Ireland, 28th - 30th December

Spent a few days out in West Ireland with Rich Bonser just before New Year. Sightings as follows.

28th December: Mayo

Achill Island: c.60 Tufted Ducks, c.30 Whooper Swans and Teal at Keel Lough
Carrowmore Lake: drake Ring-necked Duck, small numbers of Tufted Duck and Wigeon
Belmullet: 3rd-winter Ring-billed Gull and adult Mediterranean Gull off the leisure centre
Annagh Head: 2 Great Northern Divers
Termoncarragh Lough: 19 Pink-footed Geese (including grey neck-collared bird 'LNC'), c.500 Barnacle Geese and c.40 Greylag Geese
Loughs Conn & Cullin: very quiet
Mallard Lough, nr Castlebar: c.50 Whooper Swans
Doogan Lough: 6 Tufted Ducks
Westport Quay: c.75 Teal, c.75 Wigeon and 2 Greenshanks
Roonagh Lough: c.150 Common Gulls amongst plenty of the commoner species


29th December: Kerry

Ventry: drake Black Duck again between the pool and Cuan Pier, Greenshank
Smerwick Harbour/Ferriter's Cove: both quiet
Dingle: 2 (2w, juv) Iceland Gulls in the harbour
Fermoyle: 2w Iceland Gull on the beach, Great Northern Divers offshore
Lough Gill: c.120 Scaup, 100+ Teal, c.30 Tufted Ducks, drake Pintail and a Barncle Goose over
Blennerville: quiet
Reenard Point: 4 (adult, 3 juvs) Iceland Gulls, 1 Black Guillemot, 1 Great Northern Diver
Portmagee: adult Mediterranean Gull
Ballinskelligs Bay: drake Surf Scoter off Inny Strand with 1500+ Common Scoter, several Great Northern Divers


30th December: Cork

Castletown Bearhaven: 7 juv Iceland Gulls, 2 juv Glaucous Gulls, adult Ring-billed Gull, adult Mediterranean Gull
Glengarriff: adult Mediterranean x Black-headed Gull
Bantry Bay: 2 first-winter Ring-billed Gulls, 3 (2 ads, 1w) Mediterranean Gulls, 2 (m&f) Goosanders and 2 Little Egrets
Union Hall: 2 juv Iceland Gulls
Rosscarbery: juv Iceland Gull, 800+ Golden Plovers, 2 Greenshanks and several Little Egrets
Clonakilty: 2w Ring-billed Gull