Week commencing 28th May 2018

Monday 28th

Over to Donegal to do some clearance of the family home! Arrived around 7pm so after tea down to Mullaghduff see what might be about. The bay was empty of Long-tailed Duck as expected but held five Eider as well as plenty of Herring and a few Lesser Black Back Gull and a good numbers of Common Gull. Good to see at least six Black Guillemot and a couple of Gannet. No tern!

A number of Rock Pipit were around and very vocal allowing me to make some audio recordings.

Rock Pipit

A couple of Oystercatycher made for interesting subjects as the sun was setting.

The air was full of the song of the Skylark. A beautiful Donegal evening. 

A nice group of Dunlin and  Sanderling on the shoreline of the pebble bay, 

Dunlin

Dunlin

Sanderling

along with three Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover

and a White Wagtail a new tick for this location.

Just as I was leaving a Whimbrel dropped onto the shore of the big bay but very quickly departed over the headland.

Tuesday 29th

After a morning of packing up more of the house went  off for some birding along the Annagry Estuary, past the airport and over Carrackfinn. Nothing of interest in the Estuary, which only seems to produce in autumn and spring. The bushes by the airport which have been productive in the past did hold a pair of House Sparrow, not as common here as in other places, a small flock of Linnet and the usual Meadow Pipit and Skylark.

Even more  disappointing was Carrackfinn. The place was full of day trippers, with 30 cars parked on the headland. With people diving of the pier the bay was empty of all bird life. Over the headland peace was to be found but sadly few birds, just the usual pipits. No sound of Corncrake but will return later one evening to see if they are around.

Hooded Crow with Errigal bathed in sunlight

There does seem to be a lack of birds which is very surprising and worrying. Normally I can guarantee to see Stonechat, Wheatear, Cuckoo and Blackcap and Willow Warbler is abundance but I haven't seen any of the first three and only a couple of the latter. As for Sand Martin....nothing!  

Wednesday 30th

All the packing up of the house that we can do is done! Time for some descent bird watching.  A Whitethroat calling from the bushes behind the barn and Swallow over the field. Jackdaw and Hooded Crow moving around.

Went to Mullaghderg to do a bit of rock pooling and to sit by Thunder Rock and rate the waves crashing on a scale of 1 to 10, a 9 being achieved on a relatively calm day!

While there a nice little group of Dunlin appeared and proved very approachable.

Dunlin: Little Bay.

On the pebble bay two Ringed Plover feeding. 

Great Black-backed Gull in one of the bays and Common and Herring Gull present in good numbers. A single Shag just off the fishing rock.

Wednesday evening

Took a late evening drive out to Carrackfinn in hope of hearing Corncrake. Sadly none heard but good view of Red-breasted Merganser off the flat rock. Down by the airport and lake were Sand Martin and a male Wheatear. Later a female Wheatear was on the headland.

Thursday 31st

Trip to Derry to walk the walls and visit the Bogside. Nothing unusual on the journey certainly no sign of Golden Eagle.

Couple of hours down at Mullagderg produced seven Black Guillemot, a adult and juvenile Great Northern Diver, and a dozen or so Guillemot. 

Black Guillemot: Mullaghderg Donegal

In the little bay were three Ringed Plover and four Dunlin.

Heading for home tomorrow via Liverpool and Harrogate.