Seatrack: mid-October update

The second last Seatrack survey weekend of the season takes place this Sat 18th/Sun 19th October with a start time of 09:00am.

Whilst the current weather predictions for the coming weekend are constantly changing, it would appear that the south coast will be the place to be with strong south to southwest winds and rain coming off the back of post-tropical storm Fay and likely to produce a few late autumn goodies. 

This past week has seen some excellent tallies of Balearic Shearwaters in Co. Cork with 30 passing the Old Head of Kinsale plus a separate 15 seen passing Galley Head on 8th October. Seabird rarities typically associated with late August continue to feature with a Barolo Shearwater seen eight miles off Quilty, Co. Clare on 7th Oct and both a Fea's-type Petrel and a Wilson's Storm-petrel seen several miles to the southeast of Galley Head on 10th Oct, all noted from the R.V. Celtic Explorer which is currently running transect lines through the Celtic Sea as part of the annual Celtic Sea Herring Acoustic Survey. In addition, several Great Shearwaters and Pomarine Skuas plus good numbers of European Storm-petrels along with Sabine's Gull, Grey Phalarope etc. have also been seen from the ship in the waters south of Cork/Waterford in recent days. The seabirds are certainly still out there!

If you would like to take part in this weekends Seatrack survey or wish to send on any additional seawatching records you've collated so far this season then please get in touch with Niall Keogh (Seatrack project co-ordinator) at seatrack@birdwatchireland.ie

Balearic Shearwaters West of Cape Clear, taken from the R.V. Celtic Explorer © Niall T. Keogh

Seatrack: early October update

The fifth Seatrack survey weekend of the season takes place this Sat 4th/Sun 5th October with a start time of 08:30am (preference given to Sat 4th if possible so as to link in with other coastal seabird surveys being conducted by BirdLife Europe partners in France, Spain and Portugal). 

The current forecast for the weekend looks quite promising with a low pressure system originating off the southern end Greenland and stretching across the mid-Atlantic set to create moderate Westerly winds along the Atlantic seaboard on Saturday with increasing Southwest winds benefiting Southern watchpoints on Sunday.

Pomarine Skuas will hopefully be the order of the day for many Seatrackers on this next survey. When favourable seawatching conditions coincide with their late Autumn migration period it can be a real treat! An increase in the number of migrating Gannets, Kittiwakes and auks should also be apparent.

If you would like to take part in this weekends Seatrack survey or wish to send on any additional seawatching records you've collated so far this season then please get in touch with Niall Keogh (Seatrack project co-ordinator) at seatrack@birdwatchireland.ie

Pomarine Skua © Jason McGuirk

Cetaceans on the Frontier 6

A team of seabird observers are once again present on board the Marine Institutes research vessel, the R.V. Celtic Explorer during the sixth Cetaceans on the Frontier cruise to take place since 2009. The team will join a group of marine mammal observers from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in surveying offshore fauna along Ireland's Atlantic margin.

To keep to speed with all the latest sightings and pics from the trip please see the project blog and Facebook page.

Blog: www.cetaceansonthefrontier.blogspot.ie

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/cetaceansonthefrontier

Seatrack: early-September update

The third Seatrack survey weekend of the season takes place this Sat 6th/Sun 7th September with a start time of 07:45am (preference given to Sat 6th if possible so as to link in with other coastal seabird surveys being conducted by BirdLife Europe partners in France, Spain and Portugal). 

The forecast for the weekend is set to be calm with light East to Northeast winds across much of the country. True passage may be slow but we will be interested to know of any feeding flocks present inshore during the calm weather so please do keep an eye out for any 'milling' seabirds. Observers surveying in the East may be affected by strong morning sunshine so an alternative evening watch with a start time of 16:05pm is suggested if necessary.

Reports of the Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater have been widespread so far this season but in typically low numbers with 1-3 birds at a time seen during seawatches from coastal headlands across eight different counties between Donegal and Wexford.

If you would like to take part in this weekends Seatrack survey or wish to send on any additional seawatching records you've collated so far this season then please get in touch with Niall Keogh (Seatrack project co-ordinator) at seatrack@birdwatchireland.ie

A new seabird blog featuring news updates and posts from BirdLife Europe partners in Ireland, UK, France, Spain and Portugal can be found here, or follow on Twitter by searching and posting using the hashtag #saveseabirds 

Balearic Shearwater off Baltimore, Co. Cork, 24th August 2014 © Robert Vaughan

Bridges of Ross 31st August 2014

Time: 0710-1000

Weather: F2-3 S, dry, mild & good visibility.

Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Neal Warnock, Victor Caschera, Jimmy Dowdall, Eamonn MacLochlainn, John Power, Ger Murray, Des Higgins, Bernie Sheridan, Dave Fox et al.

Common Scoter: 1

'Blue' Fulmar: 1 'D'

Sooty Shearwater: 28

Manx Shearwater: 1,250 in 1.25 hrs 

European Storm-petrel: 2

Arctic Skua: 1

Sandwich Tern: 6

Arctic Tern: 8

Bar-tailed Godwit: 8

Whimbrel: 1

Leatherback Turtle: 1 @ 0905 (NWarnock)

The sea returned to a calm state once more for our final mornings seawatch. A light but steady passage of Manxies contained quite a few Sooties and a nice 'Blue' Fulmar (I guess it's the same bird which has been seen on several seawatches this past week or so). 

Neal connected with a surfacing Leatherback Turtle ensuring at least one made it into the records for our annual watch effort on site. Typically it was an all to brief encounter and difficult to get other observers on to. Luck of the draw! The Bridges of Ross is a particularly good spot for seeing them so with a bit of patience and careful scanning close in on calms days you'd stand a reasonable chance of seeing one, especially if there are plenty of Ocean Sunfish about it would seem based on previous years experience.

Hoping to make it back here later in September for a few more days seawatching so stay tuned!

Evening light at BoR © Neal Warnock

Bridges of Ross 30th August 2014

Time: 0630-1810

Weather: F5 NW, dry, mild & good visibility.

Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Neal Warnock, Victor Caschera, Jimmy Dowdall, Eamonn MacLochlainn, John Power, Lee Gregory, Tom Buckley, Ger Murray, Des Higgins, Brian Porter, Tom Shevlin, Hugh Delaney, Aidan Moore, Dave Branagh, Bernie Sheridan, Dave Fox, John N. Murphy, Jarlath Coyle et al.

Common Scoter: 14

Red-throated Diver: 1 breeding plumage

Great Shearwater: 1

Sooty Shearwater: 50+

Manx Shearwater: 3,500 in first hour then 2000+ decreasing to 500+ per hour thereafter
Balearic Shearwater: 1
Wilson's Storm-petrel: 1 @ 09:22 (Lee Gregory et al.)

European Storm-petrel: 2

Leach's Storm-petrel: 15

Great Skua (Bonxie): 20

Arctic Skua: 5

Puffin: 2

Sandwich Tern: 51

Arctic Tern: c.75

Sabine's Gull: 5 (1 adult-type & 4 juveniles)

Little Gull: 2 juveniles/1st-winters

Peregrine: 1 juvenile

Common Dolphin: 8-10

Ocean Sunfish: 1

A busy start first thing, similar to yesterday but without the same level or rhythm of species diversity as yesterday. Saying that, an enjoyable few hours all the same. Whilst scanning through the seemingly relentless & uniform passage of Manxies, Lee happened upon a Wilson's Storm-petrel which caught us on the hop and showed up well to the left, only viewable for a brief period before disappearing over the ridge but thankfully at close range. The bird was in active moult with old outer primaries and new/growing inner primaries/secondaries and a short (half length) carpal bar. Great to see that bouncing flight style again! Fairly quiet for the rest of the afternoon & evening save for a trickle of Bonxies and a few showy Leach's every now & then.

Leach's Storm-petrel © Niall Keogh

Arctic Skua © Niall Keogh

Great Skua © Niall Keogh

Bridges of Ross 29th August 2014

Time: 0630-1900

Weather: F6 WSW (am) turning F5-6 W (pm). Largely dry with some intermittent light showers. Visibility good to poor at times.

Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Neal Warnock, Victor Caschera, Jimmy Dowdall, Eamonn MacLochlainn, John Power, Lee Gregory, Tom Buckley, Ger Murray, Tom Tarpey, Des Higgins, Brian Porter, Tom Shevlin, Hugh Delaney, Aidan Moore, Dave Branagh, Bernie Sheridan, Dave Fox et al.

Common Scoter: 3

Red-throated Diver: 1 breeding plumage

'Blue' Fulmar: 1 'D'

Cory's Shearwater: 1 @ 0635

Great Shearwater: 7

Sooty Shearwater: c.185

Manx Shearwater: up to 30,000

European Storm-petrel: 13

Leach's Storm-petrel: 3

Great Skua (Bonxie): 26

Pomarine Skua: 4

Arctic Skua: 9

Puffin: 3

Sandwich Tern: 16

Arctic Tern: c.85

Sabine's Gull: 43 (41 adult-types & 2 juveniles)

Little Gull: 3 juvenile/1st-winter

Whimbrel: 20

Grey Seal: 1

Ocean Sunfish: 1

REDEMPTION! Winds from the West producing the goods with a seawatch which has made the past weeks effort in testing conditions all the worthwhile for many present. 

A Cory's which slinked out of a trough in among the close Manxie line early doors was a welcome Irish tick for Neal (serious bogey bird for a hardened salty seawatcher!). Manx Shearwaters were absolutely piling through from the get go, with 4,500 logged in the first hour and 2,000+ per hour for much of the day after. The presence of a large raft of milling birds later in the evening muddled the counts up a bit but by that stage we were on a comfortable 25,000! And what's more they were showing very well. I haven't seen a passage like this here for a good ten years so definitely a real highlight of the day for sure. Large shearwaters are a treat at The Bridges at the best of times (not like Galley Head!) so several of the Greats which showed well at close range were most appreciated. 

What The Bridges does do well for however is Sabine's Gulls and they certainly didn't disappoint. A single flock of 10 adults which showed ridiculously well just off the point was a sight to behold (with lots of smiling faces in the assembled crowd to be seen after they passed). Whilst the numbers of other species might not have been as high as hoped for there was still some great variety throughout the day. A good year-listers seawatch! Red-throated Diver, Leach's Petrel & Little Gull were all firsts of the season for the site.

Here's a bunch of iPhone-scoped pics to give you a flavour of the day...

Sabine's Gull © Niall Keogh

Sabine's Gulls © Niall Keogh

Sabine's Gulls © Niall Keogh

Sooty Shearwater © Niall Keogh

Pomarine Skua © Niall Keogh

Seawatchers © Niall Keogh

Bridges of Ross 28th August 2014

Time: 0645-1715

Weather: F3 S (am) then F5 SSW turning F6 SW (pm). Dry (am) then persistent rain (pm). Moderate-poor visibility.

Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Neal Warnock, Victor Caschera, Jimmy Dowdall, Eamonn MacLochlainn, John Power, Lee Gregory, Tom Buckley, Ger Murray, Tom Tarpey et al.

Common Scoter: 1

'Blue' Fulmar: 1 'D'

Balearic Shearwater: 3

Sooty Shearwater: 21

Manx Shearwater: 1,100 in 5 hrs (am) and 215 in 45 mins (pm)

European Storm-petrel: 3

Great Skua (Bonxie): 4

Sandwich Tern: 9

Arctic Tern: 23

Black Tern: 1 juvenile

Puffin: 1

Whimbrel: 37

Bar-tailed Godwit: 1

Sanderling: 1

Common (Harbour) Seal: 1

Ocean Sunfish: 1-2

A most welcome increase in seabird variety today with a few nice close in Balearics, higher daily counts of Sooties, Arctic Terns & Stormies (just about!) than in recent days and the first juvenile Black Tern of the season.

Persistent rain & decreasing visibility this afternoon called for an early end to the days effort. Here's hoping tomorrows Westerlies will produce the goods!

Sunrise at BoR © Niall Keogh

The Soggy Bottom Seawatchers © Niall Keogh

Ocean Sunfish © Niall Keogh

Bridges of Ross 27th August 2014

Time: 0800-1000 & 1400-1700

Weather: F4 NE (am) & F5 SE (pm), brief periods of light rain (pm) & good visibility.

Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Neal Warnock, Victor Caschera, Jimmy Dowdall, Eamonn MacLochlainn, John Power, Lee Gregory, Tom Buckley et al.

Common Scoter: 10

Great Northern Diver: 1 adult 

Balearic Shearwater: 1

Sooty Shearwater: 2

Manx Shearwater: 850 in 1.5 hrs (am) & 420 in 3 hrs (pm)

Arctic Skua: 1
Sandwich Tern: 3

Arctic Tern: 10

Sabine's Gull: 1 adult

Swift: 1

Wheatear: 1 'Greenland'-type around the watch point

Common (Harbour) Seal: 1

Common Dolphin: 12+

Basking Shark: 2+ full breaching
Ocean Sunfish: 1

Another good day for animal watching! We're starting to think the adult Sab's is simply doing the rounds between The Bridges & Loop Head. A juv/1st-winter Mediterranean Gull was waiting for us in front of the pub at Kilbaha this eve! 

Serious high hopes for these SW and W winds coming tomorrow and Friday...

Arctic Skua © Niall Keogh

Bridges of Ross 26th August 2014

Time: 0700-1000 & 1130-1825

Weather: F3 NE, dry, sunny & good visibility.

Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Neal Warnock, Des Higgins, Peter Gluth, Peter Colston, Victor Caschera, Jimmy Dowdall, John Power, Lee Gregory, Stephen Hack, Simon Dennis et al.

Common Scoter: 2

Great Northern Diver: 1 2cy type 

Sooty Shearwater: 17

Manx Shearwater: 2,350 in 4.75 hr (pm)

European Storm-petrel: 1

Great Skua (Bonxie): 4

Arctic Skua: 8
Sandwich Tern: 3

Arctic Tern: 11

Kittiwake: 70 (incl. 52 juvs)
Razorbill: 49

Guillemot: 18

Peregrine: 1 adult

Swift: 1

Common Dolphin: 4+

Basking Shark: 7 (incl. 2 full breaching)
Ocean Sunfish: 1-2 (incl. 1 breaching)

Highlight of the day was undoubtedly the Basking Sharks, which like the Humpback Whale on Sunday, were the first I've seen here since I began seawatching at this site in August 2001. A group of three individuals were seen milling about together plus another two singles at the surface and a further two fully breaching! Whacky looking creatures out of the water!

The first diver of the season, a late Swift & a male Common Scoter sat on the sea off the watch point (odd for here) were the best of the avian rest.

Basking Shark © Niall Keogh

Common Scoter © Niall Keogh

Swinhoe's Storm-petrel @ Bridges of Ross 25th August 2014

Time: 0730-1000 & 1430-1900

Weather: F4 SE, dry & sunny (am), intermittent showers (pm) & good visibility.

Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Neal Warnock, Des Higgins, Peter Gluth, Peter Colston, Sharon Hogan, Andy Marshall, Victor Caschera, Jimmy Dowdall, John Power, Lee Gregory, Stephen Hack, Simon Dennis et al.

Balearic Shearwater: 2

Sooty Shearwater: 6

Manx Shearwater: 90 in 1 hr (am) & up to 2000 in 1 hr (pm)

Swinhoe's Storm-petrel: 1 west @ 18:05 (SHack et al.)

Great Skua (Bonxie): 1

Arctic Skua: 3

Sandwich Tern: 1

Arctic Tern: 7

Loop Head (1330-1815):

Sooty Shearwater: 6

Manx Shearwater: up to 3,000 milling/rafting/passage South

Pomarine Skua: 1

Arctic Skua: 6

Arctic Tern: 10

Sabine's Gull: 1 adult

Another not so classic day of seawatching weather but a milling flock of Manxies moving between The Bridges & Loop Head with Sooties & skuas in attendance gave us something to look at.

The magic moment for those present at The Bridges of Ross in the evening came at 18:05 when UK birder Stephen Hack picked up a Swinhoe's Storm-petrel heading West. The bird was on show for about four minutes allowing seven lucky seawatchers to get onto it. This is the second record of Swinhoe's for The Bridges following one seen here on 15th August 1985 by Tom Tarpey. Not the first time a mega seabird has drifted by here in SE winds either (Fea's & Barolo have done the same) just going to show that the rewards are there for those willing to put in the effort. A great find and a great 400th Irish tick for John Power! Congratulations to all who saw it.

Unfortunately the author was seawatching from the tip of Loop Head at the time. That's what you get for abandoning your post! ;)

Rafting Manxies off Loop Head © Niall Keogh

Nice evening light at Loop Head © Niall Keogh

Bridges of Ross 24th August 2014

Time: 0800-1000 & 1330-1800

Weather: F4 SE, intermittent showers (light) & good visibility.

Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Neal Warnock, Des Higgins, Peter Gluth, Peter Colston, Sharon Hogan, Andy Marshall, Victor Caschera, Jimmy Dowdall, John Power, Lee Gregory et al.

Common Scoter: 4

'Blue' Fulmar: 1

Sooty Shearwater: 1

Manx Shearwater: 200 in 15 mins (am) & 25 in 4.5 hrs (pm)

Arctic Skua: 2

Sandwich Tern: 1

Arctic Tern: 6

Sabine's Gull: 1 adult

Ruff: 1 past the watch point

Raven: 3 around the watch point

Humpback Whale: 1 breaching

Minke Whale: 1 breaching

Common Dolphin: 20+ feeding

Bottlenose Dolphin: 4

The weather couldn't have been any worse for seawatching! Relatively calm seas & a breezy offshore wind. Not ideal! But great for cetacean watching, of which there was plenty. Yesterday's splashing/blowing unidentified whale sp. was confirmed first thing this morning as a fantastic breaching Humpback Whale, a rare sighting in this part of the world away from the hub of acivity to be found further South around The Blaskets in Kerry. In fact, it was my first record of this species here in 13 years of effort between mid-August & mid-September. The breaching Minke added to the excitement along with leaping Common Dolphins & cruising Bottlenose.

The cetacean craze continued in the afternoon when some of us joined the IWDG Whale Watch Day event at Loop Head. From here we had nice views of 5 Bottlenose Dolphins and better numbers of seabirds (albeit distant) than from The Bridges. Rafts of 100's of Manxies held an adult Sabine's Gull, a dark morph Arctic Skua & a Sooty Shearwater.

Elsewhere, a flock of 22 Chough were seen at The Fodry, 2 juvenile Ruff were present at Kilcredaun marsh and a Little Egret at Cloghaun Lough which was a good local record.

Bottlenose Dolphin off Loop Head © Niall Keogh

IWDG Whale Watch Day at Loop Head © Niall Keogh

Bridges of Ross 23rd August 2014

Time: 0730-1905

Weather: F3 N (am), F3 NW (pm), dry, sunny & good visibility.

Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Neal Warnock, Des Higgins, Peter Gluth, Peter Colston, Sharon Hogan, Andy Marshall, Victor Caschera, Jimmy Dowdall, John Power, Dave Fox, Paul Keating, John N. Murphy, Finbarr MacGabhann, BirdWatch Ireland Clare Branch et al.

Balearic Shearwater: 2

Sooty Shearwater: 6

Manx Shearwater: 1200 East in 30 mins (am) & 485 West in 4.5 hrs (pm)

Arctic Skua: 6

Sandwich Tern: 1

Arctic Tern: 29

Black Guillemot: 1

Chough: 2 around the watch point

Ocean Sunfish: 1

Minke Whale: 1

Unidentified Whale sp: 1

Common Dolphin: 3

A short but busy passage of distant Manx Shearwaters going the ‘wrong’ way early in the morning probably accounted for most of the birds which drifted back the ‘right’ way throughout the afternoon. Both Balearics were typical in that they were on their own & quite close in, one of which put on a good show for the participants of the BirdWatch Ireland Clare Branch outing. 

The most tantalising sighting of the day related to a series of large, distant splashes from a breaching whale which was also seen to produce a blow on one occasion, behaviour suggestive of Humpback more than anything else but not confirmed unfortunately.

Bridges of Ross 22nd August 2014

Time: 0640-0940 & 1410-1820

Weather: F1-2 W (am), F3-4 NW (pm), dry & good visibility.

Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Neal Warnock, Des Higgins, Davey Farrer, Peter Gluth, Peter Colston, Sharon Hogan, Andy Marshall et al.

Balearic Shearwater: 1

Sooty Shearwater: 4

Manx Shearwater: 600 (am) & 465 (pm)

Arctic Skua: 3

Great Skua (Bonxie): 3

Arctic Tern: 3

Peregrine: 1 attempting to catch an Oystercatcher

Bottlenose Dolphin: 3 west @ 0830

Common Dolphin: 3 milling/logging @ 1510

Another slow day(!) which allowed for the surrounding gardens & marshes to be given a thorough going over, producing no more than a juv Ruff at Kilcredaun marsh, a Common Sandpiper at Kilbaha pool & a few juv Willow Warblers scattered about the place.

Arctic Skua © Niall Keogh

There will be a BirdWatch Ireland Clare Branch outing to The Bridges of Ross tomorrow to view migrating seabirds plus a chance of other marine wildlife such as Bottlenose Dolphin & Ocean Sunfish.

The meeting point will be at the car park at 09:00am from where it is a short walk on easy terrain the watch point.

The outing is free & all are welcome to attend. It is advised that participants bring along binoculars and/or telescopes with them in order to make the most of it but there will be some telescopes available to look through on the day as provided by event organisers.

We hope to see you there!