUNjto123JigrlHytghGjDmio0cXYpw2825rxbUBg3k_PRgCDoV_x1zBiZAx-V5X_OxnrJ4bcN2GROunuodcQp_r28B36C9-xPV1qCGnLt_nT-VfR-4QTIOr-RSdcKODp9E6QA/s1600/Sooty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjUNjto123JigrlHytghGjDmio0cXYpw2825rxbUBg3k_PRgCDoV_x1zBiZAx-V5X_OxnrJ4bcN2GROunuodcQp_r28B36C9-xPV1qCGnLt_nT-VfR-4QTIOr-RSdcKODp9E6QA/s400/Sooty.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sooty Shearwater</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It wasn't too long before Owen shouted "Wilson's" and at quite a distance it could be seen just marginally bigger than the surrounding Storm Petrels and the pale band on it's upper wing coverts and it's feet protruding beyond it's tail.. Sadly it never really came close into the boat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJcEaI7Yfrm95kQfRxd6b4sJUckngOjxA6g3a1EvjMc7J5u7uJRVW0Q3oZWGutl5pEi44Aw5X9LpxVo_OZtdEz6GBKdq30_I75PNXfo2yjQgfnkL6out38V84rMGIDr5CAmEfpw/s1600/Wilson's+Petrel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJcEaI7Yfrm95kQfRxd6b4sJUckngOjxA6g3a1EvjMc7J5u7uJRVW0Q3oZWGutl5pEi44Aw5X9LpxVo_OZtdEz6GBKdq30_I75PNXfo2yjQgfnkL6out38V84rMGIDr5CAmEfpw/s400/Wilson's+Petrel.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilson's Petrel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a while we decided to motor to another location and the moment the engines went on I called a Skua that was approaching. I definitely wasn't sure about it's id as I haven't seen young skuas. It was a juvenile Arctic Skua. It showed characteristics of being a Long Tailed Skua and at first we thought it might be. Immature Arctic Skua and Long Tailed Skua can be quite problematic. The quantity of white-shafted primary feathers are supposed to be diagnostic. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/peregrinebirdphoto/7774057728/in/photostream/lightbox/">Five</a> on an Arctic and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/m_geven/1361630022">two</a> on a Long Tailed. In Kenn Kaufman's Advanced Bird ID book it says that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">you can get a good idea from bill proportions. Essentially, in LTS, the upper half of the bill is comprised of about 40% 'distal arch' and 60% 'level base'. The bill's plates account for the two entities. On AS, the distal arch is about 20-30%, leaving a longer, flat-topped base. However it's pretty difficult to determine the bill method in the field on a flying bird whereas it becomes marginally easier in front of a computer screen looking at photographs. I posted one of these photos and a few people have called it LTS even though it is an Arctic.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8FD2JS9bkGEKi-LuKwvueUUmPmQCRyppyWw9WLyIb9w4bMG78Z87g2j03yn1m66y4Dk53Nl0P-d8baLrthG_Pb3PCJmO5ZIIF7bl4wRCSB7_kNFmsbpDVkMT8cORnso6CnA67w/s1600/Arctic+Skua-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8FD2JS9bkGEKi-LuKwvueUUmPmQCRyppyWw9WLyIb9w4bMG78Z87g2j03yn1m66y4Dk53Nl0P-d8baLrthG_Pb3PCJmO5ZIIF7bl4wRCSB7_kNFmsbpDVkMT8cORnso6CnA67w/s400/Arctic+Skua-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Arctic Skua</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCG5L98LErCpFXQgivo81xdFa8GCQqbQG1-ZJVzIvQorlEy0Ux36Bu9oq6CzlivFsQLID5p9hMZ_U0Jc0pryl4nyNN-jgsaIjL8fghsXW3YD0Ze4nZspCe6BrhzHFi1gF2hRn4g/s1600/Arctic+Skua+chasing+Kittiwake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCG5L98LErCpFXQgivo81xdFa8GCQqbQG1-ZJVzIvQorlEy0Ux36Bu9oq6CzlivFsQLID5p9hMZ_U0Jc0pryl4nyNN-jgsaIjL8fghsXW3YD0Ze4nZspCe6BrhzHFi1gF2hRn4g/s400/Arctic+Skua+chasing+Kittiwake.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arctic Skua harassing a Kittiwake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6g074XY5Zm2EY5HrbStYtti5P-MXN2eWoWoLZ61EEDV6BVVgOgFFAbc_MlBcs_p89MkNKaoQ42oY1jFJ6qjkHbsRtx2t3biG7mgjnDP5ssVBDGdg8Uvr-P1gvk3vPlqAPWNhyw/s1600/Arctic+Skua-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6g074XY5Zm2EY5HrbStYtti5P-MXN2eWoWoLZ61EEDV6BVVgOgFFAbc_MlBcs_p89MkNKaoQ42oY1jFJ6qjkHbsRtx2t3biG7mgjnDP5ssVBDGdg8Uvr-P1gvk3vPlqAPWNhyw/s400/Arctic+Skua-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Arctic Skua</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2j83oFtQcV8dDsMhJ47iTNoKzvs6PnJMCo53R4SF7bB0vwZp7u8rp8UPcnLlr7kofQwFz-5dxuwj26YeDoQKnuV9O0LbGWhRlP62TNd6RJnnb-thgkBcnUevk185tIh136Ss3w/s1600/Arctic+Skua-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2j83oFtQcV8dDsMhJ47iTNoKzvs6PnJMCo53R4SF7bB0vwZp7u8rp8UPcnLlr7kofQwFz-5dxuwj26YeDoQKnuV9O0LbGWhRlP62TNd6RJnnb-thgkBcnUevk185tIh136Ss3w/s400/Arctic+Skua-4.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arctic Skua</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhII1kdsNtiA5whb9KRvXo-17nl1kDAe1kDeM3CtwM646gEAs8g3Qsmukxaya1ukqpf7LuBqLPUIyFkVAzIsjxVAJVIYkKBfS-yKhKBW3sQuODZf7qgIe_6lM8tOVTEKbV6629zoA/s1600/Arctic+Skua-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhII1kdsNtiA5whb9KRvXo-17nl1kDAe1kDeM3CtwM646gEAs8g3Qsmukxaya1ukqpf7LuBqLPUIyFkVAzIsjxVAJVIYkKBfS-yKhKBW3sQuODZf7qgIe_6lM8tOVTEKbV6629zoA/s400/Arctic+Skua-5.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arctic Skua<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQkUSf1DSs4VbC_BO4xnb_DTj2vAUVlvrVt1ctosQFU8jhz8WBNEsIk4zdXIpZKtLJ8eks0f6n3EnPM9OtWDTzPv455rPJjjg5iVbYlc-qNUZ3uEx8taXGaagncqdDAzm14xZBg/s1600/Arctic+Skua-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQkUSf1DSs4VbC_BO4xnb_DTj2vAUVlvrVt1ctosQFU8jhz8WBNEsIk4zdXIpZKtLJ8eks0f6n3EnPM9OtWDTzPv455rPJjjg5iVbYlc-qNUZ3uEx8taXGaagncqdDAzm14xZBg/s400/Arctic+Skua-6.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arctic Skua<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_XyLzo0MYXXIh_76s-UZtMuJXr7L17kVXUoOPtcqIlw8Oq3ktyRObn4zYh0SElxVvdoggb5jks-yEqJianXq3fDA7WGOc8Kymyy5zz14obENPJW0l24fNir_QzIE7XwftKpSoWQ/s1600/Arctic+Skua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_XyLzo0MYXXIh_76s-UZtMuJXr7L17kVXUoOPtcqIlw8Oq3ktyRObn4zYh0SElxVvdoggb5jks-yEqJianXq3fDA7WGOc8Kymyy5zz14obENPJW0l24fNir_QzIE7XwftKpSoWQ/s400/Arctic+Skua.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arctic Skua</td></tr>
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We then headed back to where the frozen block of chum was being devoured by twenty to thirty fulmars. As we approached so did two Sabine's Gulls both landing on the water close by followed by one doing a close circumnavigation of the boat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sabine's Gull</td></tr>
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Owen then called a second summer Pomarine Skua which never really came close to the boat. It spent it's time harassing rafts of Manx Shearwater at some distance.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZL2EQxxFV8i7XFXnToOATCOEkT0NFPRtvUUE5G5sjJ62O-1Fpame_bKkzrgyARJZVGMJLwqP48DiDiSVAo52dDsi6oHTovs9P34DEsyxnQ4CI75PnTg6CWJ8rg4PpkjkjurKxw/s1600/Pomarine+Skua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZL2EQxxFV8i7XFXnToOATCOEkT0NFPRtvUUE5G5sjJ62O-1Fpame_bKkzrgyARJZVGMJLwqP48DiDiSVAo52dDsi6oHTovs9P34DEsyxnQ4CI75PnTg6CWJ8rg4PpkjkjurKxw/s400/Pomarine+Skua.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd Summer Pomarine Skua</td></tr>
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We had been out on the water for seven hours and the skipper called it a day and as we headed back to Kilbaha we saw another Minke Whale. We were accompanied most of the way in by a few Fulmars. We passed the cliffs of Loop Head which in daylight were spectacular and made from sedimentary rock a geologists dream. It had been an absolutely wonderful day worth the sleepless night and the upcoming 300 mile journey home. Click on photos for larger version<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLSiiq2Aha3ARUPvsDUKEpsuza7m1Wi6JRQQnKDJdNwI9kIvKJ-BcD7AswwDg8Xit18Xjj_n6CKfhtJPep1YGmYqlfUeZBA2_3bKOJ8Io8PIQs7J6Zr-Qo0raofCh-fdgGga-aQ/s1600/Fulmer+in+flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLSiiq2Aha3ARUPvsDUKEpsuza7m1Wi6JRQQnKDJdNwI9kIvKJ-BcD7AswwDg8Xit18Xjj_n6CKfhtJPep1YGmYqlfUeZBA2_3bKOJ8Io8PIQs7J6Zr-Qo0raofCh-fdgGga-aQ/s400/Fulmer+in+flight.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fulmar</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cgprxy2F109jZl18H-jbPkmT97VYjmJMwH4hKrvmBTrGhugbaTgXp-8OXf6zCaWQdZmUagoHKQyqqExIl_VXCs7s3LBWcxWlRhkGqD6mRT5JSvuC2-90yWM6SBQSRPZC9krS3g/s1600/Deva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cgprxy2F109jZl18H-jbPkmT97VYjmJMwH4hKrvmBTrGhugbaTgXp-8OXf6zCaWQdZmUagoHKQyqqExIl_VXCs7s3LBWcxWlRhkGqD6mRT5JSvuC2-90yWM6SBQSRPZC9krS3g/s400/Deva.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "DEVA"</td></tr>
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Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-81435104393758893462012-06-21T22:24:00.000+01:002012-06-21T22:24:45.524+01:00 Birds Through Irish Eyes <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lXbBuK1k89awer_MoacAhV6m4EPdtWshOgyatjEBviFyc7-ZYBVhSeT7sHPXjUCV2hVV9Ouco9uaHO5lrcP6ZLUs3tXlGeGM_nqwlvk68Rtf-SBnCZ4F41EYHH9HdDrYw1_iFQ/s1600/Birds+through+Irish+Eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lXbBuK1k89awer_MoacAhV6m4EPdtWshOgyatjEBviFyc7-ZYBVhSeT7sHPXjUCV2hVV9Ouco9uaHO5lrcP6ZLUs3tXlGeGM_nqwlvk68Rtf-SBnCZ4F41EYHH9HdDrYw1_iFQ/s400/Birds+through+Irish+Eyes.jpg" width="347" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover of Anthony and Julian's forthcoming book</td></tr>
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A wee heads up. This fab book by Anthony McGeehan and Julian Wylie will be published on September 30th.Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-63399129254268675932012-05-30T15:14:00.000+01:002012-05-30T15:14:49.893+01:00 Willow Warbler <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My next door neighbour came and asked me what bird has been calling persistently for the last three days around our houses. I told him it was a Willow Warbler. It has been very very persistent. This morning it started at 5.30am and it just hasn't stopped since. I am listening to it now.</div>
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Earlier this morning I heard another one calling on the far side of my garden and immediately the original bird went into only what I can describe as display mode. Flying towards the other bird with its wings outstretched and landing in bushes or on the electricity lines and fluttering them. It was the first time that I had witnessed this type of behaviour.</div>
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It has been flying all around the house and perching on the chimney, roof, tables, clothesline all the time singing away. Just lovely</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow Warbler singing from rose bush</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow Warbler displaying</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow Warbler displaying</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow Warbler in Ash tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1tmPwbPy1OzJNNCIiaknvMdxnBFri530fqh3WgEDJh9x1m1fQ5ZpZN-2f7V1MXY9pgmQE4-WTPTkt5wcuAV6Ua39e2ADiom4Ls1iSPlrxFlFdxwzQ2p9xvjBxISd_QK-HQZFdA/s1600/Willow+Warbler+in+hawthorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1tmPwbPy1OzJNNCIiaknvMdxnBFri530fqh3WgEDJh9x1m1fQ5ZpZN-2f7V1MXY9pgmQE4-WTPTkt5wcuAV6Ua39e2ADiom4Ls1iSPlrxFlFdxwzQ2p9xvjBxISd_QK-HQZFdA/s640/Willow+Warbler+in+hawthorn.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow Warbler in Hawthorn Bush</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLd7NUvNanFwRxJyxNrNaGKYPiZiHz13G5LIs0CpSg0MOI61YQ9IGqAOhzJW1Z4rxR99xYQXiCI3R7RGUhN6X4qZ6O-WHlwgIhDlKoCqKRaExot8ZzgAjEmAMx0cxpONvBFMuezQ/s1600/Willow+Warbler+on+chimney+pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLd7NUvNanFwRxJyxNrNaGKYPiZiHz13G5LIs0CpSg0MOI61YQ9IGqAOhzJW1Z4rxR99xYQXiCI3R7RGUhN6X4qZ6O-WHlwgIhDlKoCqKRaExot8ZzgAjEmAMx0cxpONvBFMuezQ/s640/Willow+Warbler+on+chimney+pot.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow Warbler on Chimney</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HuCQtXRvqXz7u7hTY9gazIkxppFB9_Nd-1xZfrQ_tqPB1zUqZa8yeJJTGBwexyAkyw6w_OjJ14J_O4RWNRisSEz6rp3Y1srt5eA4GT_F2gpaqmJIH2kc5AgwSuXglvqVvzQt-A/s1600/Willow+Warbler+on+clothes+line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1HuCQtXRvqXz7u7hTY9gazIkxppFB9_Nd-1xZfrQ_tqPB1zUqZa8yeJJTGBwexyAkyw6w_OjJ14J_O4RWNRisSEz6rp3Y1srt5eA4GT_F2gpaqmJIH2kc5AgwSuXglvqVvzQt-A/s640/Willow+Warbler+on+clothes+line.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow Warbler on Clothes Line</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJf7jZDVTKV4Z-dkthkcjnVEEDJS4ndJIsrs_LsvspRcdcxkynnLRwmkC9JGWhDDm7t5RfqINPrVFAwt40D4MDWNAaiLF56F39S-P9aLzIy9oTgj1sFxc2PXysvqnJXlhdWqX6A/s1600/Willow+Warbler+on+roof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJf7jZDVTKV4Z-dkthkcjnVEEDJS4ndJIsrs_LsvspRcdcxkynnLRwmkC9JGWhDDm7t5RfqINPrVFAwt40D4MDWNAaiLF56F39S-P9aLzIy9oTgj1sFxc2PXysvqnJXlhdWqX6A/s640/Willow+Warbler+on+roof.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow Warbler on Roof</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGv5oBZVyXsKFY3XUm2rxklItq9_serzn0DPiQuBPSDl0luRHvU7x5ET22xAKOkhFnf0117dmoHzk7KxF0ATuFv0YZ-0nwSqEiYjv5HqDGTitCQFtDbXcMIqQl1cqKS0zPksEd4Q/s1600/Willow+Warbler+on+rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGv5oBZVyXsKFY3XUm2rxklItq9_serzn0DPiQuBPSDl0luRHvU7x5ET22xAKOkhFnf0117dmoHzk7KxF0ATuFv0YZ-0nwSqEiYjv5HqDGTitCQFtDbXcMIqQl1cqKS0zPksEd4Q/s640/Willow+Warbler+on+rose.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow Warbler on Rose stem</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkwhrTzN5p3UDsvD5AIqO6fLH74bKqAwHIcdSd31AT9AhS6Avc27XzqJjr8EkvlxhNj_iwyVRBEbpaTOKueEfMTgw9qXkdAi7ndp7PVDG7dQNrxoHbDH_vtjvlOU8MV7fiJR62g/s1600/Willow+Warbler+on+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkwhrTzN5p3UDsvD5AIqO6fLH74bKqAwHIcdSd31AT9AhS6Avc27XzqJjr8EkvlxhNj_iwyVRBEbpaTOKueEfMTgw9qXkdAi7ndp7PVDG7dQNrxoHbDH_vtjvlOU8MV7fiJR62g/s640/Willow+Warbler+on+table.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow Warbler on Table</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willow Warbler in habitat<br /></td></tr>
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<br />Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-23945605358791619042012-05-09T23:37:00.000+01:002012-05-09T23:37:18.121+01:00 A Few Year Ticks at Killard and The Photograph I did Not Take I was off today and as it was the first one in a while where there was some nice light I headed out to Killard Nature Reserve. One of the birds I was hoping to see was a Whitethroat as I have yet to see one this year. Normally I see my first ones between the 20th and 25th of April in a hedge leading out to the reserve. This morning there was no Whitethroat song coming from the hedge apart from a Dunnock and some Linnets.<br />
There was a Kestrel overhead and as I made my way onto the reserve proper and up onto the upper level I heard the unmistakeable sound of a Whitethroat. It was nice to know they are back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wZTogWcb9s6szB5BTfenoKNeeGCvxWtpwSeFGPKDRzeNT6hqaYA8urxVRJRFdMI6wBPHP0St-nerTF7IflPIPwJ4zzKrj1OsCY3xo9Qde6ksmdbUKDHx194SQIwSJq-XO1twrg/s1600/Whitethroat-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wZTogWcb9s6szB5BTfenoKNeeGCvxWtpwSeFGPKDRzeNT6hqaYA8urxVRJRFdMI6wBPHP0St-nerTF7IflPIPwJ4zzKrj1OsCY3xo9Qde6ksmdbUKDHx194SQIwSJq-XO1twrg/s400/Whitethroat-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitethroat Singing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcg6C_fpcUs-Lsl7Zl3Uu6RvVtDWTbntByLLHzhXwzL3DOKtaiVnV90EUD-rSwkHI_-UslB9u6VhdciYYzYmxjbMw8hXhafT72Wm_SvwhZBq84GVdE55OawjjURZW5kp5QgW6Jyg/s1600/Whitethroat-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcg6C_fpcUs-Lsl7Zl3Uu6RvVtDWTbntByLLHzhXwzL3DOKtaiVnV90EUD-rSwkHI_-UslB9u6VhdciYYzYmxjbMw8hXhafT72Wm_SvwhZBq84GVdE55OawjjURZW5kp5QgW6Jyg/s400/Whitethroat-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitethroat on Gorse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2nWHluDAVO_f1MkJCmRMcQP3N2uUOYt305vhpwBB4sFxvP8oML1lM71sk7crjYgaysI4C-tcdYoTlRgBYTdIDxVCzgFBLCOa1cY5OvmM_cxgSn5V_EKOlBSXKD39JMU0lC_kZw/s1600/Whitethroat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2nWHluDAVO_f1MkJCmRMcQP3N2uUOYt305vhpwBB4sFxvP8oML1lM71sk7crjYgaysI4C-tcdYoTlRgBYTdIDxVCzgFBLCOa1cY5OvmM_cxgSn5V_EKOlBSXKD39JMU0lC_kZw/s400/Whitethroat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitethroat</td></tr>
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I then continued over to the beach and walked towards a Raven's Nest that is perched on the cliffs and looked to see how big the five chicks were getting. They can't be far from fledging. As I was approaching them a few Whimbrel flew from the upper tide line down to the rocks at the waters edge. Near the Raven's nest is an area where Sand Martins breed and I always try and get a photo but they are difficult to say the least.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOm54hpNl-00SaZOPPT7tbXWwbsumRc3I3Pj6nshZlOdWAvMQo7DeujFmP2pkfYZ-i5QwWqB5AnLHaGjKiDVwcbtd3d3iSgOITYeIAjIwPvVRoDTIGBDVaP9wdEsbuD_JLVgYzZw/s1600/Whimbrel_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOm54hpNl-00SaZOPPT7tbXWwbsumRc3I3Pj6nshZlOdWAvMQo7DeujFmP2pkfYZ-i5QwWqB5AnLHaGjKiDVwcbtd3d3iSgOITYeIAjIwPvVRoDTIGBDVaP9wdEsbuD_JLVgYzZw/s400/Whimbrel_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whimbrel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsCm0OXASCgqJgVmoJtu5pAxoyr41JkbcA2OvPGaN5Xqgyqn-fEtZukGnDK6ZIID0p_UaPoO4bF3OR0aed9eFZqlzKLYQHVdfnbA-ajp9F7u2hWAFdRMbylLnj_Fln559MoDg6g/s1600/Sand+Martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsCm0OXASCgqJgVmoJtu5pAxoyr41JkbcA2OvPGaN5Xqgyqn-fEtZukGnDK6ZIID0p_UaPoO4bF3OR0aed9eFZqlzKLYQHVdfnbA-ajp9F7u2hWAFdRMbylLnj_Fln559MoDg6g/s400/Sand+Martin.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand Martin</td></tr>
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I continued my walk and there were Wheatears everywhere but none were in close range. I came up to the area where the Green-winged Orchids were in full bloom. This particular spot is the only place in Ireland where they grow.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbKvgZ2lrotMi7znR2Qe0ngTuemRYAhozL58FDfQcV3rOmUz2QHjWdsSfjC5yO7i0namyRNUEwfwGssRPCYqvpVn77YW3Ctx17qsQN7GQbMNMLPxv1g6UkuGXMVjxt2vVOuOg2w/s1600/Green-winged+Orchid+(Orchis+morio).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbKvgZ2lrotMi7znR2Qe0ngTuemRYAhozL58FDfQcV3rOmUz2QHjWdsSfjC5yO7i0namyRNUEwfwGssRPCYqvpVn77YW3Ctx17qsQN7GQbMNMLPxv1g6UkuGXMVjxt2vVOuOg2w/s400/Green-winged+Orchid+(Orchis+morio).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green-winged Orchid</td></tr>
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As I was nearing the end of my walk there was a lot of noise from a pair of Sandwich Terns perched on a rock a few metres off shore. As I was lying down photographing them this Meadow Pipit popped up on a rock with a mouthful of flies right beside me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoc61fzocF_b7ixG_fnbBWPV7IdQdt4859CvQTv6Sot-7fxtnXtrK0K3BTxUlFzqesfRPenobdP7np8gtH03brCGKrrCGTMBItJENvP9vXaR-gJuSeYq4QMD5_oemEpXQW15Up0A/s1600/Sandwich+Terns+Sterna+sandvicensis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoc61fzocF_b7ixG_fnbBWPV7IdQdt4859CvQTv6Sot-7fxtnXtrK0K3BTxUlFzqesfRPenobdP7np8gtH03brCGKrrCGTMBItJENvP9vXaR-gJuSeYq4QMD5_oemEpXQW15Up0A/s400/Sandwich+Terns+Sterna+sandvicensis.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandwich Terns</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAHqUcZwhbq5H4P9HhtyN9rE3Z4wWqUM6k1UQrezkh-RdpOZrXM5RxR4TCC7oo_sPNDIBG2CZEeaJ76DhavdEZ9ZJiFG72yGYqeuCNZ4YKclJr9Ka2Mku9u3Vc7ZG1MMWH3Uynw/s1600/Meadow+Pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAHqUcZwhbq5H4P9HhtyN9rE3Z4wWqUM6k1UQrezkh-RdpOZrXM5RxR4TCC7oo_sPNDIBG2CZEeaJ76DhavdEZ9ZJiFG72yGYqeuCNZ4YKclJr9Ka2Mku9u3Vc7ZG1MMWH3Uynw/s400/Meadow+Pipit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meadow Pipit with a Feast of Flies</td></tr>
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Now the "Photograph I did not take" was very frustrating. I popped into Downpatrick to pick up some petrol for my lawnmower and as I was almost into the town I looked up and saw what I thought was an Osprey. It was. It then flew towards the Quoile river hovered and plunged down out of sight. I parked the car ran to the waters edge and by this time it was heading off down the river past the Quoile Countryside Centre. So I ran back to car and drove to the first parking space beyond the centre and there close in it was hovering before diving into the river. This was happening no further than 20 yards in front of me and I didn't have my camera or my binoculars :-( On the one hand it was so exciting watching it yet on the other not being able to photograph it was galling. On the plus side there was a father and his two children walking by and I called them over to have a look and they were thrilled to see the Osprey having never seen one before.Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-42544769074513635752012-03-20T16:12:00.000+00:002012-03-20T16:12:47.001+00:00 The Brent Geese In The Bay In Front Of My House<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIulu6nm6BjZV0hsWBQ_uCf1SvVNoXp4WD4anQsP6BCY9wYA5lB5Nu_pt9YnCVjmCSS7rjeBfx-ywD26qY7g-ub7aRXYiQToecLut7df4GOhKJkZYdnCD85jHWrK2Y73Be3mktw/s1600/Brent+flying+into+Sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIulu6nm6BjZV0hsWBQ_uCf1SvVNoXp4WD4anQsP6BCY9wYA5lB5Nu_pt9YnCVjmCSS7rjeBfx-ywD26qY7g-ub7aRXYiQToecLut7df4GOhKJkZYdnCD85jHWrK2Y73Be3mktw/s400/Brent+flying+into+Sunset.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brent Geese flying into Sunset</td></tr>
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I am very lucky that I live within a hundred yards of the South shore of Strangford Lough. I look out towards Killyleagh past various islands. The nearest are Launches Long and Launches Little. I can walk out to these two islands when the tide is out via a small causeway. There is also Salt Island which is owned by the National Trust and has a small <a href="http://www.canoeni.com/Salt%20Island%20Bothy%20Booking%20Notes.pdf">bothy</a> which is mainly used by canoeists. Beyond Salt Island there is Green Island an important Gull breeding island.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcATVC3HyOh9-880XceRqZeP0WDTO-PKW7uYDpBrq_JGxIYeqpr5ZdZz7qK_dyyab4eR83mBuZ5acU-0_F_6OLANFmUWaeql3WHfIMr85DE3LJEI192CWLmwd_xJx1N_W94BWmvg/s1600/Bay+in+front+of+House.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcATVC3HyOh9-880XceRqZeP0WDTO-PKW7uYDpBrq_JGxIYeqpr5ZdZz7qK_dyyab4eR83mBuZ5acU-0_F_6OLANFmUWaeql3WHfIMr85DE3LJEI192CWLmwd_xJx1N_W94BWmvg/s400/Bay+in+front+of+House.tiff" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google Map of the Bay in front of House</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUwJOlhwAHYaZO5oK0wpk3NbofhrxKj5RYR9b2oK14a2tPMmb9xpIZWJ_s4DTKT5oIEW08SWGUXriBQNlgr9NWvwRieQwW8eIYJTwMO9IzlZIiEVfcqa-hno1bgRWVjCV0y9e_Q/s1600/View+from+House+on+Cold+Winter's+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUwJOlhwAHYaZO5oK0wpk3NbofhrxKj5RYR9b2oK14a2tPMmb9xpIZWJ_s4DTKT5oIEW08SWGUXriBQNlgr9NWvwRieQwW8eIYJTwMO9IzlZIiEVfcqa-hno1bgRWVjCV0y9e_Q/s400/View+from+House+on+Cold+Winter's+day.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from House of Salt Island on left and Launches Long on right</td></tr>
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At this time of year as spring is arriving I always feel slightly sad that the Brent Geese that winter in Strangford Lough and particularly the ones in the bay in front of my house are in the process of getting ready for their trip to their high Canadian arctic breeding grounds. I love the fact when I go out to the car in the morning that I can hear them calling down on the shore along with Oystercatcher , Redshank, Greenshank and occasionally Wigeon.<br />
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In the afternoons the Brent regularly feed on the grass on Launches Long forming a large tight nit group I assume to protect themselves from predators. They tend to first arrive by swimming and then walking up to the central area of the hill on the island. Then any airborne birds tend to drop into the group.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VPPfowaaUh-1UWrFchRc6GKjd2piGSQZsXs30x59FbQpMH56qGEywazZ22lT1e1eeoeRMdX2ugCQdH-nOLR23M1487PmmRbFo5JXiVc149BmMZwB9Na6A4HcZkAOf_Fsdd5ZAw/s1600/Brent+on+Launches+Long.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VPPfowaaUh-1UWrFchRc6GKjd2piGSQZsXs30x59FbQpMH56qGEywazZ22lT1e1eeoeRMdX2ugCQdH-nOLR23M1487PmmRbFo5JXiVc149BmMZwB9Na6A4HcZkAOf_Fsdd5ZAw/s400/Brent+on+Launches+Long.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brent Geese feeding on Launches Long</td></tr>
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If they are disturbed the sky can be absolutely full of them and in the picture below there are over three hundred.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzzQ0SrqXhJhl8vSVChWISkuTQNaDQftyqcPKjHLAvpoaMi5Ic1y44_sJOrTed8333_Lq4aDwzkv2ujn3bPgKst5wDTM8ayktTyBZY8etzP24kVVKej1pPJrAcU7Xss4k4ba31A/s1600/Sky+full+of+Brent+Geese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzzQ0SrqXhJhl8vSVChWISkuTQNaDQftyqcPKjHLAvpoaMi5Ic1y44_sJOrTed8333_Lq4aDwzkv2ujn3bPgKst5wDTM8ayktTyBZY8etzP24kVVKej1pPJrAcU7Xss4k4ba31A/s400/Sky+full+of+Brent+Geese.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brent Geese in flight over Launches Long</td></tr>
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In the evenings I quite regularly take Pickle for a walk out to the islands and on a beautiful evening it can be absolutely beautiful out there. On launches Long you get a great uninterrupted view of the Mourne Mountains and of my house. Both photos were taken from same point the one of my house due south and the other due west.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-HD6Ofw97fd6Y44B9hZtB8UUSh0gRBEp0x3JcGnQRxvBufENvAw_D7KiL4ht7PGVbl6Mgpl7ZAxKX_Ee1iHuvvwGQOEQ_OKhL4nz7lEWVAGp9dUfs6kMpLVkY4Q5Aa6YGoFTzA/s1600/View+of+Mourne+Mountains+from+launches+Long.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-HD6Ofw97fd6Y44B9hZtB8UUSh0gRBEp0x3JcGnQRxvBufENvAw_D7KiL4ht7PGVbl6Mgpl7ZAxKX_Ee1iHuvvwGQOEQ_OKhL4nz7lEWVAGp9dUfs6kMpLVkY4Q5Aa6YGoFTzA/s400/View+of+Mourne+Mountains+from+launches+Long.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Mourne Mountains from Launches Long</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1vA0lRisdErSl-i1uqMAJv4MmpYpmFMeXYW0QviSKWC4MnXkv2qSxK4dhL9zI6-aV1YWvJQY16oItKkutnkSAxx0c6UpUbZhFSbeH78fHu8lVIBuLRuagIm_vWcrSKcgxYzucw/s1600/View+of+My+house+from+Launches+Long.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1vA0lRisdErSl-i1uqMAJv4MmpYpmFMeXYW0QviSKWC4MnXkv2qSxK4dhL9zI6-aV1YWvJQY16oItKkutnkSAxx0c6UpUbZhFSbeH78fHu8lVIBuLRuagIm_vWcrSKcgxYzucw/s400/View+of+My+house+from+Launches+Long.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of my house from Launches Long</td></tr>
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As it gets closer to spring the Brent are less shy than when they first arrive and you can walk past them without them flying off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMQ_mr4FYE-5Ffx9AhKkO3NV6_dwGGi1wnc8ihOxhoRU0eiGMy2ryoRiCfQZNensCgQZB1dJsKtEp4CmBQRAWIwcUQJ_PqH3YHpZoIaLpGgleUX7Xzsj0m0CVi3ZJz8ZpN5SP1w/s1600/Brent+Geese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMQ_mr4FYE-5Ffx9AhKkO3NV6_dwGGi1wnc8ihOxhoRU0eiGMy2ryoRiCfQZNensCgQZB1dJsKtEp4CmBQRAWIwcUQJ_PqH3YHpZoIaLpGgleUX7Xzsj0m0CVi3ZJz8ZpN5SP1w/s400/Brent+Geese.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brent Geese on Shore at Myra</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqCCXFBtHKJJYqV8xbfTEkdCVC3mFljcVRmbY9clDGmQXf8PskQ8a_k6GskumlN4fwpF3QsVJ8ySdudjQAlbZyfy07Z7Vk6PLxIdrNXIf2PGu90are8h5dXWPLIxayrds7xuXgw/s1600/Brent+in+Sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqCCXFBtHKJJYqV8xbfTEkdCVC3mFljcVRmbY9clDGmQXf8PskQ8a_k6GskumlN4fwpF3QsVJ8ySdudjQAlbZyfy07Z7Vk6PLxIdrNXIf2PGu90are8h5dXWPLIxayrds7xuXgw/s400/Brent+in+Sunset.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brent Geese Feeding on Sunset Shoreline</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlNZXEnCcDcvJVYyiiXSUjsTseSg4810SLOSKUNJHYwantrOARPRNVmnuRHWOjDq-SGLD8wHNDhdHViomK6_BRq9Yb9oBfW_53Qu4kFrwmySfyCTYO5DLhS5RhW6BojEyEZux8g/s1600/Brent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlNZXEnCcDcvJVYyiiXSUjsTseSg4810SLOSKUNJHYwantrOARPRNVmnuRHWOjDq-SGLD8wHNDhdHViomK6_BRq9Yb9oBfW_53Qu4kFrwmySfyCTYO5DLhS5RhW6BojEyEZux8g/s400/Brent.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single Brent Goose on Launches Little.</td></tr>
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I was out a few evenings ago and there were quite a few Brent Geese and a small flock of Greylag flying around. One of the hardest things when photographing flocks of birds is to get a shot that has all the birds separate so I was pleased to get the below image. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7TmsRZa8rmWc_v64l9SNyB99jbDEmH69U6ulMpqfg8ZgKOddoyFEdoHgAK3EJzKktoaVjwjYLc0frubf6k4FQqD81YAQF3OgoMDl7dd8wDwEYWJXS_Pi8J9MGR-S8BTmSU7FDA/s1600/Flying+Brent-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7TmsRZa8rmWc_v64l9SNyB99jbDEmH69U6ulMpqfg8ZgKOddoyFEdoHgAK3EJzKktoaVjwjYLc0frubf6k4FQqD81YAQF3OgoMDl7dd8wDwEYWJXS_Pi8J9MGR-S8BTmSU7FDA/s400/Flying+Brent-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brent Geese in flight</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QZUL4wcnEdh3egDF0QIhHsPc8QaeRdMJRk2a_BLcxdswuTNKd8_nf0oy4jQVFxOSDe0RayanV12qjOuk35McJW4aTUjnm_aWuAaJjHbDua1c7DM3LLlXCe7Xx7ILk6Ie2N-0Yw/s1600/Flying+Brent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QZUL4wcnEdh3egDF0QIhHsPc8QaeRdMJRk2a_BLcxdswuTNKd8_nf0oy4jQVFxOSDe0RayanV12qjOuk35McJW4aTUjnm_aWuAaJjHbDua1c7DM3LLlXCe7Xx7ILk6Ie2N-0Yw/s400/Flying+Brent.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brent Geese in flight</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HaeNel7sEsyfTFTysSZEMjd929Vbp28TK2KJv611T0O6dxovrmoIp4nOH8GyVur9CgYZiBE3Tvz-bEYRzUMtUDTOQEgMPk2SQz1Itg_WATrlLxlrCD6wllY5cN6WgxKTMPOdaw/s1600/Greylag+in+flight-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HaeNel7sEsyfTFTysSZEMjd929Vbp28TK2KJv611T0O6dxovrmoIp4nOH8GyVur9CgYZiBE3Tvz-bEYRzUMtUDTOQEgMPk2SQz1Itg_WATrlLxlrCD6wllY5cN6WgxKTMPOdaw/s400/Greylag+in+flight-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Greylag Geese in Lovely Evening Light</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzrBxvB2nTu2qziXnbqZduNRH6j44WNqcrXEGml3iIT3hwZxJsb6g2iWA8cf6PpMPFZlr233EtCkMlJXwogzzi7C7obx7n6khz_dQvu226yXXo2L8eC5tYe6_y_DTJQL2FsY_pw/s1600/Greylag+in+flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzrBxvB2nTu2qziXnbqZduNRH6j44WNqcrXEGml3iIT3hwZxJsb6g2iWA8cf6PpMPFZlr233EtCkMlJXwogzzi7C7obx7n6khz_dQvu226yXXo2L8eC5tYe6_y_DTJQL2FsY_pw/s400/Greylag+in+flight.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greylag in flight over Launches Little</td></tr>
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On most visits to the islands you will come across one or two Hares on my walk this morning I found six and was only able to get three in the frame at one time.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfSMfHRjlATddhImR5_oygRrpA5EA7usY8mC1bMZbP9Zqv5QIsIWKtFtcUZjV2zKGMfVEiEozmL2eDqeui_LgCe08IWCqiqRA87MwEd6sgIBWgJFtQ8UgvoSHllKrCbZRzwSC3w/s1600/Hares.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfSMfHRjlATddhImR5_oygRrpA5EA7usY8mC1bMZbP9Zqv5QIsIWKtFtcUZjV2zKGMfVEiEozmL2eDqeui_LgCe08IWCqiqRA87MwEd6sgIBWgJFtQ8UgvoSHllKrCbZRzwSC3w/s400/Hares.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Irish Mad March Hares</td></tr>
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I usually find that by the time the first Swallows arrive around the house in a couple of weeks time the Brent will have gone and won't return until September. I now have a house list of 107 species, that includes using the scope from the house. So all in all not a bad place to live :-)<br />
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<br />Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-67428212360900584002012-03-15T22:34:00.000+00:002012-03-15T22:34:22.243+00:00My Chatham Island Albatross is a Winning Entry in The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Photographic Competition <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalCgUHbAoSV8y_yyQetldARsJvuNpRbg8m7aEoQqiSR-A6O468p34gpN1aelfcZRbixJRfqZo9L_BfHgafnzrkGusn54Qia8P7E-Ql6nS3dwCyJX6zxmBakXOr1ZRQhYyvsECgg/s1600/Chatham+Island+Albatross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalCgUHbAoSV8y_yyQetldARsJvuNpRbg8m7aEoQqiSR-A6O468p34gpN1aelfcZRbixJRfqZo9L_BfHgafnzrkGusn54Qia8P7E-Ql6nS3dwCyJX6zxmBakXOr1ZRQhYyvsECgg/s400/Chatham+Island+Albatross.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBeYdc2ennpm7DjyMwy22KI9zyDCMHHSgEabBTa6scoI1u6U1RgIYXYl8DQ50Lw8h6Lx-RyeChVM69eg5SKxmDKm76zFzfXR1g1xma8gseUdqmjwCUpmohwOQgz0-FGL7oCDj-Q/s1600/cutting+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBeYdc2ennpm7DjyMwy22KI9zyDCMHHSgEabBTa6scoI1u6U1RgIYXYl8DQ50Lw8h6Lx-RyeChVM69eg5SKxmDKm76zFzfXR1g1xma8gseUdqmjwCUpmohwOQgz0-FGL7oCDj-Q/s640/cutting+2.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
<br />Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-14968063739524704282012-02-13T16:08:00.000+00:002012-02-13T16:08:20.108+00:00 Snowy Owl at Altikeeragh Nature Reserve <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fQhbHaTZ8SSDZzg-ayovjnHr56a2Oqk3BG7lNPU9xiSVCFwUHMV9DzzefCM7PbtvByywE8ffdZ38ceKzVteP2OGpOtNMRdhyphenhyphen0vu4IcdgcFZdO-q1fvel_ClKhN-OjkTQ9BSb2w/s1600/Snowy+Owl+lge-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fQhbHaTZ8SSDZzg-ayovjnHr56a2Oqk3BG7lNPU9xiSVCFwUHMV9DzzefCM7PbtvByywE8ffdZ38ceKzVteP2OGpOtNMRdhyphenhyphen0vu4IcdgcFZdO-q1fvel_ClKhN-OjkTQ9BSb2w/s400/Snowy+Owl+lge-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy Owl at Altikeeragh Nature Reserve</td></tr>
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I have wanted to see a Snowy Owl for a very long time and have never liked the idea of driving all the way to North Co.Mayo (a 430 mile round trip) on the off chance of catching up with the bird that seems to reside there. So when I heard last wednesday that a Snowy Owl had been seen near Castlerock in Co.Derry I hoped that it would stay around until my day off . Day after day reports came in that it was still being seen well and as a number of birders saw it yesterday I thought well I will get up early and try to get there for first light. It's 90 miles from home.</div>
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I left home at 6.30am with a fairly clear sky but after about 50 miles it was cloudy and beginning to rain so I was not very hopeful. I arrived at Altikeeragh Nature Reserve for 9.00am. I went through the first gate and it was absolutely bucketing down so I read the paper until the shower had ended before going to look for the owl. I walked a few hundred yards onto a small crest of a hill and there off to my right was my first ever sighting of a Snowy Owl sitting on a pile of pallets. I was elated. The one thing I can say is that twitching a bird that sticks out like a sore thumb is a hell of a lot easier than say a small brown bird in the same type of habitat. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCPUJzCQKLrhx_Oipk6eJme9WbOIoAjZcGbxz4v4T_WcFDGkKj6uc6i6thtGgLT3IEaKBhV0W43Fx5nIu2Dw77mBSpz2Ya881h2tdow8-LZZ5eYpnEirErP1o3023ghve68JkoQ/s1600/Snowy+Owl+on+Pallets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCPUJzCQKLrhx_Oipk6eJme9WbOIoAjZcGbxz4v4T_WcFDGkKj6uc6i6thtGgLT3IEaKBhV0W43Fx5nIu2Dw77mBSpz2Ya881h2tdow8-LZZ5eYpnEirErP1o3023ghve68JkoQ/s400/Snowy+Owl+on+Pallets.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy Owl on pallets</td></tr>
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The bird then lifted and flew off to my left before landed on the blanket bog. It is only then you realise quite how big they are. They weigh five times as much as a Short -eared Owl and have the wingspan of a White-fronted Goose. I was then joined by another birder and we headed off towards it. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjhtKAvsGn5ZMFpjxXmTW2uiUPD5fMUTiowu0Mz4UMmfcI7UNsY1qMUsj10sydd2b1DcheyC2sKH4dYLe1fCGUZdiW0XHypg89FMRPjU4_PehzID71aLM49QAm4-qqXgE_lgeVQ/s1600/Snowy+Owl+in+flight+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjhtKAvsGn5ZMFpjxXmTW2uiUPD5fMUTiowu0Mz4UMmfcI7UNsY1qMUsj10sydd2b1DcheyC2sKH4dYLe1fCGUZdiW0XHypg89FMRPjU4_PehzID71aLM49QAm4-qqXgE_lgeVQ/s400/Snowy+Owl+in+flight+1.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy Owl in Flight</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy Owl on bog</td></tr>
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As it flew off it put up a flock of Golden Plover.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsVzgD1vufwf7hlhmdKVrsuLpJIktFX0ZG4pM7aeTB6u9wogRVFWXuTHdtOMJGNBKruICR-6v4lLM3zpY76_3pdTtb-PQqdemL20yPdjj06jbIfejVlv6edE6o0bbawhCDKV4qg/s1600/Flock+of+Golden+Plover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsVzgD1vufwf7hlhmdKVrsuLpJIktFX0ZG4pM7aeTB6u9wogRVFWXuTHdtOMJGNBKruICR-6v4lLM3zpY76_3pdTtb-PQqdemL20yPdjj06jbIfejVlv6edE6o0bbawhCDKV4qg/s400/Flock+of+Golden+Plover.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Plover disturbed by Snowy Owl</td></tr>
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As we were walking towards the Owl we flushed a couple of Snipe and also saw a few Red Grouse flying away. We were then joined by photographer <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronaldsurgenor/">Ronald Surgenor</a> and shortly after the owl was away again and the rain came back with a vengeance and I headed home happy but damp.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2AoBu9rFx8SOgrDalPQqsyn4nZmkwbtCiJDjEnqqOLOLRFb2pBDi39BVtMNnlDSIQpfjg_LucGsgu_vGPNaK9IyFU4q9zvBFz3RUKBGrADOgLamzalQt1JajIV79ICxvulrvsA/s1600/Snowy+Owl+taking+off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2AoBu9rFx8SOgrDalPQqsyn4nZmkwbtCiJDjEnqqOLOLRFb2pBDi39BVtMNnlDSIQpfjg_LucGsgu_vGPNaK9IyFU4q9zvBFz3RUKBGrADOgLamzalQt1JajIV79ICxvulrvsA/s400/Snowy+Owl+taking+off.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Snowy Owl's 52 inch Wing Span</td></tr>
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<br />Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-85607415610497577472012-01-19T21:06:00.000+00:002012-01-19T21:06:19.614+00:00 A Rarity of a Ross's Gull at Ardglass Harbour <div id="hw_bodymargintester" style="height: 0px; width: 0px;"></div><div id="hw_bodymargintester" style="height: 0px; width: 0px;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4CmDnT7xxrqEyoXLUOW4El-bojxgH5b1n3NMNz0C1vUQ_N3OBFGFr-DF96loWYlcrpAQX9LWN6uamj6xv9Fn17IkBroFlf6vKOMfFcuVdwEYPnGUULrbHdq0ppbnxtF0rzvLqw/s1600/Ross%2527s+Gull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4CmDnT7xxrqEyoXLUOW4El-bojxgH5b1n3NMNz0C1vUQ_N3OBFGFr-DF96loWYlcrpAQX9LWN6uamj6xv9Fn17IkBroFlf6vKOMfFcuVdwEYPnGUULrbHdq0ppbnxtF0rzvLqw/s400/Ross%2527s+Gull.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ross's Gull Ardglass Harbour Co.Down found by Tom Ennis</td></tr>
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Yesterday I had been dropping of some photos off in Bangor and was on my way to Belfast when I heard that a Ross's Gull had been found at Ardglass Harbour by Tom Ennis. (Brilliant find Tom) A big rarity for Northern Ireland with the last one being seen in 1998. I had never seen a Ross's Gull before and it is one of the five gulls that I would really like to see. The others being Ivory Gull, Pallas's Gull, White-eyed Gull and Heermann's Gull. It was a quarter to four . The pain of knowing that I had to go to Belfast to pick up my keys for work and that by the time I had done that and got to Ardglass it would be dark and then the fact that I am at work before it is light meant the bird had to stay around until the afternoon. When I got home I found out it was an adult bird which was even better still<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkSOFp2Lkb8Y6SbL02SjFUf9LPx8iUvWMK_OxcIvA0FRqqQUCt3r51VoFuPjr9QLYrdrt9Z8PJONDEGMGgrYmCnkDs6phY5m3SOIr0aWcCATeGeZkezfeL6N8plcXiuxRMyRh0w/s1600/Ross%2527s+Gull-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkSOFp2Lkb8Y6SbL02SjFUf9LPx8iUvWMK_OxcIvA0FRqqQUCt3r51VoFuPjr9QLYrdrt9Z8PJONDEGMGgrYmCnkDs6phY5m3SOIr0aWcCATeGeZkezfeL6N8plcXiuxRMyRh0w/s400/Ross%2527s+Gull-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ross's Gull</td></tr>
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At work today it was fairly quiet and fortunately I got away at three and drove down to Ardglass Harbour cursing every driver who was driving slowly and cursing Downpatrick as it is a nightmare to drive through when the four schools are being let out.<br />
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I arrived in Ardglass and drove onto the pier and parked and could see four birders, Chris Murphy, his wife, son Tim and Derek Charles looking out from the top of the harbour wall. I was already beginning to feel relieved and Chris Murphy shouted down that it was still there. I climbed the steps and there it was flying in the middle of the entrance to the harbour. What fab birds Ross's Gulls are. It was small, slightly larger than a Little Gull smaller than a Kittiwake but with similar feeding actions, of aerial dipping, to the Little Gull.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9Ps7C-Qb2bsvOkdngiMDT7Q6NVkjovzQ-qmimtGBjmhY4ote98IL-1j-LgqYeaH0SFwHTwuj1ZQW5iUYiXvL9bEl3zKv9I3ctcioQyEtxYshhJ7YyQV8UbM4EdLhOHLTrP6KJg/s1600/Ross%2527s+Gull-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9Ps7C-Qb2bsvOkdngiMDT7Q6NVkjovzQ-qmimtGBjmhY4ote98IL-1j-LgqYeaH0SFwHTwuj1ZQW5iUYiXvL9bEl3zKv9I3ctcioQyEtxYshhJ7YyQV8UbM4EdLhOHLTrP6KJg/s400/Ross%2527s+Gull-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ross's Gull Aerial dip feeding</td></tr>
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One of the first things that strike you is it's wedge shaped tail and it's pale grey underwing and which has a broad white trailing edge to the wing. It also had a very small splash of pinky orange on its belly and fairly big eyes for its body.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-C5Q420PxcumzONL7Ax3C-RrwF5JhryOAu7zMrxahRztOQnfbzn8rf4VwCaJxbnwD3V6ZWZtoR-x5mCWIC8Ec3ymabHavICmmt9dGZqUPXHmhyphenhyphen7roztnmUK4b8GmZX7gDNKqepA/s1600/Ross%2527s+Gull-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-C5Q420PxcumzONL7Ax3C-RrwF5JhryOAu7zMrxahRztOQnfbzn8rf4VwCaJxbnwD3V6ZWZtoR-x5mCWIC8Ec3ymabHavICmmt9dGZqUPXHmhyphenhyphen7roztnmUK4b8GmZX7gDNKqepA/s400/Ross%2527s+Gull-5.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ross's Gull</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I watched it for over an hour flying up and down the entrance to the harbour. The light was not good for photography and I had to use a high iso to get any speed. Oh for an upgrade of camera with better low light ability. There was a strong breeze and it was bloody freezing. Nevertheless I went home happy because of yet another unexpected lifer.<br />
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The first specimen of a Ross's gull was collected by Sir James Clark Ross in 1823 in the Northwest Passage. The Ross's Gull is mainly an Arctic and subarctic species distributed around the Northern polar region and mainly breeding in northeastern Siberia and on some sites in Svalbard, Greenland and Canada.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ross's Gull</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTRzjLFO9OKAIyGwoysPYWdv4kFQwHhefu2E5WK6DBeIqaQw5Nq3w64bqcEPawrqXZoea_qVOZqiCZqRe9n1TM7q8z8QTYOm8U-J69KmjS7cEjzmBieFqgaCWiLyqn9uORMEEFw/s1600/Ross%2527s+Gull-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTRzjLFO9OKAIyGwoysPYWdv4kFQwHhefu2E5WK6DBeIqaQw5Nq3w64bqcEPawrqXZoea_qVOZqiCZqRe9n1TM7q8z8QTYOm8U-J69KmjS7cEjzmBieFqgaCWiLyqn9uORMEEFw/s400/Ross%2527s+Gull-6.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ross's Gull</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ross's Gull- Wedge-shaped Tail </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult Ross's Gull</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yEp51NHWvaaoQzbeFW9r2SSlzzC1rEm_04T8T5yGmVwR59GEwdHuf3MYnAYazMzLCmtPVh_q-S7gsRO0E4xKHya8Ei_STxbeck2_WyQGT3Y3CJvUhyicAH16n0sjw4t02zhosw/s1600/Ross%2527s+Gull-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yEp51NHWvaaoQzbeFW9r2SSlzzC1rEm_04T8T5yGmVwR59GEwdHuf3MYnAYazMzLCmtPVh_q-S7gsRO0E4xKHya8Ei_STxbeck2_WyQGT3Y3CJvUhyicAH16n0sjw4t02zhosw/s400/Ross%2527s+Gull-9.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ross's Gull</td></tr>
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<li class="ui-state-default ui-corner-top"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-views">Views</a></li>
</ul><div class="ui-tabs-panel ui-widget-content ui-corner-bottom" id="hw-popup">The Hyperword menu appears:<br />
<select id="hw-popup-appears" name="hw-popup-appears"> <option value="wyst">When you select text</option> <option value="wystahe">When you select text and hit Enter</option> <option value="dnakso">Does not appear, keyboard shortcuts only</option> <option value="wystahf">When you select text and hit F2</option> <option value="srcost">Shift-Right click on selected text</option> <option value="wystahse">When you select text and hit Shift+Esc</option> <option value="wystwhdtck">When you select text while holding down the Command Key</option> <option value="wystamoi">When you select text and mouse over icon</option> </select> <br />
<br />
Open results in:<br />
<select id="hw-popup-open-results" name="hw-popup-open-results"> <option value="sw">Same window</option> <option value="nw">New window</option> <option value="al">As lightbox</option> </select> <br />
<br />
Alternativly, Ctrl/Command click opens in:<br />
<select id="hw-popup-alternate-open-results" name="hw-popup-alternate-open-results"> <option value="sw">Same window</option> <option value="nw">New window</option> <option value="al">As lightbox</option> </select> <br />
<br />
Hyperwords in Right-Click / Control-Click Menu:<br />
<select id="hw-popup-in-right-click" name="hw-popup-in-right-click"> <option value="On">On</option> <option value="Off">Off</option> </select> </div><div class="ui-tabs-panel ui-widget-content ui-corner-bottom ui-tabs-hide" id="hw-localize"><h2> Services </h2><br />
Amazon:<br />
<select id="hw-localize-Amazon" name="hw-localize-Amazon"> </select> <br />
<br />
Google:<br />
<select id="hw-localize-google" name="hw-localize-google"> </select> <br />
<br />
Wikipedia:<br />
<select id="hw-localize-wikipedia" name="hw-localize-wikipedia"> </select> <br />
<br />
</div><div class="ui-tabs-panel ui-widget-content ui-corner-bottom ui-tabs-hide" id="hw-views"><h2>Link preview</h2><br />
<input id="hw-views-link-preview" name="hw-views-link-preview" type="checkbox" /> Show small Link Preview window (hold the Ctrl-key down and hover the link with mouse pointer). <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>Wikipedia Links</h2><br />
<select id="hw-views-wikipedia-links" name="hw-views-wikipedia-links"> <option value="qb">Always black</option> <option value="bwohw">Black, when opened from HW</option> <option value="uc">Unchanged</option> </select> </div></div></div></div><div class="contextMenu" id="hwmenu-context" style="display: none; left: 450px; top: 2165px;"><div id="hw-context-menu" style="display: none; float: right; left: -11px; position: relative; top: -49px;"><ul class="menutree hw-sf-menu hw-sf-vertical treeview hw-sf-js-enabled hw-sf-shadow" id="hwmenu" style="width: 100px;"><li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4111" style="display: none;"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4111"><div class="hw_small hw_small_icon_60" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -100px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="hw_large hw_large_icon_60" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -100px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>C<u>o</u>nvert<span class="hw-sf-sub-indicator"></span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_category" id="hw-item-4113"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4113"><div class="hw_small hw_small_icon_10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -116px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="hw_large hw_large_icon_10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -116px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><u>S</u>earch<span class="hw-sf-sub-indicator"></span></a> <ul><li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4128"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4128"><span class="hw_label">Search This Site</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4114"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4114"><span class="hw_label">Google</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4115"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4115"><span class="hw_label"><u>Y</u>ahoo</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4116"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4116"><span class="hw_label">Bing</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4126"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4126"><span class="hw_label">Amazon</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4127"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4127"><span class="hw_label">Google Maps</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4233"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4233"><span class="hw_label">Google Images</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4234"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4234"><span class="hw_label">YouTube</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4235"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4235"><span class="hw_label">LinkedIn</span></a> </li>
</ul></li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_category" id="hw-item-4129"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4129"><div class="hw_small hw_small_icon_22" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -228px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="hw_large hw_large_icon_22" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -228px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><u>R</u>eferences<span class="hw-sf-sub-indicator"></span></a> <ul><li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4130"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4130"><span class="hw_label"><u>W</u>ikipedia</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4131"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4131"><span class="hw_label">Wordnik</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4132"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4132"><span class="hw_label">Merriam-Webster</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4133"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4133"><span class="hw_label">Wolfr<u>a</u>m Alpha</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4134"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4134"><span class="hw_label">Google <u>D</u>efinition</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4135"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4135"><span class="hw_label">Google <u>T</u>imeline</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4136"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4136"><span class="hw_label">Movie Database</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4137"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4137"><span class="hw_label">Share Price</span><span class="hw-sf-sub-indicator"></span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4138"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4138"><span class="hw_label">Wikti<u>o</u>nary</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4139"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4139"><span class="hw_label"><u>B</u>ritannica</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4140"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4140"><span class="hw_label">CiteSeer</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4141"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4141"><span class="hw_label">Google <u>F</u>inance</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4142"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4142"><span class="hw_label">Google Scholar</span></a> </li>
</ul></li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_category" id="hw-item-4148"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4148"><div class="hw_small hw_small_icon_28" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -356px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="hw_large hw_large_icon_28" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -356px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Shar<u>e</u><span class="hw-sf-sub-indicator"></span></a> <ul><li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4149"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4149"><span class="hw_label">Email</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4150"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4150"><span class="hw_label"><u>G</u>oogle Mail</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4151"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4151"><span class="hw_label"><u>T</u>witter</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4152"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4152"><span class="hw_label"><u>F</u>acebook</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4153"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4153"><span class="hw_label">Blogger</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4154"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4154"><span class="hw_label">Wordpress</span></a> </li>
</ul></li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4162"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4162"><div class="hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Translate<span class="hw-sf-sub-indicator"></span></a> <ul id="hw-item-translate"><li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-ar" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Arabic</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_bg" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Bulgarian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-zh_cn" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Chinese</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-zh_tw" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Chinese, traditional</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_cs" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Czech</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_da" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Danish</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-nl" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Dutch</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_fa" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Farsi</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_fi" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Finnish</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-fr" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>French</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-de" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>German</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-el" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Greek</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_ha" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Hausa</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_he" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Hebrew</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_hi" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Hindi</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_hu" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Hungarian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-it" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Italian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-ja" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Japanese</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-ko" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Korean</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_no" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Norwegian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_ps" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Pashto</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_pl" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Polish</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-pt" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Portuguese</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_ro" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Romanian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-ru" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Russian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_sr" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Serbian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-es" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Spanish</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-sv" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Swedish</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_th" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Thai</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_tr" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Turkish</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-translate-en-lwa_ur" specialcommand="translate"><div class="hw_background" style="background: transparent url(/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png) 0px -16px; height: 20px; width: 18px;"></div><div class="test hw_large hw_large_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div><div class="test hw_small hw_small_icon_26" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://www.liquid.info/hyperwords/settings/hyperwords/iconsprite.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: 36px -436px; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 16px; width: 16px;"></div>Urdu</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_category" id="hw-item-4163"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4163"><span class="hw_label"><u>V</u>iew</span><span class="hw-sf-sub-indicator"></span></a> <ul><li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4164"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4164"><span class="hw_label">This</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4165"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4165"><span class="hw_label">Occurences</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4166"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4166"><span class="hw_label"><u>H</u>ighlight</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4167"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4167"><span class="hw_label"><u>F</u>low</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4168"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4168"><span class="hw_label"><u>P</u>aragraphs with</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4169"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4169"><span class="hw_label">Lif<u>t</u></span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_show hw_command" id="hw-item-4170"><a class="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4170"><span class="hw_label">Hi<u>d</u>e</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4171"><a class="no-icon" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4171"><span class="hw_label">F<u>i</u>rst Occurence</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4172"><a class="no-icon" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4172"><span class="hw_label"><u>L</u>ast Occurence</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw-seperator hw_item_hide" id="hw-item-4173"></li>
<li class="hw-seperator hw_item_hide" id="hw-item-4174"></li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_command" id="hw-item-4175"><a class="no-icon" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4175"><span class="hw_label"><u>S</u>entences with</span></a> </li>
<li class="hw-seperator hw_item_hide" id="hw-item-4176"></li>
</ul></li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_settings_item hw_command" id="hw-item-4178-edit-menu" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4178-edit-menu">Edit Menu</a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_settings_item hw_command" id="hw-item-4178-preferences" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4178-preferences">Preferences</a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_settings_item hw_command" id="hw-item-4178-user-guide" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4178-user-guide">User Guide</a> </li>
<li class="hw_item_hide hw_settings_item hw_command" id="hw-item-4178-contact-us" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=24061781#hw-item-4178-contact-us">Contact us</a> </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERmF8NF1v4g033Txo5PAAb1CjAuqz_rwnnMNn2BZBWLXEK7ZO377gbnnywD3Jy7FB2dxkWhSdp3P9aa1B_JU5lYZZZ4TftIdPE4MuH449EmyeC9E1SNY2gUvuG6eneYQqsgYu0Q/s1600/Richard%2527s+Pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERmF8NF1v4g033Txo5PAAb1CjAuqz_rwnnMNn2BZBWLXEK7ZO377gbnnywD3Jy7FB2dxkWhSdp3P9aa1B_JU5lYZZZ4TftIdPE4MuH449EmyeC9E1SNY2gUvuG6eneYQqsgYu0Q/s400/Richard%2527s+Pipit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard's Pipit Killard NR 2.1.2012<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Normally on the 1st of January I spend the day birding but yesterday I had to work and only got to do a wee bit in the afternoon. I was in Belfast and so headed over to Belfast Harbour where there were large numbers of Lapwings which were nice to see. Loads of Teal as well. Afterwards I headed home and went for a walk on the shoreline in front of the house. It was a fab evening and there were flocks of Brent, Golden Plover, Curlew and 6 Greenshank, 3 Grey Plover and loads of Dunlin. There were also quite a few Shelduck, Oystercatcher and a lone turnstone. <a href="http://peregrinesbirdlist2012.blogspot.com/My%202012%20Bird%20List">My 2012 Bird List</a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGFvPwEk8Y0s5sl6zxTZzqD9CFbSFQ4XrxwvrmVoUTjFcTHBH0diGqFoHtNp5n4rwDVk9Ph2eYx3cPex4qBuo1TmJl2EIU3qcZOiG_QlSA1lhl1c6tJ6d5QDC8csnRYfB0DrqRw/s1600/Flock+of+Brent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGFvPwEk8Y0s5sl6zxTZzqD9CFbSFQ4XrxwvrmVoUTjFcTHBH0diGqFoHtNp5n4rwDVk9Ph2eYx3cPex4qBuo1TmJl2EIU3qcZOiG_QlSA1lhl1c6tJ6d5QDC8csnRYfB0DrqRw/s400/Flock+of+Brent.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brent Geese</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23wztXaSwe8BiElds2D9Esj5JykxVPtLZoL_S4k3wEiWz7a1YPrCfsjTM9zg4LmEAAJVyFz41MY4OxP8goOEBOJYOzHg_9BtwW4rfNFkXn5ZAl8FNDIYUc-LGyzwKmRJY16R8Xg/s1600/Flock+of+Curlew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23wztXaSwe8BiElds2D9Esj5JykxVPtLZoL_S4k3wEiWz7a1YPrCfsjTM9zg4LmEAAJVyFz41MY4OxP8goOEBOJYOzHg_9BtwW4rfNFkXn5ZAl8FNDIYUc-LGyzwKmRJY16R8Xg/s400/Flock+of+Curlew.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curlew</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_E942cPBpNOR7UoLuzcRX9VRqBYw7B3gnBLtZx6fULRCe955olMnqzLncp0ZGPl7-tE1q0Mgrua0w93crb7rfyT2WLJeXQ6FH8cw6Uv17fU14cDXtpaNSZIa8OMNUh6BXy-8zKg/s1600/Golden+Plover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_E942cPBpNOR7UoLuzcRX9VRqBYw7B3gnBLtZx6fULRCe955olMnqzLncp0ZGPl7-tE1q0Mgrua0w93crb7rfyT2WLJeXQ6FH8cw6Uv17fU14cDXtpaNSZIa8OMNUh6BXy-8zKg/s400/Golden+Plover.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Plover</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> This morning I headed out to walk my hound at my local patch Killard Nature Reserve and it was very bright. I wasn't expecting much as there were loads of people out there being a bank holiday. I was hoping to add a few birds to the year list with Purple Sandpiper and Stonechat being the main targets. Purple Sandpiper yes and Stonechat no. The wind was fairly ferocious and as I came off the beach I saw what at first I thought might be a Skylark because of the size but it flew off into a rocky area which I thought surprising. So I walked over to where I thought it had gone and it flushed quite a few yards from where I thought it had gone. It landed and then I told myself it wasn't a Skylark and it seemed to have quite a supercillium and not the streaking of a Meadow Pipit. So what was it. It then flew a few hundred yards ahead with out calling. I eventually got to it and lay down on the ground and even though I had Pickle with me it came closer and closer and so I was able to get reasonable shots which I hoped I would be able to identify it when I got home.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqiVw-_jMylQsY_lH09OnBcMurqLlDFMi9WaZvMtVWGWxadeQT67oX2QgzhnitK47DrRXww6kIGKJNDE8IFyNNK2ytOL8O-x8PohhMbmEsyC5_gh0mB_63gmsw9DJeCI_78c6V0A/s1600/Pipit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqiVw-_jMylQsY_lH09OnBcMurqLlDFMi9WaZvMtVWGWxadeQT67oX2QgzhnitK47DrRXww6kIGKJNDE8IFyNNK2ytOL8O-x8PohhMbmEsyC5_gh0mB_63gmsw9DJeCI_78c6V0A/s400/Pipit-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard's Pipit</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmHjms3iaPp_dx8n_CzkaQegrrPYLqYxRcM4XzNzFOlG_HujfDeIBaIj-Ax0u-NGSxWVdsaf85HwahlPzTJipD4_t65mrJv20cYFwQr6lwLVQPNdfqpjXCQK__OISkPdGKG1fAg/s1600/Pipit-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmHjms3iaPp_dx8n_CzkaQegrrPYLqYxRcM4XzNzFOlG_HujfDeIBaIj-Ax0u-NGSxWVdsaf85HwahlPzTJipD4_t65mrJv20cYFwQr6lwLVQPNdfqpjXCQK__OISkPdGKG1fAg/s400/Pipit-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard's Pipit</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHf3A4Bw-m9SZuQ8er958WCO6YcZhFMLEWvCfdqaxMBOBdRUFxhdpavn58RWzZJLViAvhx8Pdr3YaouuiGgB_mA5t8W6Vwri-UCOH3YAmjDER2i9Ctrl_aykU1IaQ5lWExyytyA/s1600/Pipit-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHf3A4Bw-m9SZuQ8er958WCO6YcZhFMLEWvCfdqaxMBOBdRUFxhdpavn58RWzZJLViAvhx8Pdr3YaouuiGgB_mA5t8W6Vwri-UCOH3YAmjDER2i9Ctrl_aykU1IaQ5lWExyytyA/s400/Pipit-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard's Pipit</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6EjkY1aKPh_ucYJ1V1u4qf9XqHBVsnlEf_nnqaYYieOoTvJ7Ckg9jS27ITe45JSqd7OHFFWeeqoCsV5q7kHidA7LkQAvFLUfs9gILD94jreFmHOkop0w3kBQS5eJsSPZiT46dg/s1600/Pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6EjkY1aKPh_ucYJ1V1u4qf9XqHBVsnlEf_nnqaYYieOoTvJ7Ckg9jS27ITe45JSqd7OHFFWeeqoCsV5q7kHidA7LkQAvFLUfs9gILD94jreFmHOkop0w3kBQS5eJsSPZiT46dg/s400/Pipit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard's Pipit</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
When I got home and looked at both Lars Jonsson's "Birds of Europe" and Collins Bird Guide and I wasn't sure whether I had found a Richard's or a Blyth's Pipit. In "Birds of Europe" I thought Richards and in Collins I thought Blyth's so I sent the photos to a couple of birders and both thought it was a 1st year Richard's Pipit. The difference in sketches between Birds of Europe and Collins really shows why Lars Jonsson is in my opinion the best bird illustrator in Europe. Thank you Owen and Ronan confirming it was a Richard's.<br />
Happy Days<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard's_Pipit">Here is a wee bit about Richard's Pipit from Wikipedia</a>Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-18030266516523785082011-12-25T11:43:00.000+00:002011-12-25T11:43:56.894+00:00 Merry Christmas <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJggvgQgXtswn3Rp3wAJ4PQgiIK0EO75q1hk9DnigfhC8P1ArRfDowIpCx5Scf6Xfo3Gp7JJdtanRQPjSXqvJpix_wsgtiXC5MJG373DllTXU-sfkpnHUI-i9cs0OtKvLdk6h8g/s1600/Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJggvgQgXtswn3Rp3wAJ4PQgiIK0EO75q1hk9DnigfhC8P1ArRfDowIpCx5Scf6Xfo3Gp7JJdtanRQPjSXqvJpix_wsgtiXC5MJG373DllTXU-sfkpnHUI-i9cs0OtKvLdk6h8g/s400/Blog.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-39132171496247599702011-12-07T20:05:00.000+00:002011-12-07T20:05:54.036+00:00Bar-tailed Godwits and Grey Plover at Killard Nature Reserve<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoeV9qptnGxXH2kZjx9OH_YhMT49A6bO0xl1bvia1QRerhA-CCa_ybxlrbDcEmvAwNGfKxJeTrVTTwZpapA2RJE-tJrMdCx3siUWNoWMQ3p8Eol61KfrOZWEollHUxUtVe-0vUg/s1600/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoeV9qptnGxXH2kZjx9OH_YhMT49A6bO0xl1bvia1QRerhA-CCa_ybxlrbDcEmvAwNGfKxJeTrVTTwZpapA2RJE-tJrMdCx3siUWNoWMQ3p8Eol61KfrOZWEollHUxUtVe-0vUg/s400/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Bar-tailed Godwit</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>What a fab morning it was this morning. When I listened to the weather last night the forecast was for heavy gales and rain in the morning and I thought that had put paid to my day off. So when I got up later than usual and the sun was streaming through the house I hastily grabbed some porridge before heading to Killard Nature Reserve with Pickle my dog.<br />
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</div><div>The sun was incredibly bright and the tide was just on the turn. This can be really good for shorebirds as they feed on the receding tide. One particular spot at Killard is very good and there can often be Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Turnstones, Purple Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Oystercatchers and Bar-tailed Godwit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXPZ4KorMLqqhS1TtL3hrnQYagHFW1kLjwqTFcMtWw6LpgBvtX-TJFmd4H1cjaFw8fwzltoChoBQRjz8wqOYJrnASkSbRot_RJrWT8f5npKw974r7lilAXopEUgs4mkiWRKcqqw/s1600/Dunlin+Winter+Plumage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXPZ4KorMLqqhS1TtL3hrnQYagHFW1kLjwqTFcMtWw6LpgBvtX-TJFmd4H1cjaFw8fwzltoChoBQRjz8wqOYJrnASkSbRot_RJrWT8f5npKw974r7lilAXopEUgs4mkiWRKcqqw/s400/Dunlin+Winter+Plumage.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunlin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HCdqcJIgXfkdHmTKD_1HOvtRy8KMRkv1PPZSU4n2MfgJvdv-fifuxaXlL3oSgNSYavJ1JollmkO4vB35wyObQoKQ1lj_4Je6_adAHw7pl17sLVxIKiqMKAqW7WB2XKpO49Wrog/s1600/Ringed+Plover+Charadrius+hiaticula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HCdqcJIgXfkdHmTKD_1HOvtRy8KMRkv1PPZSU4n2MfgJvdv-fifuxaXlL3oSgNSYavJ1JollmkO4vB35wyObQoKQ1lj_4Je6_adAHw7pl17sLVxIKiqMKAqW7WB2XKpO49Wrog/s400/Ringed+Plover+Charadrius+hiaticula.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ringed Plover</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_2ThsEhCcXsvhPDwO7iVr9BqWroOCf8GscZNpAYQ3BgA1Zj9Y9CgYM8jpXKKWXK7a9lJ2IhtQm-IO_apMHYmg9IXVMThiu0PDdiQ4p0zdV_oPBw6-JFs843q1jlFjogJSMuVhg/s1600/Grey+Plover+and+Ringed+Plover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_2ThsEhCcXsvhPDwO7iVr9BqWroOCf8GscZNpAYQ3BgA1Zj9Y9CgYM8jpXKKWXK7a9lJ2IhtQm-IO_apMHYmg9IXVMThiu0PDdiQ4p0zdV_oPBw6-JFs843q1jlFjogJSMuVhg/s400/Grey+Plover+and+Ringed+Plover.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Plover and Ringed Plover</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPutUOpfMAbiotRgq8jqxjCZNOEVx8LB1LTkwar7thaTZSN6vVPKnsgzu0rbBxwYehpn892ip6EaCjjaox5Ws0dC-opUQ14aExJJJDRrR4vflIspq1z_GA7ZcEOZrwp-BNIgUew/s1600/Grey+Plover+Pluvialis+squatarola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPutUOpfMAbiotRgq8jqxjCZNOEVx8LB1LTkwar7thaTZSN6vVPKnsgzu0rbBxwYehpn892ip6EaCjjaox5Ws0dC-opUQ14aExJJJDRrR4vflIspq1z_GA7ZcEOZrwp-BNIgUew/s400/Grey+Plover+Pluvialis+squatarola.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Plover / Black-bellied Plover</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IqdMSNfEud0q0efUSab8kKe2G9DIUdRB04_qsaKcBktH5wRSCIDmC3QacNfiJ3vqpuwZqntSRLVhYljlpkc6MD8MgoGIhKKrGlHev7WhV2k9meEjYXdzPtobogSFghDEqX80BQ/s1600/Grey+Plover+Pluvialis+squatarola-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IqdMSNfEud0q0efUSab8kKe2G9DIUdRB04_qsaKcBktH5wRSCIDmC3QacNfiJ3vqpuwZqntSRLVhYljlpkc6MD8MgoGIhKKrGlHev7WhV2k9meEjYXdzPtobogSFghDEqX80BQ/s400/Grey+Plover+Pluvialis+squatarola-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey Plover / Black-bellied Plover</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div></div><div>Over the last five or six years there have always been one or two Grey Plover that spend the winter out at Killard and I have always found them very difficult to get close to but a couple of days ago this bird above allowed me to get fairly close, even if it took 45 minutes of crawling to get close to it. It was worth it. They are one of my favourite birds and I would love to see them in their full summer plumage on their breeding grounds.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Today the Grey Plover wasn't on the beach but there were three Bar-tailed Godwits which were flying around along with some Dunlin and Ringed Plovers.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFU90hXWfdIPMdBZAPdrH8tB9I6UeXPGSaE0RgoOGTYulsqtCRNCwnPqN-58F9FzYMogxkQ_1Sp8U1LBxIGTgaOxjz37eWeRiRWohdAtyfkY3PyMW7yvUrGK3w-3LnraH0lDfMw/s1600/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica-2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFU90hXWfdIPMdBZAPdrH8tB9I6UeXPGSaE0RgoOGTYulsqtCRNCwnPqN-58F9FzYMogxkQ_1Sp8U1LBxIGTgaOxjz37eWeRiRWohdAtyfkY3PyMW7yvUrGK3w-3LnraH0lDfMw/s400/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica-2-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar-tailed Godwit</td></tr>
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</div><div> At first they were quite flighty but the longer I stayed in the one position the less they became worried about me or the dog. After quite a while I crawled across the very wet sand and got to within about 25 feet of them and watched feeding on ragworms. I meanwhile was getting colder and colder as the wet beach was working it's way through my clothes and called it a day. I walked away with a spring in my step (this might be to do with the fact I have lost 35lbs in the last two months) There is something about bird photography that gives me a real buzz especially when the light is right and you finally find yourself getting close to birds that aren't that easy to approach.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIhPMrtcY104Zq21JHTzY8MCiYRK638tsqjTtqHxy-vmwBUEbUoy6nSy4e5hdsOT_Y0Q8fdrfMjasIy4MJ7jtFfxQfKhFM7ICH0OxkxtXMpXOfPqknRpFkgld6PRGzcyPqV46HQ/s1600/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIhPMrtcY104Zq21JHTzY8MCiYRK638tsqjTtqHxy-vmwBUEbUoy6nSy4e5hdsOT_Y0Q8fdrfMjasIy4MJ7jtFfxQfKhFM7ICH0OxkxtXMpXOfPqknRpFkgld6PRGzcyPqV46HQ/s400/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica-6.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar-tailed Godwit feeding on Ragworm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVXB2R00pQzZHZhnB_B64B5Pl3gTwWNTdlKYeZRDNbCYdxCVFN4H6JV3fyP5Hl4-OThnQtBJ1L2rwhsF_R-Gpl5QrdRpwjEZ25eQdcejGVnOKgGxLCPIomGN6mhE7xId1xTUrWQ/s1600/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVXB2R00pQzZHZhnB_B64B5Pl3gTwWNTdlKYeZRDNbCYdxCVFN4H6JV3fyP5Hl4-OThnQtBJ1L2rwhsF_R-Gpl5QrdRpwjEZ25eQdcejGVnOKgGxLCPIomGN6mhE7xId1xTUrWQ/s400/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica-9.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Feeding bar-tailed Godwit<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfGpC1hzzRkZY_ICi5A4iEuurzEi9ej-wcrIIg5dCZOQVq8w0Omm0XY4aPt_ouYbsrW8_oup01GMYzILntC_xsB7_6XhSMUv31BcjchtBnEZR11rCF07Ymq7d9pt8ZYqMmKSoeA/s1600/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfGpC1hzzRkZY_ICi5A4iEuurzEi9ej-wcrIIg5dCZOQVq8w0Omm0XY4aPt_ouYbsrW8_oup01GMYzILntC_xsB7_6XhSMUv31BcjchtBnEZR11rCF07Ymq7d9pt8ZYqMmKSoeA/s400/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Incoming Bar-tailed Godwit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHn5l-m4subJGUleg0kCgTGa_aeubXIeLKCnMyBi2S-_cudgwkcN4-UyoWvBI7vbZXLp93mC4hLpWxNZngScwtL3jGW7YCPwSRJXBVRDD_l2vL4nEcEX_k5WpCpL_DQ-mAif7bvw/s1600/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHn5l-m4subJGUleg0kCgTGa_aeubXIeLKCnMyBi2S-_cudgwkcN4-UyoWvBI7vbZXLp93mC4hLpWxNZngScwtL3jGW7YCPwSRJXBVRDD_l2vL4nEcEX_k5WpCpL_DQ-mAif7bvw/s400/Bar-tailed+Godwit+Limosa+lapponica-4.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar-tailed Godwit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar-tailed Godwit</td></tr>
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</div></div>Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-58241650730483631762011-11-06T23:03:00.000+00:002011-11-06T23:03:15.070+00:00Inishbofin 2011: Wind, Rain, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_f0d4LtqCz0jbnP-ZHHXtvGRh8TlSqelIkblSDgRlZrWZRrAwaeFz-pfPbmvykTxf86sw4TOB2Z04uO_V6IWMU7EGTrWM_blm7eGnsGN-fJ0NnmdJ228t7DeHFFeehTbPzOTTrw/s1600/Pied+Wagtail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_f0d4LtqCz0jbnP-ZHHXtvGRh8TlSqelIkblSDgRlZrWZRrAwaeFz-pfPbmvykTxf86sw4TOB2Z04uO_V6IWMU7EGTrWM_blm7eGnsGN-fJ0NnmdJ228t7DeHFFeehTbPzOTTrw/s400/Pied+Wagtail.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pied Wagtail on Inishbofin Harbour wall</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">I have recently returned home from eight days on Inishbofin Co.Galway and as I type it is pouring with rain. Pretty similar to Inishbofin. Anthony McGeehan and I arrived last saturday on a nice afternoon. We settled into the cottage that Pat Coyne the owner of the Dolphin Hotel had very kindly lent us for the week before heading out to the east end of the island. In a few hours of birding we came across 12 Blackcaps 11 Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler, so were in high hopes for the week.</div><br />
On our return to the cottage we put out some seed to see if anything would be attracted. The following morning I looked out the window and the first visitors were a pair of Pheasants, 9 Hooded Crows and 3 Magpies. The Magpies and Hoodies flew off when they saw me and then a flock of Rock Doves came in followed by a small party of Reed Buntings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BmfAlpqLWAVPReAEALw-0iPboVeKBcHiocvG9JGsaW2I85TSkz1ohyMcuF2RQbuUAU4T5S4vM0sG6rs_mdIkyTZ_42UXXfdhYzvh7-0vVH0s6D0LY2d6fJ4AJUFjTPV5xg9gmQ/s1600/Rock+Dove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BmfAlpqLWAVPReAEALw-0iPboVeKBcHiocvG9JGsaW2I85TSkz1ohyMcuF2RQbuUAU4T5S4vM0sG6rs_mdIkyTZ_42UXXfdhYzvh7-0vVH0s6D0LY2d6fJ4AJUFjTPV5xg9gmQ/s400/Rock+Dove.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Rock Dove</div><div><br />
</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The Reed Buntings and Doves were a common feature all week with as many as 11 Reed Buntings on one morning. There was also a small flock of Starlings which used to visit everyday. We put out seed every day and amongst others it attracted Redwing, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, House Sparrow and Pied Wagtail. On some days the conditions were so bad that birdwatching from the house was all that we could do.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxGO9e9-I7tIGYc6Lx8az62lrD2pMOqL3uC9zqdxLfA2Xb4w-v3v1rEXDjKUas38CUTOy1hIZu69ZpTVHCz_lu16W_hDkyZgd84QvOYrYB9cyAm56llCGZCBLLvZ0eBoPTq2X5Q/s1600/Reed+Bunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxGO9e9-I7tIGYc6Lx8az62lrD2pMOqL3uC9zqdxLfA2Xb4w-v3v1rEXDjKUas38CUTOy1hIZu69ZpTVHCz_lu16W_hDkyZgd84QvOYrYB9cyAm56llCGZCBLLvZ0eBoPTq2X5Q/s400/Reed+Bunting.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Male Reed Bunting</div><div><br />
</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Infact of the 8 days I spent there there was only one day with superb weather. The forecasts were also almost all inevitably wrong. Most mornings we would head off to the east end of the island past St. Colman's cemetery, which dates back to the 7th Century, onto the beach at Dumhach. The graveyard stretch can be good and as there are loads of blackberry bushes along the road and are quite often full of Thrushes, Blackbirds, Robins and Dunnocks.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmi5fEkskAUfFwS2_5No_diPeeyo91PdJgolA5_ITbMbikPJcdag_gD6maoLLXyHnkHFWRCMoORm_aWMfHVtwWX31Tm4bMRQSl85D1KC-FJzckhLoFxF_MLydTyM4hCJIu81VVA/s1600/Dunnock+Singing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmi5fEkskAUfFwS2_5No_diPeeyo91PdJgolA5_ITbMbikPJcdag_gD6maoLLXyHnkHFWRCMoORm_aWMfHVtwWX31Tm4bMRQSl85D1KC-FJzckhLoFxF_MLydTyM4hCJIu81VVA/s400/Dunnock+Singing.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Dunnock calling</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
On most days this donkey would be in the field above the graveyard.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oaYrRN-IRH1mt7HgG1IrrlUyfDFcA3PWopZ0fTK8mmNYDrBDB1_MDhUNqpi6zMkUkFCpsGPlDKsK684BjMQGyx7YQaAJevEMpfSN4oZ4XNL0WoEpm9GqSITFmRq_Jis0ENnU0g/s1600/Irish+Donkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oaYrRN-IRH1mt7HgG1IrrlUyfDFcA3PWopZ0fTK8mmNYDrBDB1_MDhUNqpi6zMkUkFCpsGPlDKsK684BjMQGyx7YQaAJevEMpfSN4oZ4XNL0WoEpm9GqSITFmRq_Jis0ENnU0g/s400/Irish+Donkey.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Inishbofin Donkey</div><div><br />
</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I was hoping we might see a Ring Ouzel again this year but no such luck. Over the week there were quite a few blackcaps feeding amongst the blackberries and we were hoping that we might see a Barred Warbler as this was the section that we had one for four days last year. On the way to the beach there is a small crop field on the lefthand side which we would check out each day. Anthony had found five Rosefinch in it early in September. On the nicest morning of the week it had Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Reed Buntings and a Pied Wagtail feeding in it but no Rosefinches.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYnrPdBferJyVR860nNEI603_JfqHt1Oph8Ov0jzwOQy1VczvjY87Q518Tr3qszvTyu8lxqmFqSVAz58GsTy10GlW7Es83uKCwMb2DKk0TgBM1TaqbADNXPr5H-C27V0-M9VrsQ/s1600/Rosefinch-BMT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYnrPdBferJyVR860nNEI603_JfqHt1Oph8Ov0jzwOQy1VczvjY87Q518Tr3qszvTyu8lxqmFqSVAz58GsTy10GlW7Es83uKCwMb2DKk0TgBM1TaqbADNXPr5H-C27V0-M9VrsQ/s400/Rosefinch-BMT.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Rosefinch on Inishbofin A.McGeehan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Just after the crop field there is a stretch of bramble alongside the road and a pair of Stonechats could be found there most days.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGy8k73WXkMWfL7CM_wvP-F6fwDcI7HKpiuN8U9qImOkz1vlbGKKjrBwXyQn-mQJKZP1fTwpheZZr3IDz9irHE_Pm1H1ysKWr2FNIqHEgjqjX2Qu7FIx0Cyx2nebG04F4v1MbRVw/s1600/Stonechat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGy8k73WXkMWfL7CM_wvP-F6fwDcI7HKpiuN8U9qImOkz1vlbGKKjrBwXyQn-mQJKZP1fTwpheZZr3IDz9irHE_Pm1H1ysKWr2FNIqHEgjqjX2Qu7FIx0Cyx2nebG04F4v1MbRVw/s400/Stonechat.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Stonechat</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6eMJ0VVtCuEcsNjhQ8vaNFm1hg5vcUvWCNfsBAkPSwHgnwIqQYcPUvj_bt-1uJNtZ6eNwqJIVB6sAekDa0LyDsvxaCjNQz1mzmBqmFq70FKVbnMIESXuxsLH8K9K7hXTQuVdaw/s1600/Female+Stonechat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6eMJ0VVtCuEcsNjhQ8vaNFm1hg5vcUvWCNfsBAkPSwHgnwIqQYcPUvj_bt-1uJNtZ6eNwqJIVB6sAekDa0LyDsvxaCjNQz1mzmBqmFq70FKVbnMIESXuxsLH8K9K7hXTQuVdaw/s400/Female+Stonechat.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Stonechat</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>This year the beach at Dumhach was covered in weed and there were Turnstones, Sanderling and Ringed Plover feeding as well as Meadow and Rock Pipits.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxKGi3W1CUkS2MxQQFjFQ3EgVOVEwr_GA9eNLxC1Ps-AJIRMVQYLXYRFXgsjaxJSWr1hfSUIgxGthq2CA5TGEwcMqqFDGuUe-5BmEGdYrPRWHSr6IQdNBu7Fe6CslWFtctWEMEA/s1600/Sanderling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxKGi3W1CUkS2MxQQFjFQ3EgVOVEwr_GA9eNLxC1Ps-AJIRMVQYLXYRFXgsjaxJSWr1hfSUIgxGthq2CA5TGEwcMqqFDGuUe-5BmEGdYrPRWHSr6IQdNBu7Fe6CslWFtctWEMEA/s400/Sanderling.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Sanderling</div><div><br />
</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
We would then head to two different sets of willows behind East End Bay, one of which was quite protected from the southerly winds we were getting, the other less so. One bush that had been very poor in previous years held 5 Chiffchaff and a Willow Warbler.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGsFaGYMsgMRR4kGldTk55M9CVjgl8kGJaPElUqNefG8f8mbQJ9qeI4AIMuuxXiC_gAQsM5bzPTKv9AIJtdZ_OUkkM3VvoYb-rQzDjBZB28_qe5qIQFnaYTbQI1olHg0MCHbjyQ/s1600/Typical+Chiffchaff+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGsFaGYMsgMRR4kGldTk55M9CVjgl8kGJaPElUqNefG8f8mbQJ9qeI4AIMuuxXiC_gAQsM5bzPTKv9AIJtdZ_OUkkM3VvoYb-rQzDjBZB28_qe5qIQFnaYTbQI1olHg0MCHbjyQ/s400/Typical+Chiffchaff+view.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Chiffchaff in Willows</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The next set of willows was where we found the Cedar Waxwing a couple of years back. There is a bank that you can sit on and look down onto the willows and where most days we would have a cup of tea while we watched. One morning This is the view if you look directly east towards an island called Damhoileán.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnokTTQhvBf_oHdwS12OblqQOr4ufl-qRPy1C9hRfLTmYFNeiZJnMu7J-1-hzqjLOFcbrk4Fdehw_Dq9AXD-fP8KFj-cxiTacec_VfkZlZBDXaDtVGexd8qp_GfX-2nTxJGEK0Q/s1600/Looking+from+East+end+of+Inishbofin+towards+Davillaun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnokTTQhvBf_oHdwS12OblqQOr4ufl-qRPy1C9hRfLTmYFNeiZJnMu7J-1-hzqjLOFcbrk4Fdehw_Dq9AXD-fP8KFj-cxiTacec_VfkZlZBDXaDtVGexd8qp_GfX-2nTxJGEK0Q/s400/Looking+from+East+end+of+Inishbofin+towards+Davillaun.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View towards Damhoileán from East End Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
On one of the mornings it was blowing very hard so we sheltered in front of one of the cottages on the beach and had our tea there instead and were lucky as this Juvenile Arctic Skua came closer and closer into the bay.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACruEHiwUgiLQegERI2imTeiLe3pJUHhpCmyXUec-bDrLABoPx-WawRHV7iTqDmIfJ2gQuPF8JWi8Dp4pJkTFhREhROHn8PrOap6DJI9ZfDHaiuC5tC3jLQG4DFZvhCDHeq7MvA/s1600/Juvenile+Arctic+Skua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACruEHiwUgiLQegERI2imTeiLe3pJUHhpCmyXUec-bDrLABoPx-WawRHV7iTqDmIfJ2gQuPF8JWi8Dp4pJkTFhREhROHn8PrOap6DJI9ZfDHaiuC5tC3jLQG4DFZvhCDHeq7MvA/s400/Juvenile+Arctic+Skua.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Juvenile Arctic Skua</div><div><br />
</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Most days in Waxwing Willows, as we now call them, a Blackcap could be found and the odd Redwing. One day we heard a lot of alarm calls and looked up to see a Merlin had perched up on a rock close by.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvgEkDNZypUDT3SWgLH5V2NW47yssImgtEiVTwJ3vfWo6X5x4tHYwP14jWouSzIT-IN4mU-78v9yeEltthPxCE3IKcgIFEfG3U7KhzYHRfZwhNLUrpATM8ToBqheWeyZgeKFvFg/s1600/Blackcap+in+Willows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvgEkDNZypUDT3SWgLH5V2NW47yssImgtEiVTwJ3vfWo6X5x4tHYwP14jWouSzIT-IN4mU-78v9yeEltthPxCE3IKcgIFEfG3U7KhzYHRfZwhNLUrpATM8ToBqheWeyZgeKFvFg/s400/Blackcap+in+Willows.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Male Blackcap in Willows</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We then would head up to the top of the field to what we call "Irene's Garden". On the way up we would put up a few snipe most days. In front of the garden there are a few bramble patches and on one of the days a warbler dropped in and before I could put up the binoculars Anthony shouted Lesser Whitethroat<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MAMZDZStU6XgioSlU1o7VLs_27TbUpyZjWwymNDFuNAsO6Wv-k9m1vWwFuYJGOj_co6oQloF01N0T_QUf4ahIYpBlFxwKONZvuNFtB86gbrduPShaExmjxsZe7yPLOPVc0hHVQ/s1600/Lesser+Whitethroat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MAMZDZStU6XgioSlU1o7VLs_27TbUpyZjWwymNDFuNAsO6Wv-k9m1vWwFuYJGOj_co6oQloF01N0T_QUf4ahIYpBlFxwKONZvuNFtB86gbrduPShaExmjxsZe7yPLOPVc0hHVQ/s400/Lesser+Whitethroat.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Lesser Whitethroat</div><div><br />
</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
which was a lifer for me. It didn't hang around and I only got a few shots before it was off. After looking at the garden we head back to our cottage where I would generally make lunch before heading out again in the afternoon to the western end of the island.<br />
<br />
Firstly we would head to the church and check out the habitat behind it. On one of the days we turned up to find an old rotten tree that looked a perfect spot for a flycatcher had been cut down :-( Then we would go round the harbour and one could look over the harbour wall and if the tide was in the Turnstones would be directly below you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmcj7c39nDRIjq7KwnednXfh75JVFR_YGEI1_BERwXFKx4P50ZCvppmypizT0es6imhkrMyXpqRaQeyqYOU28WYC6_FjzV2Ih1dAnifcTBoE0LD8xuwwzcrYsfL7V0_8vkEuFew/s1600/Turnstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmcj7c39nDRIjq7KwnednXfh75JVFR_YGEI1_BERwXFKx4P50ZCvppmypizT0es6imhkrMyXpqRaQeyqYOU28WYC6_FjzV2Ih1dAnifcTBoE0LD8xuwwzcrYsfL7V0_8vkEuFew/s400/Turnstone.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Turnstone</div><div><br />
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Then we would head towards the only two patches of willows in the west end and having searched one bush we headed up the road and Anthony spotted a Whinchat perched on the wall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7O96TP8UbrGGQrz3f8Dtzsj6TP4yQzGkiLXtljRRAGw1z-Oxd_Dm3sZaBr3fRLzrLVUAD4b52oIIfBWrbwfIopnKCUG8hGau5gVV5pS-bUPjY8KIQg95imJTIPpQG-FRov8wWQ/s1600/Whinchat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7O96TP8UbrGGQrz3f8Dtzsj6TP4yQzGkiLXtljRRAGw1z-Oxd_Dm3sZaBr3fRLzrLVUAD4b52oIIfBWrbwfIopnKCUG8hGau5gVV5pS-bUPjY8KIQg95imJTIPpQG-FRov8wWQ/s400/Whinchat.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Whinchat</td></tr>
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It was very windy and again it shortly headed for cover and sadly the background behind the bird wasn't really to my liking.<br />
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On the best day of the week in the afternoon Anthony and I headed off in different directions as I wanted to walk right round the West Quarter and climb Cnoc Mór the highest point on the island. I passed the Doonmore Hotel and this Starling was perched on the wall beside it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkbszNfcicnNHyd5AI2p_wYkiNUGmYJ9nn3IoCoTYyW4lJOh7AXBXTaCiJ_Q_GG6-Z41Alkj5o8fkKdNeI4RK0eZhwODvFGxBMzRsaVsjRW2i_oM2y2Cu6Hy5h11jc-FuObKOdA/s1600/Starling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkbszNfcicnNHyd5AI2p_wYkiNUGmYJ9nn3IoCoTYyW4lJOh7AXBXTaCiJ_Q_GG6-Z41Alkj5o8fkKdNeI4RK0eZhwODvFGxBMzRsaVsjRW2i_oM2y2Cu6Hy5h11jc-FuObKOdA/s400/Starling.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Starling</div><div><br />
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A few yards later I passed this wee shuck and saw a warbler fly into it and it was a Chiffchaff.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDb3OYQ6jGeltjYefc3NcPl0Sx7e-KVak6aC2dVrNI3kkw1HDkgGWuMGg8RzTbDRrlqrA8zy1HS3Bse8AyK-MKk0CKYhBIiohD8VS7lGkLLZluhn6WPHzHzB90Vqe-UoAM9kYv7w/s1600/Chiffchaff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDb3OYQ6jGeltjYefc3NcPl0Sx7e-KVak6aC2dVrNI3kkw1HDkgGWuMGg8RzTbDRrlqrA8zy1HS3Bse8AyK-MKk0CKYhBIiohD8VS7lGkLLZluhn6WPHzHzB90Vqe-UoAM9kYv7w/s400/Chiffchaff.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Chiffchaff</div><div><br />
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As I neared the top of Cnoc Mór the wind was fairly strong and two birds flew away from me into the sun and I couldn't identify them but then as I reached the summit two Snow Buntings flew close by and looked beautiful in the sunlight.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22PqcI_EFe2GTy0qpITAFj376e6tHzonmDwjkAbva9TXIzoK-HdW1d_u2DcdjDUvBINk32YHCgLmv0VqU6KHiyuN6XQeHw-loRhZ2OVxb8KcCAKKJlYTs7_wxHDCkcKssgFqiTw/s1600/View+from+the+Highest+Point+in+Westquarter+Inishbofin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22PqcI_EFe2GTy0qpITAFj376e6tHzonmDwjkAbva9TXIzoK-HdW1d_u2DcdjDUvBINk32YHCgLmv0VqU6KHiyuN6XQeHw-loRhZ2OVxb8KcCAKKJlYTs7_wxHDCkcKssgFqiTw/s400/View+from+the+Highest+Point+in+Westquarter+Inishbofin.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">The View from Cnoc mόr looking towards the Connemara Mountains</td></tr>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyJusylajKlwPjLeJx-edYD3Yk1Ivl6h6l0zA2Gli7zveX2T_HHwEkZoMnj_koVTMAiyJHwJ_nOu1w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>There were great views of the neighbouring island Inishark and a flock of nearly 300 Barnacle Geese landed on it. I descending and headed towards the north west corner of the island overlooking "The Stags" which are stacks about sixty to seventy feet high which in very strong westerly gales can have the waves breaking over them. A sight I would love to see one day. On my way I saw a pair of Chough and quite a few Redwing. To the north there was a steady stream of Gannets, Kittiwakes, the occasional Arctic Skua, Guillemots and Razorbills flying by the island.<br />
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It was a beautiful evening and as the wind began to drop the harbour looked fairly calm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZDajgHoA_oCeCqz-Dl_a2xtto__X-F-WAZCGLAEBX4b0bwYE0To5CNqQvOqAoBKC2ONGAjwwcdWkFnYeMkDNTLuHYbz63HFUA-KPLeoncYx210fwsCmY9IRcN9Im9Gqp_5YnJw/s1600/Inishbofin+Light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZDajgHoA_oCeCqz-Dl_a2xtto__X-F-WAZCGLAEBX4b0bwYE0To5CNqQvOqAoBKC2ONGAjwwcdWkFnYeMkDNTLuHYbz63HFUA-KPLeoncYx210fwsCmY9IRcN9Im9Gqp_5YnJw/s400/Inishbofin+Light.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Inishbofin Light At Entrance To Harbour</div><div><br />
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The following day was a different story altogether with a force seven to eight southerly gale. I did very little birding and went to the community centre in the afternoon to get onto the internet. When I came out the ferry was leaving the harbour and I was very happy I wasn't on it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSB7hZxJTYsN7tqgjmwwFMxB-G2pTdmR2NvCkopIKtEamkLG_1uQTz86hAsXd0Sjp6PPH76cV_cu3zGUrRbgqz9dIDhAdfiZZi1QtNldCH6oJ4WXYUm7n3I-yFpXq9XtLzzuqk4Q/s1600/Inishbofin+Ferry-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSB7hZxJTYsN7tqgjmwwFMxB-G2pTdmR2NvCkopIKtEamkLG_1uQTz86hAsXd0Sjp6PPH76cV_cu3zGUrRbgqz9dIDhAdfiZZi1QtNldCH6oJ4WXYUm7n3I-yFpXq9XtLzzuqk4Q/s400/Inishbofin+Ferry-2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Inishbofin Ferry Heading into Force 7 Gale</div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-wMOClMnQlWQ-ECKVC7mkNwkPosAThczoOa1Xzie8RdIaZ38ixVPiqAt6EWd-atiVbfIP85bYi7JjHTkQJuRRHyUQTyWsozRY4zV4LUgDvWeSpP4C75Dsb-19zAXeD2H4caNpg/s1600/Inishbofin+Ferry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-wMOClMnQlWQ-ECKVC7mkNwkPosAThczoOa1Xzie8RdIaZ38ixVPiqAt6EWd-atiVbfIP85bYi7JjHTkQJuRRHyUQTyWsozRY4zV4LUgDvWeSpP4C75Dsb-19zAXeD2H4caNpg/s400/Inishbofin+Ferry.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="500" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Inishbofin Ferry heading into Force 7 Gale</div><div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">My crossing the following day back to the mainland was relatively calm.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While I was on Inishbofin I was texted that Northern Ireland's first Cattle Egret had been seen near Belfast Harbour which came as quite a surprise as I had been told ages ago that two years previously a Cattle Egret had been seen by three birders on a WeBS count on Lough Neagh in November 2009. So I got in touch with Adam McLure the RSPB's new Kite Warden and asked him about it as he was one of the observers. He confirmed that he was with Stephen Dunlop doing a WeBS count and another birder Eddie Franklin was there as well. Below is the BTO section about it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u18/downloads/publications/wituk0910_section7.pdf">http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u18/downloads/publications/wituk0910_section7.pdf</a></div></div>Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-58422111995023795542011-09-15T22:18:00.000+01:002011-09-15T22:18:27.876+01:00A Few days in Co.Donegal, The Tail End of Hurricane Katia and a Baird's Sandpiper<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cWpVF5U0i40ageLmXfBq_szkvDREk-oxLqksqZPTbgebMTGmKhAhYTV5brvqV9T5QCDld9n4CJl3-JpQFaRWyXUhh926ABFSdqqqWxSyZoPyuTMxkvb04yh_f9cVurDy4BX/s1600/Bairds_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02cWpVF5U0i40ageLmXfBq_szkvDREk-oxLqksqZPTbgebMTGmKhAhYTV5brvqV9T5QCDld9n4CJl3-JpQFaRWyXUhh926ABFSdqqqWxSyZoPyuTMxkvb04yh_f9cVurDy4BX/s400/Bairds_.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baird's Sandpiper</td></tr>
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<center> Click on any image to enlarge in a new window</center><br />
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I went up to Donegal on Sunday night as the weather forecast was dismal with the tail end of Hurricane Katia expected to hit the North Donegal coast on the Sunday night/ Monday Morning and I thought there might be a chance of some interesting birds being deposited in Donegal.<br />
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On the monday morning I headed to a friends house in Downings he looks towards Dunfanaghy and is right next to the sea. The 50mph+ winds were coming directly into the front of his house and it was wild. The view from his living room window is below and looking south below that. By the time I left in the afternoon the gusts were getting up to 80 miles an hour. I headed around the Atlantic Drive and had a look from the top of the head.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00IL3vxaAOh2X0GW0I4gv7WJfEQlUeLPsT9BlEL0ulhd307iPDWTuVmcMX4Nw3V72A7GpL1X55CAiGUIFVNexS6YxA9-3JxfqRm83gJsW7zHoTaod3WuYs0mrH6Q5YeVTGORh/s1600/Looking+from+Downings+towards+Marble+Hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00IL3vxaAOh2X0GW0I4gv7WJfEQlUeLPsT9BlEL0ulhd307iPDWTuVmcMX4Nw3V72A7GpL1X55CAiGUIFVNexS6YxA9-3JxfqRm83gJsW7zHoTaod3WuYs0mrH6Q5YeVTGORh/s400/Looking+from+Downings+towards+Marble+Hill.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Downings towards Marble Hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjcq_2JvXcKmWbrs6X04wKCAFLocC-b9kBnLRUPEOsqTLruW_I6ooz_kaIlw64Si6fjcc7zUJcNkZtlLopZQuPnCbqsY5Tiq5GIY1nlFAbx4xqelbyccxUz3KwMVlFXOROl2v/s1600/Downings+looking+towards+Ards+Forest+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjcq_2JvXcKmWbrs6X04wKCAFLocC-b9kBnLRUPEOsqTLruW_I6ooz_kaIlw64Si6fjcc7zUJcNkZtlLopZQuPnCbqsY5Tiq5GIY1nlFAbx4xqelbyccxUz3KwMVlFXOROl2v/s400/Downings+looking+towards+Ards+Forest+Park.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Downings towards Ards Priory</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWza33rIdzYbxlDPuXRrvv0pizrEdK7KOhV1Ueeyv75VvHw7jWuQ8IUpybTqoWmWjchEfkHUogC0OXP277XE0hoSKLY_tvwQFHPxKzONZZ0IMjw9i4FoHRvMNEDhiZhjwz7Qyg/s1600/Looking+north+from+the+Atlantic+Drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWza33rIdzYbxlDPuXRrvv0pizrEdK7KOhV1Ueeyv75VvHw7jWuQ8IUpybTqoWmWjchEfkHUogC0OXP277XE0hoSKLY_tvwQFHPxKzONZZ0IMjw9i4FoHRvMNEDhiZhjwz7Qyg/s400/Looking+north+from+the+Atlantic+Drive.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View north from Melmore Head</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I had my scope on the car window and it was virtually impossible to see anything as my car was being rocked in the wind so I headed to the inlet between Carrigart and Downings mainly to let my dog out for a run as the tide was out at this point. There were a few Dunlin and Sanderling out on the sand all hunkered down and a couple of Bar-tailed Godwit on the machair. I took this photo of a Dunlin struggling to fly into the wind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIGSy0uFqGZNlmLhz9m0HHgAoqTyvkU_RvCKjtlufImiboS7Lj15tpVAKa9hh5ZJ0LJGruAas_HjXSYj9b9PA8Y3yaQCilQEGTojni-nggBqaEQMYvRq1aio29AJzuN0AD5JZ/s1600/Dunlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIGSy0uFqGZNlmLhz9m0HHgAoqTyvkU_RvCKjtlufImiboS7Lj15tpVAKa9hh5ZJ0LJGruAas_HjXSYj9b9PA8Y3yaQCilQEGTojni-nggBqaEQMYvRq1aio29AJzuN0AD5JZ/s400/Dunlin.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunlin in flight.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Then I headed back to the car and disaster struck it had broken down. Well it wouldn't go faster than 20mph and the revs never got over 2000. Something I had never experienced before and it took me over an hour and a half to get home. At this point I thought my three days break were buggered. However on Tuesday morning I got the car to the dealership in Letterkenny and in the afternoon I collected it somewhat poorer. I then headed to Fanad Head and on to the Lighthouse where it was still gusting up to fifty miles an hour. As I was heading down to the lighthouse I noticed three Chough feeding in a field on the clifftop. They were only twenty feet or so away from me. The light was dreadful and so was difficult to get detail in the birds which was sad but it was a pleasure to watch them so closely. They really attacked the ground looking for worms throwing the earth from side to side.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiv0SZl6j_hCTL_9R0drPVZMx3ht8tcBCsgDeWwa_rZ7XLC2qWg8C4rD29nCFEvVhG639TblVgwNU_68Hjct1oE7WCTdyNgqvugqompPEWXlgFTlAK1C8raOiF9w-XjQGjknEa/s1600/Chough+feeding-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiv0SZl6j_hCTL_9R0drPVZMx3ht8tcBCsgDeWwa_rZ7XLC2qWg8C4rD29nCFEvVhG639TblVgwNU_68Hjct1oE7WCTdyNgqvugqompPEWXlgFTlAK1C8raOiF9w-XjQGjknEa/s400/Chough+feeding-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choughs at Fanad Head Co.Donegal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU0R-VJRtbN_q7gT16dH-aMqgYpDZ9gMsk0d5B6xrb8KCh1Egh-ZwADZtHEu9RBOATE3HlRWLgCOOl5bN2KjsUUrx1agcIWQSH-C1gN9diCkKY6jnMQr282nGeRVIhqxw-afY/s1600/Chough+feeding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU0R-VJRtbN_q7gT16dH-aMqgYpDZ9gMsk0d5B6xrb8KCh1Egh-ZwADZtHEu9RBOATE3HlRWLgCOOl5bN2KjsUUrx1agcIWQSH-C1gN9diCkKY6jnMQr282nGeRVIhqxw-afY/s400/Chough+feeding.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chough feeding</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30cnnbk30TOy_VfV7MiXJBK5iZ5_vpoZmE1EFKEwn4x_FcxlGPAluDtJqzWrpa92RXKjPejOepRER6ZHVsYq5BHjRoCHf4dQzMOcQzqeossTonYzKT8Pqa-l1VYovd86AaIVs/s1600/Chough+feeding-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30cnnbk30TOy_VfV7MiXJBK5iZ5_vpoZmE1EFKEwn4x_FcxlGPAluDtJqzWrpa92RXKjPejOepRER6ZHVsYq5BHjRoCHf4dQzMOcQzqeossTonYzKT8Pqa-l1VYovd86AaIVs/s400/Chough+feeding-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chough</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I parked in the car park at the gates of the lighthouse<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSVtC1GILls-umADPJYoDBjXqm4LiFmYIOGklY0ifpO_rhgn7ftlNDAtQhvduZyaD7G065bgU2x9VZEdZ5heeTBlpnxQJYRdtMIBkS0j68DhFI0Fx5lrGUe1Z8ShfUS1Obymx/s1600/Fanad+Lighthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSVtC1GILls-umADPJYoDBjXqm4LiFmYIOGklY0ifpO_rhgn7ftlNDAtQhvduZyaD7G065bgU2x9VZEdZ5heeTBlpnxQJYRdtMIBkS0j68DhFI0Fx5lrGUe1Z8ShfUS1Obymx/s400/Fanad+Lighthouse.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fanad Lighthouse in Stormy Weather</td></tr>
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</div><div>and walked past the ruined barracks to the left of the lighthouse and noticed these two donkeys taking shelter from the wind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1QZ_rnTtgIPep4_QbiTNWqwVv6cLfFqTezGeZJM4IbVIikNzvuqkWfyYiqF-EJ4ROR3YXu35-TIM-4MUlY93OIEex087QUrDiYgSFlWPQsK1zoMONpOt34ktamHrWICdsw-q/s1600/Donkeys+in+the+ruined+Barracks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1QZ_rnTtgIPep4_QbiTNWqwVv6cLfFqTezGeZJM4IbVIikNzvuqkWfyYiqF-EJ4ROR3YXu35-TIM-4MUlY93OIEex087QUrDiYgSFlWPQsK1zoMONpOt34ktamHrWICdsw-q/s400/Donkeys+in+the+ruined+Barracks.jpg" width="332" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donkeys at Fand lighthouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVYjcYo6xKHQiz6NJBzjL-KqgV-HuO1gX7YEEuF3sfhIgP8tcp9-DjMbD_UNgeWl1hUJIHde5kpbVPf-ZiBKnRd9puffKe4EWj50UugPIgxH8D7VLhvF8kDcYZ36ujDyyLaIw/s1600/Fanad+Lighthouse-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVYjcYo6xKHQiz6NJBzjL-KqgV-HuO1gX7YEEuF3sfhIgP8tcp9-DjMbD_UNgeWl1hUJIHde5kpbVPf-ZiBKnRd9puffKe4EWj50UugPIgxH8D7VLhvF8kDcYZ36ujDyyLaIw/s400/Fanad+Lighthouse-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fanad Lighthouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
There is a small building that I watched the sea from out of the wind just beyond the Barracks and over a period of an hour I saw quite a few Manx Shearwaters, a single Great Skua and loads of juvenile Gannets and quite a few adult birds. I then thought I would head over to Carrigart to look for waders but the Harry Blaney Bridge was closed because of the wind so I headed home. When I got home my mother suggested I photograph the swallows in the shed beside the house. There were three juvenile birds. My mother has been watching the shed for an hour or so in recent days and counted the adults making upwards of six to eight visits to feed them every minute. With the storm this had been reduced to two per minute.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1QZ_rnTtgIPep4_QbiTNWqwVv6cLfFqTezGeZJM4IbVIikNzvuqkWfyYiqF-EJ4ROR3YXu35-TIM-4MUlY93OIEex087QUrDiYgSFlWPQsK1zoMONpOt34ktamHrWICdsw-q/s1600/Donkeys+in+the+ruined+Barracks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVGfnPJw2VgZjtHUnBxVnbkLCX6Rxt-6GICSgdXNYQzGSZOMoVetPXZXw1JUh30raKm7sKHTIZUyso7aZcLvu3ZnaLaoQlZnE2GKHMVf-4-okLhDTUZc_EYVH_xZF5kI91vVT/s1600/Baby+Swallows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVGfnPJw2VgZjtHUnBxVnbkLCX6Rxt-6GICSgdXNYQzGSZOMoVetPXZXw1JUh30raKm7sKHTIZUyso7aZcLvu3ZnaLaoQlZnE2GKHMVf-4-okLhDTUZc_EYVH_xZF5kI91vVT/s400/Baby+Swallows.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
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On wednesday morning the wind had completely dropped and it turned out to be a fine morning apart from the fact the electricity was off. Out came our Kelly's kettle and just as I had finished boiling the water the electricity came on which was a relief as my mother makes very good bread so we were able to have our toast and home made marmalade. Before I left I took one last look at the swallows and only one bird was in the nest and as I got closer I noticed it was dead. I assume it died from starvation as it's parents hadn't been able to feed them so regularly during the storm.<br />
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After breakfast I headed back to Carrigart as the tide this time was only just starting to drop. There were loads of waders and the first two I saw were a couple of Curlew Sandpiper. There were also a few Knot, lots of Turnstones, 20 or so Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Sanderling and Ringed Plover.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xd8IK9clAQGOB4NVbFYo44DaUz0RtWtltP9vcQhGAQKEjcXbUky5HsLBiH7alpGHUvcUxjAZRpEYTcZ6X3Yndnv064lzHToNa75_eGovqwZiWzKPHe4xm3JMoy9YlJFRbfdw/s1600/Curlew+Sandpiper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xd8IK9clAQGOB4NVbFYo44DaUz0RtWtltP9vcQhGAQKEjcXbUky5HsLBiH7alpGHUvcUxjAZRpEYTcZ6X3Yndnv064lzHToNa75_eGovqwZiWzKPHe4xm3JMoy9YlJFRbfdw/s400/Curlew+Sandpiper.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curlew Sandpiper</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">As I was scanning a flock of mainly Dunlin I saw a small Stint and at that moment all the birds were spooked and I lost sight of it. Then five Bar-tails flew over.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUs5AnJHjtmdey0ic-vfibYqupDe9zn8NlB_IeFBF_5qbtapQpDp17P4yIjOPb_4E3c8AfBVLHK2duQI-yMyLBxfOvIxsZk2EyP3aB8St3LcFBWxTyiRC2327M5qKKZ27nF6S/s1600/Bar+Tailed+Godwit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUs5AnJHjtmdey0ic-vfibYqupDe9zn8NlB_IeFBF_5qbtapQpDp17P4yIjOPb_4E3c8AfBVLHK2duQI-yMyLBxfOvIxsZk2EyP3aB8St3LcFBWxTyiRC2327M5qKKZ27nF6S/s400/Bar+Tailed+Godwit.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar-tailed Godwits in flight. Centre bird has been ringed.</td></tr>
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</div>All the Dunlin flew to some seaweed and most started to go for a nap. So I gradually got closer and closer and took a few shots.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFckKiaMjZOknKLCswLephWktmJlRJeEIHdcuwhbHRxOoEZA8C5kGExpbw6XhB6n1dxvmThspdmJxx6jsg3F5amjuMCygr1Rmc10_VX8c7CqtQEhyphenhyphenx8EPitR8OuIbPS606U0x/s1600/Waders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFckKiaMjZOknKLCswLephWktmJlRJeEIHdcuwhbHRxOoEZA8C5kGExpbw6XhB6n1dxvmThspdmJxx6jsg3F5amjuMCygr1Rmc10_VX8c7CqtQEhyphenhyphenx8EPitR8OuIbPS606U0x/s400/Waders.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunlin, Sanderling and Turnstone</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55lrx7-JoA4DYIJX1ByFbvD7odzv9_J5gqVequGVR6WKa6bIqITWGaIH7gozTwjl6ufOC6Tzmi3Y64gE_ZgoaJ23dlgi4uyk0bTbB0FmU8G8jITygl2YYrlxg38kPUrFqsBy5/s1600/Dunlin-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55lrx7-JoA4DYIJX1ByFbvD7odzv9_J5gqVequGVR6WKa6bIqITWGaIH7gozTwjl6ufOC6Tzmi3Y64gE_ZgoaJ23dlgi4uyk0bTbB0FmU8G8jITygl2YYrlxg38kPUrFqsBy5/s400/Dunlin-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunlin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Then I noticed a bird out on it's own feeding differently to the Dunlin it seemed to be far quicker and it's wings projected further. It's bill was also shorter and straighter. It had to be either a White Rumped or Bairds Sandpiper. At this point my dog ran out towards me and all the waders near me took to the air and flew to the Carrigart side of the Bay. I headed back to the car and decided after reading my "Birds of Europe" by Lars Jonsson that it had to be a Bairds. A lifer for me. On returning home I sent the photographs to a couple of birders who agreed it was a Baird's. Happy Days :-)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdT2TpCnrTh1roy0IRmaOpbceB8TJ2zLPGCh7UlhwuteIoe6FBJyZoVGNLWe-eyKDBxzyHNILU6HvAtqKH3YKyZVwrE9T_ynQdGoD64VnPaz6DUvl83qGotIQ1TyuLCboVq8w/s1600/Bairds+%253F-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdT2TpCnrTh1roy0IRmaOpbceB8TJ2zLPGCh7UlhwuteIoe6FBJyZoVGNLWe-eyKDBxzyHNILU6HvAtqKH3YKyZVwrE9T_ynQdGoD64VnPaz6DUvl83qGotIQ1TyuLCboVq8w/s400/Bairds+%253F-3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baird's Sandpiper</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O6mP_ZJG83nxFQ9pzl0aBICGOh2D-Bpay0lXhHM3v_ru1VcJfV5RnR0DbIbIYqYIVMOE_P0qYkfoLj7yFPPjqRokSfi1yc3azW5aFMH1pBCfSSmbWj0bZeQ5fX51HAQ2SOnH/s1600/Bairds+%253F-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O6mP_ZJG83nxFQ9pzl0aBICGOh2D-Bpay0lXhHM3v_ru1VcJfV5RnR0DbIbIYqYIVMOE_P0qYkfoLj7yFPPjqRokSfi1yc3azW5aFMH1pBCfSSmbWj0bZeQ5fX51HAQ2SOnH/s400/Bairds+%253F-2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baird's Sandpiper</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24061781.post-30932776733788112972011-07-06T21:40:00.000+01:002011-07-06T21:40:12.471+01:00 A Fabulous Day on the Saltee Islands off Co.Wexford <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<center><b><u><i> Click on any image to see larger file in seperate window </i></u></b></center><br />
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I think the Saltee Islands off the coast of Co.Wexford must be one of Irelands greatest wildlife spectacles and in my view easily rivalling the Farne Islands of Northumberland in England. I went down there the other day on one of my days off and had a brilliant time. We arrived in time for the daily ferry journey to the island at Kilmore Quay, a fairly quaint village where many of the houses having thatched roofs. Infact there were two boats taking people out to the island.<br />
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The Saltee Islands are two Islands lying about 3.5 miles from the Wexford Coast and are in the private ownership of the Neale family, who very generously allow the public to visit between 11.00am and 4.30pm. It is famous for its seabird colonies with breeding Gannets, Puffins, Guillemots, Kittiwakes, Black Backed Gulls, Cormorants, Shags, Fulmars, Razorbills and Manx Shearwater.<br />
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We took the second boat and below is the boat in front of us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78QbObOcW3u2oVt_nMxsOSDaz9Y2fc1jlibb9ZnS4cEiYEcVlZNmBrACrZA3qJyIXK9jSB0pC63uTzDqRaq3j0NQUAbkGeAnaTe_bGm-pxrwEYLGYF0Xi3Y5abyGuf_7JlmpE/s1600/Ferry+to+Saltee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78QbObOcW3u2oVt_nMxsOSDaz9Y2fc1jlibb9ZnS4cEiYEcVlZNmBrACrZA3qJyIXK9jSB0pC63uTzDqRaq3j0NQUAbkGeAnaTe_bGm-pxrwEYLGYF0Xi3Y5abyGuf_7JlmpE/s400/Ferry+to+Saltee.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferry to Saltee Island</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We travelled past Little Saltee. On the water there were Puffin, Guillemots and Razorbills as well as Gannets feeding.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puffin on Water off Saltee Island</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This Razorbill flew alongside the boat as did Puffins and Guillemots.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6IaaxNmXlmFj8Jq8l210lQKKxCBBVUdI5gWpoxc0SUQCECxnE7lawXPow9V-Q6_I-5KftGMBbxjJOi0Wty9u_fgCoBUa6D-hKZD2lpg-Xd-Dla-JymbtUdI7dgerXBe4XAKn/s1600/Razorbill+alongside+Ferry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6IaaxNmXlmFj8Jq8l210lQKKxCBBVUdI5gWpoxc0SUQCECxnE7lawXPow9V-Q6_I-5KftGMBbxjJOi0Wty9u_fgCoBUa6D-hKZD2lpg-Xd-Dla-JymbtUdI7dgerXBe4XAKn/s400/Razorbill+alongside+Ferry.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Razorbill flying alongside boat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>When you arrive at Great Saltee the larger of the two islands you transfer to a rib for the last few hundred metres to the shore hoping that your camera equipment doesn't get soaked before you get there.<br />
You then make your way past the house that is on the Island and onto the main area of the island. There were Sedge warblers singing everywhere. Quite a few Meadow Pipits and Skylark were also in evidence.<br />
<br />
On the far side of the island we came across an area that held Puffins and Guillemots and I stopped to take photos. While I was there a family of Choughs flew along the cliffs. There were also Kittiwakes flying into their nests.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cOlMxiJtn9-ZZz_Yo7CjDCoja9uPte16pJmP0hOOEQbqeXhtY_JRceI58uyT9jFk0mEfBCWe4tI9kT3bKFdnq2TaAhDgnLPwvuUO-3c_XVz-ccTTEqJk1-9zUSTgGUJtL55g/s1600/Puffin+Tilt-Shift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cOlMxiJtn9-ZZz_Yo7CjDCoja9uPte16pJmP0hOOEQbqeXhtY_JRceI58uyT9jFk0mEfBCWe4tI9kT3bKFdnq2TaAhDgnLPwvuUO-3c_XVz-ccTTEqJk1-9zUSTgGUJtL55g/s400/Puffin+Tilt-Shift.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puffins with Tilt Shift</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDylRuQdBgXDl_Fveqk2iUwNfyPOGPBPxPOdRA7JLGPQzwE4-4eNkFajLOpmSssdTTGs0Eq48Nl1Xoy35-mHd2zxylMU71M4K0VsKDnr4vDoA1_s0KCiAD68N7JpvFNTK0FwY/s1600/Puffin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDylRuQdBgXDl_Fveqk2iUwNfyPOGPBPxPOdRA7JLGPQzwE4-4eNkFajLOpmSssdTTGs0Eq48Nl1Xoy35-mHd2zxylMU71M4K0VsKDnr4vDoA1_s0KCiAD68N7JpvFNTK0FwY/s400/Puffin.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puffin on Saltee</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZaNo8TsV9553Cmv_4LmayXSQ2I17Uy16HM8swnKeXtwRRWFjruB1GDBjra1EkTNDfUJ3uAJ96uiu5_VBoGBZX85_9EDw08WWH1MFVlZu7PeK4g2UOuUmSyCRaJDMFebxr6d8/s1600/Guillemot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZaNo8TsV9553Cmv_4LmayXSQ2I17Uy16HM8swnKeXtwRRWFjruB1GDBjra1EkTNDfUJ3uAJ96uiu5_VBoGBZX85_9EDw08WWH1MFVlZu7PeK4g2UOuUmSyCRaJDMFebxr6d8/s400/Guillemot.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guillemot on Saltee</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8V97DQO6n-NtPIp-9z_7bcgBJgCk_Q2Fw0LGddLDOzGGWxD9ypaxeb5mxelBI3bEfr8dVztQf7zY4FDNDuhOtuRsiRK9Ddux6pCzfScV4CAarjPGGnvo_YD3nbFgz2ccItBZ/s1600/Chough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8V97DQO6n-NtPIp-9z_7bcgBJgCk_Q2Fw0LGddLDOzGGWxD9ypaxeb5mxelBI3bEfr8dVztQf7zY4FDNDuhOtuRsiRK9Ddux6pCzfScV4CAarjPGGnvo_YD3nbFgz2ccItBZ/s400/Chough.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chough on Saltee</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzsCRFzn80VbMo7AxZoMHFIXS25Z1yCVOgEx0EPmCayRGtgCF9d0_uYEnWvE-wgfu1Rq-x9N6IvGxfqq8JplZydc_v6oRaGMoJRnaCuvOWtdaeEGyxZ6X_JzRzmhwPa6jiK04/s1600/Kittiwake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzsCRFzn80VbMo7AxZoMHFIXS25Z1yCVOgEx0EPmCayRGtgCF9d0_uYEnWvE-wgfu1Rq-x9N6IvGxfqq8JplZydc_v6oRaGMoJRnaCuvOWtdaeEGyxZ6X_JzRzmhwPa6jiK04/s400/Kittiwake.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kittiwake</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After photographing these birds for a while we headed over the hill towards one of the Gannet colonies passing some Lesser Black backed Gulls and their chicks. I was particularly pleased with this portrait of one of the parents.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9qW4GT4qdq2mKdPZ3eehpfjlXsjA_jUjZ2ganuZ92-4_a4lq8RNG0RWgccg2yt8i5sLXxKiHQdeHn-ekKfNZ3qbrHUTB25XZARjLmW-peEThxhZVqAxTfrKl_1rHBZuaZjBn/s1600/Lesser+Black+Backed+Gull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9qW4GT4qdq2mKdPZ3eehpfjlXsjA_jUjZ2ganuZ92-4_a4lq8RNG0RWgccg2yt8i5sLXxKiHQdeHn-ekKfNZ3qbrHUTB25XZARjLmW-peEThxhZVqAxTfrKl_1rHBZuaZjBn/s400/Lesser+Black+Backed+Gull.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we popped over the hill there were loads of people photographing the Gannets so I decided I would wait until later and had our picnic lunch instead in the blazing heat. After lunch I went to photograph the Greater Black Backed Gulls and their chicks. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9WaGrIoAgFQHszdMQKbl0U9jPbpUHHWIVJoiywDnXkFFCzqOelDot_Z1MzVHhWpfk7LLrcfkRxz4SdScZhAQChXqLgE4OvG5BTXjHrXfEu3GWQ2AoyhZNwTK8Yy6yfgMwRpP/s1600/Greater+Black+Backed+Gull+Chicks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9WaGrIoAgFQHszdMQKbl0U9jPbpUHHWIVJoiywDnXkFFCzqOelDot_Z1MzVHhWpfk7LLrcfkRxz4SdScZhAQChXqLgE4OvG5BTXjHrXfEu3GWQ2AoyhZNwTK8Yy6yfgMwRpP/s400/Greater+Black+Backed+Gull+Chicks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greater Black Backed Gull Chicks</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6bUTUyHGjRtvmGDbX23lmV_Q7UrRA73pmWi_MGm_uJNxLaxyEfJ0RdeDRDiMdci_fxHBqMe8uPhovQ5buvk90tymMiUpY-ryZgbHmFTF1L5CzHRAM0RQhKFd8nX-XTUdUMZj/s1600/Greater+Black+Backed+Gulls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6bUTUyHGjRtvmGDbX23lmV_Q7UrRA73pmWi_MGm_uJNxLaxyEfJ0RdeDRDiMdci_fxHBqMe8uPhovQ5buvk90tymMiUpY-ryZgbHmFTF1L5CzHRAM0RQhKFd8nX-XTUdUMZj/s400/Greater+Black+Backed+Gulls.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Greater Black Back Gull Chicks</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">As I was doing so a number of Gannets were flying by and one bird just hung in the wind and preened for at least thirty seconds. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsyQAZ7VmYJSMqTd61TuTaaPZ71983GxrdRcxHuJXvuAtmcdcE8n_VHpl6cI2iovCX-UtRxJTSVoEKlpAP8NAHJsnSQKUN_sfZTc-cb5-ZNAAoIzQ0KlWkurJROmYVIIup2B3/s1600/Gannet+flyby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsyQAZ7VmYJSMqTd61TuTaaPZ71983GxrdRcxHuJXvuAtmcdcE8n_VHpl6cI2iovCX-UtRxJTSVoEKlpAP8NAHJsnSQKUN_sfZTc-cb5-ZNAAoIzQ0KlWkurJROmYVIIup2B3/s400/Gannet+flyby.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gannet </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4VOcrPnAVNaurjqqHdRxm1fi3Jxw1mkLFfYyU192LnFZRxAQTmGo4ycPzeppXX2aCJE4NK6mopsk9ah6w5AhAnZ2AET_qb_qfJK4BRlwKa8FTLg-KftB0xQQz6qxlorwe__7/s1600/Gannet+preening+in+flight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4VOcrPnAVNaurjqqHdRxm1fi3Jxw1mkLFfYyU192LnFZRxAQTmGo4ycPzeppXX2aCJE4NK6mopsk9ah6w5AhAnZ2AET_qb_qfJK4BRlwKa8FTLg-KftB0xQQz6qxlorwe__7/s400/Gannet+preening+in+flight.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gannet preening on the wing</td></tr>
</tbody></table> The real beauty of this place is the closeness with which you can get to the birds. There were at least twelve photographers photographing the birds and nobody in my opinion was disturbing them.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1b-tx7trvH_zG69h5bVT8_dW3pEAzVgOgG8hGXBd-sshGPWf-HtlprQzu3UYIJZVwqUJXR-oeYSvZ9aRpcXb6DpaznX85kZH6zj4wFuIp8QvPq4y9atug4WGa2txG2wk_6J_/s1600/Saltee+Islands+%257EPeople+and+Gannets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1b-tx7trvH_zG69h5bVT8_dW3pEAzVgOgG8hGXBd-sshGPWf-HtlprQzu3UYIJZVwqUJXR-oeYSvZ9aRpcXb6DpaznX85kZH6zj4wFuIp8QvPq4y9atug4WGa2txG2wk_6J_/s400/Saltee+Islands+%257EPeople+and+Gannets.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photographers at the Saltee Island Gannet Colony</td></tr>
</tbody></table> They seem habituated to having people so close. It was a very similar scene to the one I saw on the <a href="http://peregrinesbirdblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/cape-kidnappers-gannet-colony.html">Gannet colony on North Island New Zealand.</a> You can really experiment with lenses and I used a 10-20mm, 50mm, 70-200mm and 400mm. So you can photograph them as portraits, juveniles, flying by really close, overhead or even preening each other.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzXUn7aKB23gC3VzdRMBsqtPJ_Lb6yUDtjE2sdm6558ccvYafkJHV4RmFbNd29Rqa2MCPMgXoZ4lu5nWyU34QaArUq4N52QjewzpOnAVOMpqjgt6SkliJoifhs187TjIwruSG/s1600/Preening+Gannet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbzXUn7aKB23gC3VzdRMBsqtPJ_Lb6yUDtjE2sdm6558ccvYafkJHV4RmFbNd29Rqa2MCPMgXoZ4lu5nWyU34QaArUq4N52QjewzpOnAVOMpqjgt6SkliJoifhs187TjIwruSG/s400/Preening+Gannet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gannets preening</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrY6s18eiUKQgdo7656eLhGRDysHEF9DgbH6H4p35OP93o6a5mSk8TjFfo0Lx8bd-KsD6MvqR6Z3Lhfj_tjMtR_W-S_-yi9SioXClM7y9fTCVVIpym6l96nv4yepXwDkx3jzP3/s1600/Gannets+preening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrY6s18eiUKQgdo7656eLhGRDysHEF9DgbH6H4p35OP93o6a5mSk8TjFfo0Lx8bd-KsD6MvqR6Z3Lhfj_tjMtR_W-S_-yi9SioXClM7y9fTCVVIpym6l96nv4yepXwDkx3jzP3/s400/Gannets+preening.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gannets preening</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nMU8jy1JZGA0CKrTzG9EmDprkJFtdFQCp9OXt72k9GxTRDeGu1CVYPF6Jk76vBtjmbrxPJieXOWxpGU-D-lF9lD7kfTKtm64xyRiJO-ar9mom9BafZeEyqI4wfDXWnQHoxM9/s1600/Gannet+portrait+Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nMU8jy1JZGA0CKrTzG9EmDprkJFtdFQCp9OXt72k9GxTRDeGu1CVYPF6Jk76vBtjmbrxPJieXOWxpGU-D-lF9lD7kfTKtm64xyRiJO-ar9mom9BafZeEyqI4wfDXWnQHoxM9/s400/Gannet+portrait+Side.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gannet Portrait</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBORIGENZ3UKNBJNMtVIqR5CB9FxAgE9nMQlNfoBebGux90LS2lO__m46UxJlI40MTlsPU4G12_13Rzi38G3xYL5IeHOfDaaXYA2MY0KQyFM7NXhyphenhyphen2GaN2u-HiILNh8P_jbYU/s1600/Gannet+flying+close+overhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBORIGENZ3UKNBJNMtVIqR5CB9FxAgE9nMQlNfoBebGux90LS2lO__m46UxJlI40MTlsPU4G12_13Rzi38G3xYL5IeHOfDaaXYA2MY0KQyFM7NXhyphenhyphen2GaN2u-HiILNh8P_jbYU/s400/Gannet+flying+close+overhead.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gannet flying overhead</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAdCJkmXjgzjalhuFLuSJHsCSwP-hnNIU2H4Y6ekR09NpV5rtUFDkxvXtM28eeZhDir4s3E_aAeUvWxSRdWUDv3Vtn1h5i5WvSgqfaRsfrNho5e7jlWRJXxhsJSNNYkt564d_/s1600/Gannet+with+Chick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAdCJkmXjgzjalhuFLuSJHsCSwP-hnNIU2H4Y6ekR09NpV5rtUFDkxvXtM28eeZhDir4s3E_aAeUvWxSRdWUDv3Vtn1h5i5WvSgqfaRsfrNho5e7jlWRJXxhsJSNNYkt564d_/s400/Gannet+with+Chick.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gannets and Chick<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdguHJDOEmHGqzAh2B5lNYn7arSXHnzH6AI4y7JWWlnmy30Th4HRzUHLFlIKM55folnSbE9LvOYDRsqsyizV_7Qh5na7657b6nisQChC8FrzLPllMRimXNh-Fjwpc3IiFmc6hC/s1600/Nearly+Fledged+Gannet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdguHJDOEmHGqzAh2B5lNYn7arSXHnzH6AI4y7JWWlnmy30Th4HRzUHLFlIKM55folnSbE9LvOYDRsqsyizV_7Qh5na7657b6nisQChC8FrzLPllMRimXNh-Fjwpc3IiFmc6hC/s400/Nearly+Fledged+Gannet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gannet Chick</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRcpVoNyW4AzcUvMmrMmS-AvuOVFLqK8nL9XtHY_AKVuglGSqI9vo5SXigsJAWjb_TH29EblNgWWgzU5dqb303j3senH3jjx9p_Lu1tkCc0mMBg9b5VnPId_6XxPttXR8qUgd/s1600/Gannet+Head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRcpVoNyW4AzcUvMmrMmS-AvuOVFLqK8nL9XtHY_AKVuglGSqI9vo5SXigsJAWjb_TH29EblNgWWgzU5dqb303j3senH3jjx9p_Lu1tkCc0mMBg9b5VnPId_6XxPttXR8qUgd/s400/Gannet+Head.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying close by</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRo-7FwoxEXM_aeT4iUXlocSfsx7CVcZwp0ir-uSCYQFa4MSy4P8NAlRhoYjyyB2P9nopi8ungqrJ3DtJ72YK7ES2nyk6ObWHbvin23KftbdDKpBdwtx7QH7GpNg7X1XGMGA4z/s1600/3D+Gannet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRo-7FwoxEXM_aeT4iUXlocSfsx7CVcZwp0ir-uSCYQFa4MSy4P8NAlRhoYjyyB2P9nopi8ungqrJ3DtJ72YK7ES2nyk6ObWHbvin23KftbdDKpBdwtx7QH7GpNg7X1XGMGA4z/s400/3D+Gannet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wide Angle Gannet Fly by</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6RXDtQNbi_XDLza1c04aGSwm3blOdZ9ht-JbREH6EpfcE40KomduSLl3xgwUTdtWVAHnTH7FzwkUZKT38J-uOJplmGVoA0_PKTNw7SoKY3RGt0QW9u3aCBaw-T0aji82t_Dz/s1600/Gannet+wide+angle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6RXDtQNbi_XDLza1c04aGSwm3blOdZ9ht-JbREH6EpfcE40KomduSLl3xgwUTdtWVAHnTH7FzwkUZKT38J-uOJplmGVoA0_PKTNw7SoKY3RGt0QW9u3aCBaw-T0aji82t_Dz/s400/Gannet+wide+angle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gannet on a Rock</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-B_sbIwLGZ-rHchhKfazER56PrcgjPZDI9l-ItYwIg8d7NQg_OpqZ2cqf9gWDULy_tdp_V9dV4rvFGzecEyqpTd9uYS5AuSsSaeddOjUMrwJztwMc5fdtoU1ihXuHYauZvRl/s1600/Gannet+close+flyby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-B_sbIwLGZ-rHchhKfazER56PrcgjPZDI9l-ItYwIg8d7NQg_OpqZ2cqf9gWDULy_tdp_V9dV4rvFGzecEyqpTd9uYS5AuSsSaeddOjUMrwJztwMc5fdtoU1ihXuHYauZvRl/s400/Gannet+close+flyby.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gannet at 170mm</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGpTafHIwM0aoow8jo62RAEEKVPeEJ73YkEkeVAX8PCskE8iL2PtjgFYvZaXpBElCFaMULVRZ3mn0IZAYAAyH9zmAN72YZMVaxS5jb58I5PXhhA9ceWXZrlFx30sqz7wvZbve/s1600/Gannet+flying+into+the+sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGpTafHIwM0aoow8jo62RAEEKVPeEJ73YkEkeVAX8PCskE8iL2PtjgFYvZaXpBElCFaMULVRZ3mn0IZAYAAyH9zmAN72YZMVaxS5jb58I5PXhhA9ceWXZrlFx30sqz7wvZbve/s400/Gannet+flying+into+the+sun.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gannet Flying into the Sun</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I felt I was done with photographing Gannets I slipped down the back of the Island to photograph some of the Razorbills congregating below the Gannet Colony. First of all there were this loving couple. Then I tried some flight shots before ending up with a portrait.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxsjrRYrFqu5vDirnQ01TLz_dK-VlGS09F5-S5s16Ph51yFuel-AhmrEqfpiCZMcj5NmCGgxy3tE9L7Xh6X5uGi3uxoG82boZdVbuaVM2G_HhQGsSsoykoOD-_1B6JXqaE9u-/s1600/Razorbill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxsjrRYrFqu5vDirnQ01TLz_dK-VlGS09F5-S5s16Ph51yFuel-AhmrEqfpiCZMcj5NmCGgxy3tE9L7Xh6X5uGi3uxoG82boZdVbuaVM2G_HhQGsSsoykoOD-_1B6JXqaE9u-/s400/Razorbill.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Razorbill Couple Preening</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionYI9zwXt-7tZ-R85OQMiHpan98Cry_gOyK2qW9i_yzvF9_HuXZt08IegOvleo-p1o367v3psIf5JBhScCnACi3z16ZaY76Xv11ZcR962V5muPbRwW_WFzkuwDESslGUAggtV/s1600/Razorbill-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionYI9zwXt-7tZ-R85OQMiHpan98Cry_gOyK2qW9i_yzvF9_HuXZt08IegOvleo-p1o367v3psIf5JBhScCnACi3z16ZaY76Xv11ZcR962V5muPbRwW_WFzkuwDESslGUAggtV/s400/Razorbill-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Razorbill coming into land</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuDyLq2Aw6lmAYxrYVLOg88KwjnW4L3mHY1vUP2rwLlllBuu1vdTVgegBV2sEOVfsFPtCXeSUIEGiJZTaPatF2lWG_zat2HqU-GmpV-vprNgSDqBQammxC_i6mCoEroLz2ieD/s1600/Razorbill+coming+into+Land-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuDyLq2Aw6lmAYxrYVLOg88KwjnW4L3mHY1vUP2rwLlllBuu1vdTVgegBV2sEOVfsFPtCXeSUIEGiJZTaPatF2lWG_zat2HqU-GmpV-vprNgSDqBQammxC_i6mCoEroLz2ieD/s400/Razorbill+coming+into+Land-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Razorbill coming into land</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTR9Bu3EXzMn1IzO-E8MWjoR73fuFsHvRfBdX5rUHoKMg-tknVLDuoWcEs1o5FylldOi2HSIvYWL4fpVwq9ILwRTRXQJUVRLSrbjeUTUDzVYM58PNZ_qYERj5BV4zWutIssnYP/s1600/Razorbill+on+Rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTR9Bu3EXzMn1IzO-E8MWjoR73fuFsHvRfBdX5rUHoKMg-tknVLDuoWcEs1o5FylldOi2HSIvYWL4fpVwq9ILwRTRXQJUVRLSrbjeUTUDzVYM58PNZ_qYERj5BV4zWutIssnYP/s400/Razorbill+on+Rock.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait of a Razorbill</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Time had gone fast and with only 45 mins until the ferry came to pick us up we headed to the other end of the island where we met a photographer who said there was a Peregrine just over the hill. No sooner had we crested the hill an adult was calling close by and the reason was fairly obvious a young Peregrine was fifty yards below us.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenqZZa2r5H97FCJac4XZLF1-E2M6h_sFC6PxetyCcjhjPV6lJUTQhS-YmiA0GpEGyddOCx6UqQ0w1KydflPi9ztXHEG2GDjPgRRF9ddl78gbZo3-UOmqiiOa8Z5olZz9VsaEZ/s1600/Juvenile+Peregrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenqZZa2r5H97FCJac4XZLF1-E2M6h_sFC6PxetyCcjhjPV6lJUTQhS-YmiA0GpEGyddOCx6UqQ0w1KydflPi9ztXHEG2GDjPgRRF9ddl78gbZo3-UOmqiiOa8Z5olZz9VsaEZ/s400/Juvenile+Peregrine.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young Peregrine on Saltee</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfyuYJB1pyWhpi_uM4wMNhaD55mbOCqTS-6n-jYSZZeWjaVEt6Tbo9htUCkHvYO5B-F03nacZKQEAne-ju_l5hsT_-oGr5esh0SNRfQp2g7XCD6a5NZH-pu9mMcv2TQH8cDFh/s1600/Peregrine+on+Saltee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfyuYJB1pyWhpi_uM4wMNhaD55mbOCqTS-6n-jYSZZeWjaVEt6Tbo9htUCkHvYO5B-F03nacZKQEAne-ju_l5hsT_-oGr5esh0SNRfQp2g7XCD6a5NZH-pu9mMcv2TQH8cDFh/s400/Peregrine+on+Saltee.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult Peregrine on Saltee</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>So we made our way back to the boat and as we were going three Painted Lady's, my first of the year, fluttered around us. At the same time some Herring Gulls were right next to us and I got this portrait.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GCLlwCxt10W3KWREQ-HoGXslIW4WRzMmcW2pzW1C4LLHeCTfhDahGxSTdmI7KIf7xZNoZQrFzpeGyaB1fZjyHDBTGOKPFAxUM12Tr8xWZ_gg69kiL-BPBKOGcUHvIHPaPxRt/s1600/Painted+Lady+on+Saltee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GCLlwCxt10W3KWREQ-HoGXslIW4WRzMmcW2pzW1C4LLHeCTfhDahGxSTdmI7KIf7xZNoZQrFzpeGyaB1fZjyHDBTGOKPFAxUM12Tr8xWZ_gg69kiL-BPBKOGcUHvIHPaPxRt/s400/Painted+Lady+on+Saltee.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painted Lady Butterfly</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JFfVq9T51Z960cqJJiTaB4H65bLbr9sCCBoFWU-k8u0F9g5Zk6yoizWgwFNOsZf443vCF08wNSHvzn61iXZ9gCqHK4ghK3PBh9-BQCxjBvOq-FI1uXNLTz0fVnqX7AS7oCYZ/s1600/Herring+Gull+Portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JFfVq9T51Z960cqJJiTaB4H65bLbr9sCCBoFWU-k8u0F9g5Zk6yoizWgwFNOsZf443vCF08wNSHvzn61iXZ9gCqHK4ghK3PBh9-BQCxjBvOq-FI1uXNLTz0fVnqX7AS7oCYZ/s400/Herring+Gull+Portrait.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herring Gull Portrait</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we made our way back down the hill to the boat a Rock Pipit popped up on some ferns. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPEfMYoXwu5WnKp0aCeDrAnu5-5SmiowV__JAEqmFzKTPN68c9-VAqqMBhukuqcA7NI1t5qpHPoZYmqZkeBN4x6YtTo6pfFQ8LLAQq-R9oj1vuRpf-Bz8-bEo1rBKKI2xPgao/s1600/Rock+Pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPEfMYoXwu5WnKp0aCeDrAnu5-5SmiowV__JAEqmFzKTPN68c9-VAqqMBhukuqcA7NI1t5qpHPoZYmqZkeBN4x6YtTo6pfFQ8LLAQq-R9oj1vuRpf-Bz8-bEo1rBKKI2xPgao/s400/Rock+Pipit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Pipit on Ferns</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was the view of the house as we made our way down the hill. What a fabulous Island and one of the best five and a half hours I have spent in my life. I can't wait to go back. The only drawback I got really sunburnt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDw3RJtaKcx3VJY-UzDz6nrTHHm8iIfgVZxhSdTX-pOfxO43hOIfZ8zSUkq0wUwYFhfP_u1clV-xXvq8vRdfEzwaS8nUXNeOAcy0pGEj5M1AqaTtvyr7WmqEtMasxlGAhhxRfC/s1600/House+on+Saltee-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDw3RJtaKcx3VJY-UzDz6nrTHHm8iIfgVZxhSdTX-pOfxO43hOIfZ8zSUkq0wUwYFhfP_u1clV-xXvq8vRdfEzwaS8nUXNeOAcy0pGEj5M1AqaTtvyr7WmqEtMasxlGAhhxRfC/s400/House+on+Saltee-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neales House Saltee Island</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>We got to the shore and were ferried out to the waiting boat on our journey back to the mainland. On the way there were a few Manx Shearwater flying by the boat.<br />
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</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwewn2IRT2SsIP2fD0UOq3appEYXA32g64Zr1tfAOPfvdhAY44ItzitSav-cmFrJ3BxuqmEyOdv6RrByuX3ok_9lxNfS9n66b3LpUTWhsPkazZBNtqrFFo398NzP6LGxbKEQir/s1600/Dingy+from+Island+to+Ferry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwewn2IRT2SsIP2fD0UOq3appEYXA32g64Zr1tfAOPfvdhAY44ItzitSav-cmFrJ3BxuqmEyOdv6RrByuX3ok_9lxNfS9n66b3LpUTWhsPkazZBNtqrFFo398NzP6LGxbKEQir/s400/Dingy+from+Island+to+Ferry.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rib ferrying passengers from Saltee Island to boat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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</div>Peregrine's Bird Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457535265593303072noreply@blogger.com6