Paul Moore

The view from Seven Heads, Cork. Sadly I messed up the digiscoping effort for the Soft plumaged Petrel past Seven Heads, Cork at 10.52 this morning but thrilled the lads on Galley Head got it nearly an hour later. Persistence pays off for seawatching

Ireland’s third Isabelline Wheatear was showing very well over the border in Dungarvan this morning. Hopefully have something more colourful to post tomorrow from west Cork.

Currently looking at research on Woodpigeons in Ireland. They are the most commonly struck (by aircraft) large bird at Dublin Airport. Strikes generally occur in the evening and hit the starboard engine mostly. An interesting added complexity to consider when choosing your flight and seat.

I had forgotten that aspect of Steve’s bird. So, yours is the second to be trapped but the first to be ringed on Cape.

I think Steve also ringed one on Cape, an autumn bird, some years ago.

I’ll bet Paul was pushing to go that 1km north into Irish waters 😊

In the absence of many birds I’ve gone to the dark side and started moth trapping as part of the Farmer moth monitoring program with the NBDC. One of the more striking species is Blood Vein of which I seem to have a good population of.

A great June seawatch off Galley Head today with 13 Wilson’s storm petrels. The 2nd highest count from land in Cork I think. Also good numbers of Cory’s and one of 7 Great Shearwaters below.

Russian White fronted Goose at Kilcolman fen in north Cork a few days ago. About the 7th county record per The Birds of County Cork.

An incredible arrival of Hoopoes into Co Cork today with at least 30 new birds being found, so far. I saw 4 of which this was the most obliging.

Hi Richard, yes no problem. Paul

Finally got in on the Hoopoe action today with this bird at Guileen village.

You should face the camera when taking selfies

In particular this bit “Changes in ratios are most apparent in the North Sea, Irish Sea and West of Scotland. Furthermore, it seems that Lusitanian species have not spread in all northward directions, but have followed two particular routes, through the English Channel and north around Scotland”

This is worth reading www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/...

Currently writing the Stock Dove account for the forthcoming Birds of Ireland, so this obliging bird today was a nice reminder of how underrated the species is. And as I’ve discovered how little studied they are in Ireland.

Possibly up to 1000 Barn Owls are killed on roads in Ireland every year. This one this morning near Midleton. A female I’m guessing though open to correction.

Anyone doing supplementary feeding should invest in something like this also. Gas powered non toxic and with an App that gives you live updates!

Both male Northern Harriers that had been in Wexford earlier in the autumn turned up in east Cork, a movement of over 100km, during November and December but have now moved on. I wonder where they will breed next summer.

The Yellow crowned Night Heron in Mayo last May was lucky to find a river with Crayfish as they are rapidly disappearing from rivers countrywide due to plague. An Ark population has now been established at Fota wildlife park to hopefully secure the species’ future in case they go extinct in the wild

Corn Bunting went extinct in Ireland in the mid 1990s with only a handful of records since then. I took this photo at Ballycotton in 1992. Incredibly I can only find one or two other photos of a Corn Bunting taken in Ireland, which is one reason why this photo is so bad.

I don’t think so with a Northern as one. All five species were seen at Tacumshin in 2011 but didn’t overlap

That male is stunning

An incredible Harrier fest at Ballyvergan marsh this evening with four species present. Juvenile Pallid, male Northern and Marsh Harriers pictured. Pics by Michael Jones. #Harriers

There has been a noticeable uptick in Marsh Harrier numbers in Ireland this year, especially of males which have always been far scarcer than females. Presumably they’re from the expanding UK population. Hopefully more breeding attempts might be imminent since the last in 2020

I found this 2cy male Northern Harrier yesterday and confirmed today. Always distant I suspect it’s a returning bird after a presumed juvenile last winter which was even more distant (the only photo taken of that attached). Possibly it’s even one of the birds from Wexford earlier in the autumn.

As reported by others for Dark bellied Brents there wasn’t a single juvenile amongst C120 Pale bellied Brent’s this morning at Youghal. I’ve seen very low numbers of juvs in the past but not sure I’ve ever seen zero

Power Head also worth adding? It’s had the same totals as Helvic.

The aforementioned AGP

Challenging conditions at Ballycotton this morning but with arrivals elsewhere it wasn’t a complete surprise to come across this juv White rumped Sandpiper. A juvenile American golden Plover 100m away may have been new also