Curlew Sandpiper at Rough Point

Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, Rough Point, 27th August 2020 (Michael O'Clery).

 

If not THE first, certainly one of the first Curlew Sandpipers reported in the south of Ireland this autumn.

 

 

Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, Rough Point, 27th August 2020 (Michael O'Clery).

 

Juvenile Knot, Rough Point, 27th August 2020 (Michael O'Clery).

 

Sharing the same beach, another juvenile wader, recently travelled from well north of the Arctic Circle.

Little Stint and Ruff

Juvenile Little Stint, Ferriter's Cove, 19th August 2020 (Michael O'Clery).

Juvenile Little Stint, Ferriter's Cove, 19th August 2020 (Michael O'Clery).

Juvenile Little Stint, Ferriter's Cove, 19th August 2020 (Michael O'Clery).

 

Ruff, Kierney's Field, Blennerville, 19th August 2020 (Cait O'Neill).

 

Up to 12 Ruff have been frequenting this site recently, but there's quite a bit to go to beat the 37 seen at nearby Cockleshell Road in September 2017, and the record number for Kerry seen by Frank King in September 1968, when an extraordinary 74 were seen at Akeragh Lough. 

Ruff, Kierney's Field, Blennerville, 19th August 2020 (Cait O'Neill).

Some random early autumn birding goodness

  Juvenile Mediterranean Gull, Blennerville, 18th August 2020 (Michael O'Clery).

 

 

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull, Blennerville, 18th August 2020 (Michael O'Clery).

 

Buzzard, Milltown, 15th August 2020 (Cait O'Neill).

 

Nesting Buzzards are continuing to spread slowly in Kerry. Nesting has occurred near Tralee for at least the last two summers, and one pair nested further west, close to Fenit, this summer. A slow and gradual re-colonisation. 

 

Green Sandpiper Blennerville, 16th August 2020 (Cait O'Neill).

 

Green Sandpiper, Blennerville, 16th August 2020 (Cait O'Neill).

 

Dunlin, Blennerville, 18th August 2020 (Cait O'Neill).

 

Of the 250 or so Dunlin at Carrahane this evening, all but about 6 were adults, many of those still showing the full black belly of summer plumage. Perhaps they have had a bad nesting season, as juveniles would certainly be migrating as well by now. 

Caspian Tern at the Inny Estuary

Adult Caspian Tern, Inny Estuary, 4h August 2020 (Pat McDaid).

 

The third record for Kerry and, although present again briefly very early the following morning, it next reappeared the following evening in Wales, a direct journey of 350km in 10 hours!.

Adult Caspian Tern, Inny Estuary, 4h August 2020 (Pat McDaid).

Adult Caspian Tern, Inny Estuary, 4h August 2020 (Pat McDaid).

Iceland Gull, near Trabeg

First-summer (first calendar-year) Iceland Gull, 3km SE of Trabeg, 21st April 2020 (Michael O'Clery).

Hawfinch, Camp, 26th April 2020 (Una Williams). 

Only the sixth record for Kerry, this striking bird has been visiting the garden for several days now.

Hawfinch, Camp, 26th April 2020 (Una Williams).

Kumlien's Gull still at TBWC

Adult Kumlien's Gull, Tralee Bay Wetland Centre, 27th March 2020 (David O'Connor).

White-tailed Eagle

 

White-tailed Eagle, undisclosed location, Co. Kerry, 20th March 2020 (David O'Connor).

A young male, which fledged from Lough Derg in 2017 and from satellite tag readings, he was in Co. Carlow on 17th March. It is the same bird which, for much of the first two years of his life, was semi-resident at Bannow Bay, Co. Wexford.

Little Stint still at Black Rock

Little Stint, Black Rock, 27th February 2020 (David O'Connor).

Blennerville regulars

Barnacle Goose, Blennerville, 16th February 2020 (Ed Carty).

Great Northern Diver, Blennerville, 16th February 2020 (Ed Carty).

Green-winged Teal, Blennerville, 15th February 2020 (Ed Carty).

Ring-billed Gulll, Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre, Blennerville, 15th February 2020 (Ed Carty).