Dunners

Some days you just gotta see the sea.
Yesterday was definitely one of those days.
I headed over to Dun Laoghaire hoping I'd get some good views of Terns, it's always been a good spot for close ups.
All of Ireland was basking in warm sunshine and Dun Laoghaire was no exception. There was a bit of a haze over the sea, but I wasn't complaining, it was perfect.
The sea out towards Blackrock was calm and quiet. Nice to see a few Gannets hunting in the distance.

Always like seeing Gannets out to sea, with their powerful black tipped white wings and yellow head.

I parked the car in front of the sea at the carpark round the back of the West pier (free parking at weekends, free after 6pm weekdays) and set off from there. I spotted a couple of Swallows, a House Martin and some posh boys with massive bleached blonde curtain fringes, waxed 'just so', singing 'fuck your Honda Civic, I've a horse outside' really loudly to some other boys. Made me smile, ....in real life you know they're all driving BMW 4x4s to and from rugby training....but whatever.

2 seconds onto the West pier and I could hear Terns.

Sandwich Tern, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

Beautiful Sandwich Tern with splash of yellow on tip of the jet black beak

There was a lot of diving and feeding going on. But I noticed one particular Tern not eating the fish himself but flying away to offer his catch as a present to a lady Tern. She however, was suitably unimpressed.

Oh my, who's that beauty over there on the yellow buoy..

Ohmigod, she's like, totally fine.. catch her eye, catch her eye, catch her eye

Oh, I don't believe it. Here we go again. Avoid eye contact, avoid eye contact, too late...he's coming over

Oh, hi, yeah, I think we spoke before at a bar in West Africa. I really liked your black eyes. Did you do something different with your feathers?

*Rolls eyes* Seriously?

I'll get her some fish.

He wants to impress me with fish? Like, I can't hunt my own?

Seen some. Get her one of these beauties and she'll soon change her mind.

Geronimo

God, that always hurts.

Feast your eyes on what this bad boy can fetch for you Lady Tern!

Oh, hi, yeh, I don't know if you remember me, but we were just talking like a minute ago and I wondered if you'd like some fish?

No. No, I wouldn't.

Maybe it was the wrong kind of fish, maybe she'll like this one..

Hello?! Hi, yeah, I brought you er, ... different fish?

I don't want your fish! I can get my own fish.

Do you know what, if this fish doesn't do it for her, she can feck off. Some birds are just too much work.

Do you want this fish or not?

Not.

Fine.
Fine.
Silence.

I walked away from the tension and left them to it.In fairness to the female Tern, another 2 (presumably) male Terns soon started flying over her and one brought back fish for her. It would be interesting to know how many potential suitors she was dealing with.

A passing Kittiwake shed a tear at the scene. 'Life can be so cruel', it blubbed.

Tapping into past life experience the Kittiwake offered some advice, I heard it saying 'You can't give up when something doesn't work out'

No good hiding yourself away

You begin again. And again. And again. I learnt that at mindfulness.

Plenty more fish in the sea :o)

Damn right Sistah, bellowed a MASSIVE passing Grey Heron.

After these shots, I spotted some Razorbill and Guillemots a bit further out in the harbour. Whilst looking at them, another birder came over and started chatting. It was just as he was chatting that I realised my lens had just kaput, broke, stopped taking pictures completely. Pressed the shutter button down and nothing.
Having a mild freakout, I stopped listening to the guy's birding travel stories and tried to figure out what was up with the camera. I changed the battery, took the lens off the camera, wiped the contacts, put lens back on, hoped for the best - but nada. F,S,W.
The man wandered off saying he'd leave me to it. Wise move. I sat there continuously trying the off/on magic trick - but nothing worked. I walked back to the car (kicking stones most of the way) and considered driving back into town to see about the lens, but it was 5.30pm and by the time I drove into town Conns would be shut.
The evening was still so beautiful and I wanted to stay out longer, so I put the camera back in it's bag and drove over to Sandycove.
I walked down to the 40ft where there were some really tame Turnstones feeding around the rocks, a few Oystercatchers, 2 Brent Geese flew by and a Shag and a Cormorant were diving close inland.
I walked along the coast road over to the East Pier and walked to the end of the pier where there was a busker playing 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' on his banjo...
On the rocks at the end of the East Pier were a lot of Turnstones, Redshank, lots of Oystercatchers, again a Shag and Cormorant diving nearby. Walking back along the E Pier, in the harbour, there were 3 Guillemots and a Razorbill.
I walked back to Sandycove, giving myself nuff respect for walking straight past Teddys.
Checked down at the rocks for Med Gulls and poss Black Redstart I've seen there before, but nothing showing except more Turnstones and lots of Starlings and Feral Pigeons.
Walked back along the coast road to the 40ft and drove home. Great day out and great days birding.

Garganey, ECNR, Co Wicklow

Later yesterday afternoon a couple of us went down to the Hide at the East Coast Nature Reserve in Newcastle, Co Wicklow. We were hoping to see the Garganey which has been reported there for over a week now.
As soon as we arrived (about 5pm), 2 males and 1 female Garganey were swimming around in front of us.

Male Garganey, left, female Garganey middle, other male Garganey to the back with two Teal

2 male Garganey left, female Garganey right.

Male Garganey in the reeds

Everything about this bird is like a work of art. From the spotted undertails, to the extra long scapulars with white edging and then the huge white eye stripe on the male,  dark eye stripe on the female - they're just beautiful birds.

and a darkish green speculum with lovely white borders

Eric was saying that it's very unusual for Garganey to be around so early at this time of year and that he's never managed to get photos of them so close and out in the open. He showed me the photos he took at the exact same time as I took the photos above and the quality from his new big bertha lens was sickening, absolutely perfect to the nth degree. Super sharp, super fine. I know his camera and lens cost 10 times what my camera and lens are worth, but still, I know I could be getting much sharper images from my own setup.
I gots to Step away from the auto settings madam, step away.
Anyhow, less about the image quality and back to the birds - pure beauty aren't they? garganey are one of the few ducks which actually come to Ireland to 'summer'. Usually most ducks come here to 'winter' because of the milder winters Ireland offers, then they leave about now to 'summer' in their own breeding countries. Garganeys however generally 'winter' in Africa and 'summer' in Ireland.

April Showers

These were taken yesterday in a ranch in Newcastle, co. Wicklow...

Everyone, Everyone, I think it looks like rain

Pardon?

I said, I can see big thunder clouds from up here. I think it's going to rain. It's getting windy too.

What did she say?

Rain? Rain?! My Accu weather app said it was going to be sunny all day.

RAIN EVERYONE...RAIN...!!

Blub, not more feckin rain. I thought we were in for a scorcher.

I just put my shaggin washing out too.

Rain? Again? Bummer.

Quick, get what you can, it's about to lash.

Here comes the rain again, falling on my head like a memory

It's ok everyone, calm down, it was just a passing shower.

No need for the dramatics. Bollix, now I've gone and dropped my dinner down my clean feathers.

Early April in Kilcoole

It was my first visit of the year to Kilcoole yesterday and it was a great visit. I saw my first Swallow, House Martin, Skylark, Wheatear and Tern of the year. Plus my first Gannets, Razorbill, Red Throated Diver, Kittiwake and Shag.
We also saw plenty of Brent Geese still around, Greylag geese, Wigeon, Shelduck, Teal, Mallard and Mute Swans. Interesting sightings were a Lapwing already on it's nest and Lapwings constantly mobbing the crows in the area.

We waved goodbye to a flock of Greylag geese who Eric reckoned were on their way back to Iceland

and we waved hello to a beautiful looking Sandwich Tern, arriving in from West Africa. These are my favourite Terns.

in the channel Ian noticed a couple of Snipe feeding out in the open

There were still at least 300 Brent Geese in Kilcoole, a Peregrine put these up.

Buzzard at Kilcoole - the geese/ waders know that the Buzzard is no threat to them, so they never lift because a Buzzard's in the air.

Kittiwake keeping watch over a nuisance diver under the sea

Kittiwake hovering over the diver under the sea

A Razorbill, the object of the Kittiwake's affections. Ahhhh.

A Shelduck heading off to the shops for some Taytos

Double click to see Barnacle goose who's fallen in with the Greylag geese

Red throated Diver, starting to get it's summer plumage on it's neck, and Razorbill

Hello Wheatear! About 2 years ago, I was sitting on the boulders in Kilcoole minding my own business, when a bird landed beside me and just stayed there. I didn't know at the time, but from what I know now, it was a Wheatear, probably exhausted from just arriving on Irish shores from it's possible wintering grounds in Africa.

A Pheasant. Beautiful, rich, warm colouring - looks a little out of place in Kilcoole

I didn't manage a photo of a Swallow, House Martin or Skylark - I just watched them through the binocs, happy to see them again.
The outing was over in a couple pf hours and to be honest a lot of the outing went by in a kind of blur. It's nearly impossible to focus in on the birds when there's a chatty crowd around, but, if it wasn't for the crowd I wouldn't see half of what I saw -  they're the highs and lows of group outings I suppose.
I wonder how possible it would be to have the crowd following quietly behind me next weekend when I'm down in Carlow, walking down wooded lanes trying to id all the birds for the Countryside Bird Survey??