Sunday 8 September 2013

Bridges of Ross 8th Sept 2013

Time: 07:00-10:00 & 16:00-19:15
Weather: F3-4 NW (am) & F1-2 SE (pm), bright, dry & excellent visibility.
Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Noel Keogh, Keith Bennett, Geoff Hunt & Mike Sheehy. 
 
Sooty Shearwater: 4 
Manx Shearwater: 49 in 3 hrs (am) & 18 in 2 hrs (pm) 
Great Northern Diver: 1 (East) 
Great Skua (Bonxie): 15 
Pomarine Skua: 1  
Arctic Skua: 16 
Long-tailed Skua: 1 juvenile (Niall T. Keogh & Noel Keogh)
Arctic Tern: 3

Bar-tailed Godwit: 2
Whimbrel: 2
Knot: 2
Sparrowhawk: 1
Stonechat: 4
Chough: 2
 
Bottlenose Dolphin: 20+
Common Dolphin: 2
Common Seal: 1

The first hour this morning produced 5 Bonxies, 7 Arctic, 1 Pom & the juv Long-tailed Skua. Presumably all were simply moving past after rising from their roost sites in bays further North along the coast. The juv Long-tail came by with an adult dark phase Arctic. The size difference between the two was striking! Just about managed one Sooty during the afternoon/evening session!

Stonechats are particularly evident on the peninsula at the moment & would appear to have had a very good breeding season by the looks of things. Hard to get a definite overall number of birds present but we have recorded peak counts of 4 at The Bridges, 24(!) at Kilbaha & 11 on Loop Head.

Trudging around Loop Head over the past week finally paid off today with a Lapland Bunting at The Fodry.

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