Kerry Birding

Saturday, 9 January 2021

First-winter male King Eider, near Castlegregory

First-winter male King Eider, near Castlegregory, 9th January 2021 (Michael O'Clery).

The fourth record for Kerry, and the first male, following a female at Dingle in February 2001, a female at Ballinskelligs in December 2017 and a female at Castlegregory in February 2017, which also returned the following winter. Let's hope this one stays for people to enjoy and returns in full colourful male plumage next winter.

Saturday, 2 January 2021

Adult Kumlien's Gull at Blennerville

Adult Kumlien's Gull, Blennerville, 2nd January 2021 (Ed Carty).

This is the 55th record for Co. Kerry, and the 18th adult bird.

Adult Kumlien's Gull, Blennerville, 2nd January 2021 (Ed Carty).

More winter goodies

First-winter Glaucous Gull, Camp river mouth, 2nd January 2021 (Michael O'Clery).

Spotted Redshank, Reenroe, 1st January 2021 (A.Non).

Female Eider, Reenroe, 1st January 2021 (A.Non).

Purple Sandpipier, Rough Point, 21st December 2020 (Michael O'Clery).
Up to 35 were present in the area.

Friday, 11 December 2020

Double-crested Cormorant

Another recent star bird was Kerry's first and Ireland's second Double-crested Cormorant. It was found roosting with Cormorants near Carrig Island on 25th November by Seamus Enright, and was seen on many subsequent dates either there or at nearby Saleen Per near Ballylongford.

First-winter Double-crested Cormorant, Carrig Island, 8th December 2020 (Davey Farrar).

Thursday, 10 December 2020

Autumn catch-up, 3 - Mourning Dove

One of the Birds of the Year, this Mourning Dove at the tail end of October was the first for Kerry, but due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, wasn't widely publicised at the time, and the location was undisclosed, other than 'Valentia Island'. It was present for just two days. Such a shame more birders couldn't get to enjoy it, but hey, blame the goddam global pandemic... bad for our healths, bad for our mental healths, and bad for our Kerry bird lists.

Mourning Dove is common throughout the States and southern Canada, in much the same habitat as our Collared Dove - gardens, hedgerow and farmland, and this bird chose a farmland track for its brief stay, offering views down to just 10m.

Mourning Dove, Valentia Island, 30th October 2020 (A. Non.).

Mourning Dove, Valentia Island, 30th October 2020.

Wednesday, 9 December 2020

Autumn catch-up, 2

More goodies from the autumn that was.

Late Curlew Sandpiper at Black Rock, 4th November 2020 (David O'Connor).

Green-winged Teal, Cockleshell Road, Blennerville, 3rd December 2020 (David O'Connor).

Presumed returning bird from last winter.

Adult Ring-billed Gull, Blennerville, 11th November 2020 (David O'Connor).

Canada Geese, Cashen Estuary, 31st October 2020 (Davey Farrar).

Don't get too excited by these... large and pale, they are more convincing as escapees from a feral flock somewhere to the east, rather than the darker, smaller, trans-Atlantic vagrants we might get from the west.

Tuesday, 8 December 2020

Autumn catch-up, no. 1

Well, what with that thing called Covid-19 and a world-wide pandemic thing, this blog didn't get the attention it deserved, so we'll be harking back to some of the photos we missed during one of the best, and strangest, autumn's birding ever. So, by way of a little update, please cast your mind back to mid-October last...

Yellow-browed Warbler, Dunquin, 12th October 2020 (David O'Connor).

Barnacle Goose, Ventry, 12th October 2020 (David O'Connor).

Monday, 7 December 2020

Ian Jones, RIP

We were shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Ian Jones, a regular to the Kerry birding scene each autumn.

Ian Jones

Many Kerry birders will have met Ian, and his mother Joan, who came to Kerry from England almost every autumn for at least the last two decades, in their often successful search for Nearctic vagrants, waders and seabirds. They would stay in or around Dingle for a fortnight or more each September, roaming the Peninsula and occasionally venturing further afield to north Kerry, but birding the Dingle area was his main passion.

Ian was always friendly, always helpful, and always wonderfully enthusiastic about birds and birding. Over the years he donated birding gear such as telescopes, tripods and binoculars to some of the local beginner groups and other birders, and was equally generous with giving use of his many fantastic rarity photos. The Dingle Peninsula Bird Reports are full of such examples, and a few from the many he gave to be posted on this blog are shown below, but use the search function below to see just how many images he contributed to this blog, and many others.

Ian passed away at home on Saturday 28th November after a long battle with cancer. You'll be missed, Ian. But not forgotten. Our thoughts are with Joan who we are sure, will miss him greatly.