Great White Egret, Blennerville. 8th Kerry record

Great White Egret (with Little Egret), Blennerville, 23rd September 2018 (David O'Connor).

This bird dropped onto the mudflats at Blennerville Windmill just before dusk this evening. The 8th record for Kerry. The 7th was at almost the same time of year, last year, at Caherfealane. See this post HERE. The autumn is finally... FINALLY... hotting up a little.

Great White Egret (with Little Egret), Blennerville, 23rd September 2018 (David O'Connor).

Great White Egret (with Little Egrets), Blennerville, 23rd September 2018 (David O'Connor).

Buff-breast still present

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Carrahane, 22nd September 2018 (Ed Carty).

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Carrahane, 22nd September 2018 (Ed Carty).

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Carrahane, 22nd September 2018 (Ed Carty).

Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Carrahane

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Carrahane, 21st September 2018 (Ian Jones).

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Carrahane, 21st September 2018 (Ian Jones).

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Carrahane, 21st September 2018 (Ian Jones).

Seabird migration, in an estuary

Although there were plenty of seabirds passing Brandon Pt. today, all were at the usual medium to distant range, requiring a telescope for most sightings, and well beyond useful camera range.

However, at nearby Cappagh Beach - the entrance to Cloghane Estuary - it is often possible to see skuas and other seabirds up close, particularly at high tide. Some of the birds below came to with 20 metres.

Arctic Skua, Cappagh Beach, 19th September 2018 (M.O'Clery).

Arctic Skua, Cappagh Beach, 19th September 2018 (M.O'Clery).

Arctic Skua, Cappagh Beach, 19th September 2018 (M.O'Clery).

Bonxie, Cappagh Beach, 19th September 2018 (M.O'Clery).

Bonxie, Cappagh Beach, 19th September 2018 (M.O'Clery).

One of five Bonxies that ventured into the estuary. Four went most of the way in before turning and heading out at speed with the following gale. One Bonxie was seen to gain height, and was last seen heading strongly towards the Conor Pass. This has been noted before at this location - Bonxies cutting across land and over a mountain pass... See this post HERE

Bonxie, Cappagh Beach, 19th September 2018 (M.O'Clery).

Three Bonxies and a Gannet, Cappagh Beach, 19th September 2018 (M.O'Clery).

Gannet, Cappagh Beach, 19th September 2018 (M.O'Clery).

Gannets were also coming right into the estuary, frequently diving for fish.

Gannet, Cappagh Beach, 19th September 2018 (M.O'Clery).

Great view of the exquisite spotting and patterning on a fresh juvenile Gannet.

Little Stint, Ballinskelligs

Juvenile Little Stint (with Dunlin), Ballinskelligs, 16th September 2018 (Pat McDaid).

The first and only Little Stint seen so far in Kerry this autumn.

Juvenile Little Stint, Ballinskelligs, 16th September 2018 (Pat McDaid).

Curlew Sandpiper, Ballycarbery, 16th September 2018 (Pat McDaid).

Wheatears, South Kerry, 16th September 2018 (Pat McDaid).

Buff-breasted Sandpiper at the Inny

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Inny Estuary, 8th September 2018 (Pat McDaid).

The first Nearctic wader of the autumn for Kerry.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Inny Estuary, 8th September 2018 (Pat McDaid).

Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Inny Estuary, 8th September 2018 (Pat McDaid).

Curlew Sandpiper, Inny Estuary

Adult Curlew Sandpiper, Inny Estuary, 13th August 2018 (Pat McDaid).

Ruff, Blennerville - Autumn is starting

Ruff, Blennerville, 17th August 2018 (David O'Connor).

  Ruff, Blennerville, 17th August 2018 (David O'Connor).

Terns

This is the best time of year to see a good variety of terns in Kerry, especially at the likes of Beale Strand, Rough Point and Cloghane Estuary. There's plenty of juveniles about too, presumably at least some from the local colonies, but also with others from elsewhere. Only one pair of Sandwich Terns bred on the Maharees this year, but there are upward of 100 in the general Rough Point/ Brandon Bay area at the moment.

Arctic, Sandwich and Common Terns, Rough Pt., 17th August 2018 (M.O'Clery).

The roosting flock at Rough Point numbered about 100 birds, a mix of mainly Arctic and Sandwich, with just a handful of Common Terns, and only one Little Tern.

Adult and juvenile Little Terns, Brandon Bay, 16th August 2018 (Kilian Kelly).

Little Terns are still about, though they must surely be thinking of heading south some time soon.

Adult Sandwich Tern, Brandon Bay, 16th August 2018 (Kilian Kelly).

Juvenile Arctic Tern, Rough Point, 16th August 2018 (M.O'Clery).

Fresh-plumaged juvenile Arctic Terns are really smart-looking birds. Hardy little things too, about to launch south of the Equator any moment now.

Arctic, Sandwich and Common Terns, Rough Point, 16th August 2018 (M.O'Clery).

Below, a useful comparison of juvenile Common and Arctic Terns. Nearly as useful as the stunning comparison photo of Cormorant and Robin which you can see on this page HERE

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Top) Juvenile Common Tern; Bottom) Juvenile Arctic Tern, Rough Point, 16th August 2018 (M.O'Clery).

Mixed breeding season for Kerry Barn Owls

Nationally, it's been a strange season for Barn Owls, with average brood sizes good, but a lot of traditional sites, particularly in Kerry, apparently abandoned, or resulting in failed nesting. Sites in inland and midland sites seem later than western coastal sites, a reversal of the norm. A very chilly spring most likely accounts for the strange timings and failed nests, despite the subsequent good summer weather.

However, there has also been an encouraging uptake of new nest boxes, showing the real value in providing safe nest sites for this iconic bird.

Four Barn Owl chicks, near Castleisland (All photos: M.O'Clery, John Lusby - BirdWatch Ireland, under licence to NPWS).

One of the few broods of four this summer (above) was in a nest box near Castleisland, a site which has proven successful in each of the last three seasons it has been occupied, with three, three and, this year, four chicks.

Three young chicks were in a newly occupied nest box in this barn near Scartaglen, July 2018.

A nest box was installed in this barn (above) in 2014. With no sign of Barn Owls nearby or known of in the immediate area, the reasons for putting the box in place were based somewhat on blind optimism, though there was potentially good foraging areas nearby, and the barn was disused. Finally, in year five, the optimism was rewarded, Barn Owls moved in and three chicks were hatched. Unfortunatly only one of the three survived to fledging, but fantastic to have another nest site up and running.

Three Barn Owl chicks, near Tralee.

Where the brood size was accurately known, Kerry nest sites produced:

One chick - 1 site

Two chicks - 3 sites

Three chicks - 4 sites

Four chicks - 1 site

The average brood size from these sites was 2.55, a little above the national average (there were other sites which were successful but we can't be sure of the exact brood size). However, with several failed nests and quite a few empty traditional sites, it's not been a bumper season. Here's hoping this coming winter will be kind to the next generation of Barn Owls.

More on the Irish Raptor Blog HERE
and
the Duhallow Raptor Blog HERE