We also visited the Gannet colony while on the Saltees last Saturday. I was amazed to see so many birds still gathering nesting material this late in the season. Many of the adult Gannets were still sitting tight on young birds and others were actively feeding their large almost fully grown chicks. Just a word of warning. Any budding photographers who plan to visit nesting seabirds in the future, I please ask that you respect the seabirds and keep a fair distance when getting your photos. We witnessed Gannets at the colony being harassed by a small group of photographers last Saturday which was a bit disturbing.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
I made a trip to the Great Saltee Islands last weekend on Saturday 25th June to photograph a few seabirds. There were plenty of Puffins out and about, standing guard at their burrows and pottering about on the cliff tops.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
I was working in Kerry on Thursday 16th and not too far from Black Rock Strand where a Semi-palmated Sandpiper had been seen last week end and on into early this week. So I decided to head over to see if I could tick the Semi-P for my year list but unfortunately the time was well up on the beach and there were few waders about. This Whimbrel was a late stayer on approach field to the beach at Black Rock. He looked a little be worn and tatty and there was some growth or damage on the left side of his body.
Also during last Tuesday 14th on my trip around Wexford I came across Many Ringed Plovers with nests and young. This bird at Lady's Island Lake was very approachable and happy to have its photo taken.
It is a bit late in the year for Turnstones to be hanging around the Irish coastline. At this time of the year they should be back on the Arctic tundra breeding in countries like Greenland and Arctic Canada. A small flock of ten birds were feeding along the shingle beach at Kilcoole in County Wicklow last Monday 13th June when I was up there photographing the Little Terns.
Another bird that I came across earlier in the week at the same site where the Black Kite was found was this out of season Pink-footed Goose. I first spotted the bird flying around with the local resident flock of Greylag Geese. It then landed in with the flock and roosted on the shores of lady's Island. Pink-footed Geese that visit Ireland for the winter normal come from Iceland. This young bird obviously decided not to make the long migration back to the North and looks like it will hang out here in Wexford for the summer.
Pink-footed Goose with Grelag Goose
Pink-footed Goose bottom middle flying with three Greylag Geese
Also during the early part of last week while I was in Wexford, I photographed these distant Little Terns hawking over the east end car park pond at Tacumschin. The six birds on the pond were taking flies and newly emerged damselflies.