Kerry Birding

Monday, 10 March 2025

Iceland and Glaucous Gulls on the Iveragh

Adult Iceland Gull, Reenard, Co. Kerry, 9th March 2025 (Michael O'Clery).

Probable near-adult (4th calendar year) Glaucous Gull, Knightstown, Co. Kerry, 9th March 2025 (Michael O'Clery).

Glaucous Gull, Knightstown, Co. Kerry, 9th March 2025 (Michael O'Clery).

Thursday, 6 March 2025

American Wigeon at Dingle

Male American Wigeon, Milltown, Dingle, 6th March 2025 (Michael O'Clery).

Wednesday, 5 March 2025

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Ballyseedy

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Ballyseedy Woods, Tralee, early March 2025 (Hubert Servignat).

Friday, 21 February 2025

Little Gull in Tralee Bay

Adult Little Gull, Cockleshell Road, Tralee, 21st February 2025 (David O'Connor).

Saturday, 15 February 2025

There were three Adult Glaucous Gulls out west, one at Reenard Pier, and two across the water at Knightstown. Also, a female Velvet Scoter off Reenroe, near Waterville, and a Black Redstart at Valentia Lighthouse, on the north end of the island.

Adult Glaucous Gulls, Knightstown, 15th February 2025 (Michael O'Clery).

Adult Glaucous Gull, Knightstown, 15th February 2025 (Michael O'Clery).

Adult Glaucous Gull, Reenard, 15th February 2025 (Michael O'Clery).

Cattle Egret, Lohercannon (in December)

Cattle Egret, Lohercannon, 12th December 2024 (Ed Carty).

Sunday, 1 December 2024

Cattle Egret at Ballylongford

Cattle Egret, near Ballylongford, 26th November 2024 (Hubert Servignat).

Saturday, 9 November 2024

Great White Egret at Blennerville

Great White Egret, Blennerville, 8th November 2024 (David O'Connor).

Friday, 1 November 2024

White-winged Scoter and 8 Surf Scoter at Inch

An adult male White-winged Scoter was at Inch on Wednesday, 30th October. There have been massive Common Scoter flocks offshore there since mid-July, with some 3000+ birds present, but they were almost always several kilometres out into the bay, well beyond identification distance.

However, in recent days, the flocks have generally been moving closer inshore, and with calm conditions and little swell on Wednesday, they were (mostly) within telescope range.

A male White-winged Scoter was present, but also, 8 Surf Scoters, with groups of 5 (3 males, 2 females), 2 (adult males), and a single female/juvenile in among the 1200 or so scoter close inshore.

Male White-winged Scoter (left bird), Inch, 30th October 2024 (Michael O'Clery).

It's reasonable to assume that this adult male White-winged Scoter is a returning male from the three which were present at this site last winter, at the time, an adult and two first-winters.

The count of eight Surf Scoter at Inch is a record count for Kerry, and possibly Ireland. Have to check that one.

The intriguing part is that at least another 2000 scoter were still waaaay out in the bay. What else might be out there?

The following day, there was also an adult male Surf Scoter at Gowlane, Brandon Bay.

Adult male Surf Scoter, Gowlane, Brandon Bay, 30th October 2024 (Michael O'Clery).

Two male Eiders were also out in Brandon Bay.

Adult male Eider, Gowlane, Brandon Bay, 30th October 2024 (Michael O'Clery).

Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Surf Scoter pair at Inch

Male and female Surf Scoter, Inch, 27th October 2024 (Michael O'Clery).