Gyr Falcon a blast from the past

While on a visit to the Natural History Museum recently I came across these impressive beasts. 2 birds shot on Tory Island a month apart. 

 Gyr Falcons; Natural History Museum, Dublin

One in November 1909 and a male on the 9^th December 1909. (Kennedy, Ruttledge and Scroope, page 117).

They constituted the first and second records of the species for Tory.There are two other records one from the end of February to early March 1955 (IBR 3:12) and one, 24^th April 1996 (Irish Birds 6:72) 

Thanks to Joe Hobbs and Kieran Fahy for the information.

There have been a whopping 124 records in Ireland up to and including 2010 and one each in 2011 and 2012 which have yet to be formally accepted.

They seem to appear regularly on the Western Isles particularly in spring. Possibly birds that have wintered in Britain and are heading back home?

It’s a bird that’s definitely on my wish list….