Couple more of the (or another?) SemiP

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Blennerville, 12th September 2016 (Ian Jones).

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Blennerville, 12th September 2016 (Ian Jones).

SemiP at Blennerville

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Blennerville, 9th September 2016 (Kilian Kelly).

Although present at Blennerville since 5th September, it took a while for decent views and photos to be obtained to finally secure the I.D. as a SemiP.

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Blennerville, 9th September 2016 (Kilian Kelly).

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper with Curlew Sandpiper, Blennerville, 9th September 2016 (Kilian Kelly).

Baird's Sandpiper, Derrymore

Juvenile Baird's Sandpiper, Derrymore, 8th September 2016 (M.O'Clery).

Juvenile Baird's Sandpiper with Dunlin, Derrymore, 8th September 2016 (M.O'Clery).

Juvenile Baird's Sandpiper with Dunlin and Ringed Plover, Derrymore, 8th September 2016 (M.O'Clery).

The Baird's was present at the high tide roost for only five minutes before taking off alone and flying high to the west.

Two of the five Curlew Sandpipers present, Derrymore, 8th September 2016 (M.O'Clery).

Wheatear, Lough Naparka, 31st August 2016 (M.O'Clery).

There was perhaps 20 of these largish, strongly buff-washed Wheatears on the machair around the Magharees at the end of August and early September, and were most likely Greenland, or Icelandic race birds, leucorhoa. However, apparently Scandinavian and Russian birds can also have this rich buff coloration on the underparts in autumn. Geography would certainly favour them being Greenland Wheatears, though without measurements, it can't be certain.

White Wagtail, Rough Point, 31st August 2016 (M.O'Clery).

About ten were around the Rough Point area at the same time as the Wheatears, and their occurrence on the west coast would also suggest Icelandic origins.

Semi-P at Fahamore

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper with Sanderling and Dunlin, Fahamore, 6th September 2016 (M.O'Clery).

This Semi-P proved problematic, and it took a lot of time and effort to clinch the identification. Bright sunlight, walkers, dogs running amok, and a jittery flock of waders thanks to Kestrel and Sparrowhawk haunting the area all made for difficult and frustrating viewing conditions. On top of that, the bird showed what initially appeared to be some anomalous features, such as an apparent faint breast band, overall slightly warmish tones rather than cold grey, and longish legs and bill.

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper with turnstone, Fahamore, 6th September 2016 (M.O'Clery).

Thankfully, despite the difficult circumstances, enough information was to be found on the photos to be confident that those features were within the range of Semipalmated Sandpiper, and excluded the even rarer possibilities. Like the adult at the Inny Estuary in early August (see post HERE), this bird seems to be longer-billed than most.

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Fahamore, 6th September 2016 (M.O'Clery) (click on the images for a closer view).

The first record of this species for Fahamore, though this small beach has held some good birds in the past, including Long-billed Dowitcher, Black Brant, Bonaparte's Gull (twice) and Sabine's Gull.

(With thanks to Eric Dempsey and Killian Mullarney for useful comments).

Black Tern, Beale

Black Tern, Beale Strand, 26th August 2016 (D. Coombes).

Ferriter's Cove and Burnham Lagoon

 

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ferriter's Cove, 29th August 2016 (M.O'Clery).

Little Egrets, Burnham Lagoon, 29th August 2016 (M.O'Clery).

The 18 Little Egrets roosting at this site today is the highest yet recorded there, though the highest count for the Dingle Peninsula is of 24 at Trabeg on 14th August this year. Numbers of this species, and Mediterranean Gull (see below) continue to rise, year on year. Though both species were major rarities 25 years ago, there are regular gatherings of 10+ at many sites in the county, especially at this time of year. Numbers of Little Egrets in the whole Castlemaine Harbour area probably now number 100+ in autumn, and Mediterranean Gulls have reached nearly 80 birds at Black Rock in recent years.

Mediterranean Gulls, Burnham Lagoon, Ferriter's Cove, 29th August 2016 (M.O'Clery).

The 24 Mediterranean Gulls at Burnham this afternoon is also a new record for the Dingle Peninsula.

Another SemiP Sandpiper at the Inny

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Inny Estuary, Ballinskelligs Bay, 27th August 2016 (Ciaran Cronin).

The second SemiP at this site already this autumn, and it's not even September.

More of the Royal Tern

The Royal Tern has continued its stay in NW Kerry, entertaining perhaps 60 or more birders from all over Ireland and the UK. Some have had to wait many hours though, as the bird ranges along several kilometres of the coast, though frequently returning to Beale Strand. It has already ventured briefly to the Co. Clare side of the Shannon Estuary, thus adding a first record of Royal Tern to a third county.

Video of Royal Tern, Beale Strand, 24th August 2016 (Peter Hines FaceBook page HERE).

Click on the video to see it full-size.

Royal Tern, Beale Strand, 24th August 2016 (Neal Warnock).

Royal Tern, Beale Strand, 24th August 2016 (Neal Warnock).

Royal Tern, Beale Strand, 25th August 2016 (Richard Bonser).

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ferriter's Cove

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ferriter's Cove, 26th August 2016 (Michael O'Clery).

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ferriter's Cove, 26th August 2016 (Michael O'Clery).

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ferriter's Cove, 26th August 2016 (Michael O'Clery).

Juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ferriter's Cove, 26th August 2016 (Michael O'Clery).

Royal Tern... a first for Kerry

Davey Farrar experienced a mind-numbing, adrenaline inducing moment when a roosting tern on Beale Strand in north Kerry lifted it's head, revealing a big orange bill. A Royal Tern, and the first record for Kerry! In fact, it is only the second record of a live bird in Ireland. 

Royal Tern, Beale Strand, 23rd August 2016 (Davey Farrar).

Royal Tern, Beale Strand, 23rd August 2016 (Davey Farrar).

Although adult-like when perched, the open wing shows a dark secondary bar and moulting primaries. Royal Terns take three years to reach maturity, so this would be a second summer, or third calendar year bird, rather than adult.

The first record for Ireland was a tideline corpse found at the North Bull Island, Co. Dublin, on 24th March 1954, while the second was seen for just a couple of hours off Inchdoney, Co. Cork, on 9th June 2009, so the third, at Roonagh Lough, Co. Mayo, six days ago, was a welcome opportunity for twitchers who missed the Cork bird to have another go at this mega-rare tern. Those that travelled to Mayo that evening saw the bird but, while it stayed the night at the Lough, it flew out to sea shortly after dawn, to the despair of a few late-arriving birders. There's a good write-up of the Mayo occurrence on Dermot Breen's blog HERE

The bird found by Davey this morning is the same as the Mayo bird. The distinctive plumage and particularly the damaged right leg are identical, the almost all-dark cap of the Mayo bird now slightly flecked with a little more white as it progresses into winter plumage.

Mass twitch, Kerry style (M.O'Clery).

The sighting triggered what amounts to a mass twitch by Kerry standards, and by 6pm about 30 birders had seen it, including a couple of carloads from Dublin and a group of nearly a dozen or so mostly British birders who had been having a slow seawatching day on Loop Head but, on hearing the news, jumped into an assortment of cars and dashed for the Tarbert Ferry. All who travelled so far have seen the bird.

Royal Tern, Beale Strand, 23rd August 2016 (M.O'Clery).

Royal Tern, Beale Strand, 23rd August 2016. A little more white flecking on the left side of the otherwise black crown than when it was seen in Mayo six days previously (M.O'Clery).

Royal Tern, Beale Strand, 23rd August 2016 (M.O'Clery).

And finally, Davey owns a painting which I did for The Complete Field Guide to Ireland's Birds, which illustrates Gull-billed, Elegant and Caspian Tern, all of which he has seen or found (mostly found) in Co. Kerry. It hangs in pride of place in his hallway, next to his almost equally prized collection of Daniel O'Donnell memorabilia. As of this morning, Royal Tern didn't feature on this painting but this has now been corrected. Davey has thus not only found a first Kerry record, but also trebled the value of his painting with a quick flourish of a biro and a Post-it note. Nice one Davey.

Tern painting, previously valuable, now priceless.