Owen Foley's Pelagic 2012

Storm Petrel feeding

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.

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.

Owen Foley's Pelagic Summer 2012

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.

Lone Manx Shearwater at dawn

Common Dolphins in early morning light.

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.

A pod of Common Dolphins with Loop Head Co.Clare  in the background

Common Dolphin beside the boat

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.

Fulmar

Great Skua

Juvenile Gannet and Great Skua

Storm Petrel

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.

Manx Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

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.

Wilson's Petrel

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. Five on an Arctic and two on a Long Tailed. In Kenn Kaufman's Advanced Bird ID book it says that 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.

Juvenile Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua harassing a Kittiwake

Juvenile Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

Arctic Skua

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.

Sabine's Gull

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.

2nd Summer Pomarine Skua

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

Fulmar

The "DEVA"

Birds Through Irish Eyes

Cover of Anthony and Julian's forthcoming book

A wee heads up.  This fab book by Anthony McGeehan and Julian Wylie will be published on September 30th.

Willow Warbler

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.

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.

It has been flying  all around the house and perching on the chimney, roof, tables, clothesline all the time singing away. Just lovely

Willow Warbler singing from rose bush

Willow Warbler displaying

Willow Warbler displaying

Willow Warbler in Ash tree

Willow Warbler in Hawthorn Bush

Willow Warbler on Chimney

Willow Warbler on Clothes Line

Willow Warbler on Roof

Willow Warbler on Rose stem

Willow Warbler on Table

Willow Warbler in habitat

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.
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.

Whitethroat Singing

Whitethroat on Gorse

Whitethroat

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.

Whimbrel

Sand Martin

 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.

Green-winged Orchid

 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.

Sandwich Terns

Meadow Pipit with a Feast of Flies

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.

The Brent Geese In The Bay In Front Of My House

Brent Geese flying into Sunset

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 bothy which is mainly used by canoeists. Beyond Salt Island there is Green Island an important Gull breeding island.

Google Map of the Bay in front of House

View from House of Salt Island on left and Launches Long on right

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.

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.

Brent Geese feeding on Launches Long

If they are disturbed the sky can be absolutely full of them and in the picture below there are over three hundred.

Brent Geese in flight over Launches Long

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.

View of the Mourne Mountains from Launches Long

View of my house from Launches Long

 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.

Brent Geese on Shore at Myra

Brent Geese Feeding on Sunset Shoreline

Single Brent Goose on Launches Little.

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.

Brent Geese in flight

Brent Geese in flight

Two Greylag Geese in Lovely Evening Light

Greylag in flight over Launches Little

 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.

Three Irish Mad March Hares

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 :-)

My Chatham Island Albatross is a Winning Entry in The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Photographic Competition

Snowy Owl at Altikeeragh Nature Reserve

Snowy Owl at Altikeeragh Nature Reserve

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.

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. 

Snowy Owl on pallets

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. 

Snowy Owl in Flight

Snowy Owl on bog

 As it flew off it put up a flock of Golden Plover.

Golden Plover disturbed by Snowy Owl

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 Ronald Surgenor and shortly after the owl was away again and the rain came back with a vengeance and I headed home happy but damp.

The Snowy Owl's 52 inch Wing Span