Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper at Killelton polder, 26th July 2013 (Ed Carty).

Black Duck, Ballylongford

Black Duck, Ballylongford, 23rd July 2013 (Davey Farrar).

Wood Sandpiper, Kilelton Polder

Wood Sandpiper, Kilelton Polder, 22nd July 2013 (Davey Farrar).

White-rumped Sandpiper, Blennerville

Adult White-rumped Sandpiper, Blennerville, 21st July 2013 (David O'Connor).

Med. and Ring-billed Gulls, Black Rock

Ring-billed Gull, Black Rock, 20th July 2013 (David O'Connor).

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull, Black Rock, 20th July 2013 (David O'Connor).

Keeled Skimmer

Keeled Skimmer, North Kerry, 18th July 2013 (Kerry Birding).

Ruff, Blennerville

Ruff, Blennerville, 15th July 2013 (Kerry Birding).

Dawn Chorus Walk, 27th July, Tralee

Event: A Dawn Chorus walk


Venue: Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre
, Ballyard, Tralee

Date: 27th July


Time: 07.30am


Speaker/Leader: Ed Carty

The Kerry Branch of the Irish Wildlife Trust would like to welcome all-comers to an  early morning guided walk around the Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre to listen to and identify birds through their song.

No special equipment or experience required. All ages and abilities welcome. Bring binoculars and camera if you have them. Suggested donation of 4 euro per adult (children free), and membership information will be available.

As always, be mindful of the weather and prepare accordingly.

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Hen Harrier

Hen Harrier, north Kerry, 13th July 2013 (Kerry Birding).

Bumper year for Kerry Whitethroats

Female Whitethroat, near Gneeveguilla, July 2013 (Fred O'Sullivan).

Map showing distribution of Whitethroat records this summer (M.O'Clery).

The upcoming Bird Atlas project, after five years of fieldwork from 2008-11, shows a fairly common species across Ireland, but with a seemingly inexplicable blank area on the map in the SW which includes most of Co. Kerry. This is also apparent in the 1988-91 breeding atlas (see that map HERE). Birders have noted over recent summers that Whitethroats have generally been absent as a breeding species in Kerry, but appear in apparently similar breeding habitat just a few miles across the border into Cork. What was it about Kerry that the Whitethroats didn't like?

This summer however there has been a small surge in breeding records detected. The ten red dots above, representing singing or territorial birds this summer, better than the combined number of breeding records for the past decade. 

Many Whitethroats are still singing - a scratchy, fast warble, a bit like a Blackcap in a hurry. Have you see one in the Kingdom this year? Please let us know.

Cuckoo chick, day 19

Cuckoo chick, near Brosna, 9th July 2013 (Davey Farrar).

Day 19 and the Cuckoo chick is on the verge of fledging. By now the Cuckoo is several times larger than the 'parents'. Typical weights of Meadow Pipits are 15-22 grammes, while a full-grown Cuckoo chick weighs in at a hefty 95-140 grammes. The unwitting Meadow Pipit foster parents are making feeding trips to the chick every ten minutes or so throughout the day.

The puffed-up plumage and sudden opening of the mouth in the video are defensive tactics, giving any potential predator the impression of a much larger and more aggressive beast.

Mediterranean Gull & Ring-billed Gull

First summer Mediterranean Gull & Second summer Ring-billed Gull,Black Rock 9th July 2013 (David O'Connor).

Swifts, Listowel

Swifts, at a nest site in Listowel, 9th July (M. O'Clery).

Hen Harrier

Female Hen Harrier undisclosed site Kerry, 5th July 2013 (D. Farrar).

Cuckoo chick, Day 11

Cuckoo chick, near Brosna, 1st July 2013 (Davey Farrar).

The Cuckoo chick is now 11 days old and now pretty much fills the Meadow Pipit nest.