Chris Ingram 18th May

Hi Peter,
 
I was on Tory on 18th, here's my list:
 
Great Northern Diver  2 off east,  5 seen from boat on 19th
Manx Shearwater  small numbers passing, c.20 feeding off lighthouse with terns and kittiwakes
Pinkfoot  1 on north lake
Greylag  2 on north lake
Shelduck  1 on east beach
Merlin  female in west
Dunlin  c.20 on west beach
Whimbrel  1
Black-headed Gull  29 at north lake, increase from last week
Little Tern  4
White Wagtail  3 on west beach
Garden Warbler  1 in Anton's garden
Chiffchaff  3
Rook  1 in east
 
Regards Chris
 

Paul Lynch

Hi Peter

Here is a species list between the 13th and 15th

Mute Swan - est end and lighthouse

Whooper Swan - lighthouse

Greylag - 2 at lighthouse

Pink-footed Goose 1 at lighthouse

Mallard

Tufted Duck

Eider - pair in harbour on 14th

Corncrake 5 west town, at least 3 east end

Great northern diver

Fulmar

Manx Shearwater - small numbers daily (<20)

Gannet

Cormorant

Shag

Grey Heron 2 flew over west town on 14th

Peregrine - pair east end on 14th

Merlin - female east ens on 14th then later at west harbour

Oystercatcher

Ringed Plover

Lapwing

Turnstone - 20 west harbour

Dunlin - 60 west harbour

Redshank

Whimbrel - about 20 daily

Snipe

Ruff - summer plumage male lighthouse lake on 14th

Great Skua - 1 north of island 13th, 3 over island near west town on 14th, several more at sea

Black-headed gull

Common Gull

Herring Gull

Lesser black-backed Gull

Great black-backed Gull

Kittiwake

Arctic Tern - 12 west end in 14th

Puffin - >200 east end

Black Guillemot

Guillemot

Razorbill

Woodpigeon - 1 west town on 15th

Collard Dove - heard in west and east town on 14th

Skylark

Swallow

Rock Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Pied Wagtail - 2 or 3 daily

White Wagtail - 8 - 10 daily

Robin - 1 west town 13th and 14th

Black Redstart - female east town on 14th

Wheatear

Song Thrush - 2 west town 13th and 14th

Wren

Sedge Warbler - 1 singing behind hotel daily

Willow warbler 1 west town 14th and 15th

Chiffchaff - 1 east town 14th

Spotted Flycatcher - 1 west town 14th

Jackdaw - 1 east town 14th

Rook - 1 east town 14th

Raven - family of 5 at lighthouse, 2 east end

Chough - 2 east end daily

Hooded crow

Starling

Tree Sparrow

Linnet - 1 daily west town

Goldfinch 2 east town 14th

Siskin - male singing in Antons garden 13th

Reed Bunting 1 antons garden 14th

Regards Paul

Chris Ingram and Seamus Feeney 12th and 13th May

Hi Peter,

I joined Seamus Feeney on Tory on 12th and 13th May. Here is our list:

Whooper Swan  single bird on the bog on 13th
Greylag  3 heading NE over the island on 13th
Shelduck  2 at east beach on 12th
White-billed Diver  3 adults off SE on 12th, 1 moulting adult on 13th
Great Northern Diver  5/6 off east on 12th,  few off east on 12th and 13th and 4/5 off lighthouse on 13th
Manx Shearwater  small numbers passing E on 13th
Heron 1 at south lake on 13th
Merlin  female on 13th
Corncrake  Anton recorded 10 pairs (5 east % west) on evening of 12th
Dunlin  c.100 around island on 13th
Snipe  7 together in flight on 12th and others drumming
Whimbrel  2 on 12th, 9 on 13th
Great Skua  1 on 12th, 3 on 13th
Black-headed Gull   22 on north lake on 12th, presumably 11 pairs
Arctic Tern  at least 50
Collared Dove  1 around west town on 13th
White Wagtail  probably 7/8 on 12th, 5 on 13th
Sedge Warbler  1song-flighting in east on 13th
Chiffchaff  2 both days
Willow Warbler  1 on 13th
Spotted Flycatcher  2 on 12th, 1 on 13th
Rook  1 in east on 13th
Lesser Redpoll   3 on 13th
Siskin  1 on 13th in Anton's garden, present in previous few days

Also 2 Dolphin sp. off east and very large Basking Shark off south on 12th

Regards Chris

Paul Lynch

Hi Peter 

No sign of the divers since yesterday morning. The best birds were a singing Siskin in Antons garden yesterday and today single chiffchaff, Willow warbler, black redstart, spotted flycatcher, Reed bunting, Robin, rook, jackdaw, merlin, 8 corncrake, 2 song Thrush, 20 whimbrel, 12 artic tern, 3 great skua over the island and several more at sea. A nice summer plumage Ruff at the lighthouse lake. 

I'll send you a full list when I get home. 

Regards Paul 

Robert Vaughan Trip Report early May

Hi Peter,
Another great trip out with almost un-broken sunshine, easterly winds
and great birds. Un-doubted highlight was 3 white-billed divers on the
9th after 1 the previous evening. A great fall on the 9th left
migrants everywhere, blackcaps and phylloscs roving the island in
flocks!

Great Northern Diver- several off Maheroarty on the way out, only 1 on
the 8th, 2 on 9th and a minumum of 20 on the 10th and 11th.
White-billed Diver- 1 off the east end on 8th, 3 on the 9th. All 3
appeared to be moulting adults, but far less advanced than the vast
majority of great northerns. Easy to pick up early afternoon as most
divers seemed to be preening and sleeping, very difficult to locate
and follow divers at other times when they were actively feeding.
Fulmar- good numbers around the island each day. No counts.
Manx Shearwater- good numbers most days, passing east and west,
roughly 100 in an hour on 10th.
Storm-Petrel- 1-2 each evening while scanning for divers off the east
end, none from the ferry.
Gannet- good numbers each day.
Cormorant- small numbers around the island.
Shag- more numerous than cormorant.
Mute Swan- Pair east and west end with a lone juv. in the centre marsh.
Pink-footed Goose- 1 on the lighthouse lake each day. Seemed in good health.
Greylag Goose- 2 pairs west end each day.
Shelduck- Pair in the harbour on 9th.
Mallard- roughly 15 each day.
Gadwall- Male west end on 9th.
Wigeon- Male west end on 8th and 9th.
Tufted duck- 5 pairs West end.
Eider- pair in the harbour on 8th.
Merlin- female around the lighthouse on 8th.
Peregrine- male each day east end.
Corncrake- 2 Maheroarty around the carpark on 8th, 7 on Tory, 3 east
end, 2 below Grace's and 2 West town. Numbers the same each day but
birds moved about until final day. Atleast 5 in West town on the 11th
with another in the reeds towards the lighthouse, 1 below Grace's and
2 east end, so a minimum of 9.
Oystercatcher- Good numbers all around the island.
Ringed Plover- Good numbers and several pairs on nests.
Golden Plover- Approx 20 each day, mobile around the island.
Lapwing- Common
Sanderling- 1 bird on 10th all around the island, finally settled in
the harbour.
Turnstone- over 100 west town harbour, 20 east beach with several more
around the lakes and lighthouse.
Dunlin- Over 200 each day, numbers seemed to increase on the 9th.
Several pairs around the lighthouse.
Common Sandpiper- 1 on the lighthouse lake on 8th, 1 in the harbour on 9th.
Redshank- Common
Curlew- 3 9th and 10th around the harbour.
Whimbrel- upto 40 most days.
Snipe- several displaying and many more flushed from road-side
ditches, nest with 4 eggs by road at Grace's.
Great Skua- 1-2 East end cliffs on 8th, 1 east on the 10th.
Black-headed gull- common
Common gull- common
Herring Gull- around 50,mostly around the harbour.
Lesser-black backed gull- 50 or so, numbers fluctuated during the day.
Great black-backed gull- small numbers
Kittiwake- common
Iceland Gull- 1 2nd summer/ 3rd calender west end on the 8th.
Little Tern- 2 on the west lake on 10th.
Common Tern- 20 plus west end from the 9th.
Artic Tern- 1 on 9th
Puffin- common off east end
Black guillemot- 50 plus around the east end
Guilemot- good numbers off-shore, not on the cliffs yet.
Razorbill- as above.
Wood pigeon- 3 on 9th, 2 on 10th and 1 11th.
Collared dove- 6 on 9th, 8 10th and 2 on 11th.
Swift- 1 at the lighthouse on 9th.
Skylark- Common
Sand martin- 2 on 8th and 9th
House martin- 5 or so 8th-10th.
Swallow- common
Meadow pipit- common
Rock pipit- common
Tree pipit- 1 on 10th west end
Pied wagtail- 10 plus each day around the island.
White wagtail- atleast 12 each day, numbers and locations seemed
similar each day.
Wren- common
Dunnock- 1 in Anton's West town on 9th.
Black Redstart- 1 female on 9th, West town.
Wheatear- common
Whinchat- 1 female on 9th on way out to lighthouse.
Song thrush- 2 west town each day.
Blackcap- atleast 25 on 9th, 6 on 10th and 2 on 11th.
Lesser whitethroat- 1 in Graces on 9th.
Whitethroat- 3 on 9th and 10th.
Sedge Warbler- 12 on the 9th and aprrox 6 each day after.
Reed Warbler- 1 on 9th in bush beside hotel, moved to reed bed and not
heard after.
Willow warbler- 20 plus on 9th, less than 5 each other day.
Chiffchaff- 40 plus on 9th, between 5 and 10 each other day.
Spotted Flycatcher- 6 on 9th, 4 on 10th and 1 on 11th.
Pied Flycatcher- 1 female in East town on 10th.
Chough- 1 West town each day and 2 East end beach, but 5 over east end
cliffs on the 9th and 10th were too distant to make out if any juvs.
were involved.
Rook- 1 on 11th, west end.
Hooded crow- several pairs.
Raven- 2 pairs
Starling- common
Tree sparrow- approx 10 each day.
Linnet- a pair each day which were mobile, a lone female by the hostel
on the 11th.
Redpoll- 1 lesser on 9th in West town.
Goldfinch- 6 on 8th dwindled to 0 on 10th.
Siskin- 1 on 11th.

3 White billed Divers

One of the three found by Robert Vaughan

Mid May

Just rang Anton. Latest news. Robert Vaughan was on for a few days. He had tje islands first White billed Diver off the harbour at the east end. Other good birds  found by Rob include Tree Pipit and a Black Redstart. Billy Clarke and Seamus Feeney are on at the moment and Paul Lynch is on for the weekend.
Eamon Meenan had a male Ring Ouzel in his garden yesterday

Derek Brennan 8th May

Hi Peter, some figures from today. Sat was a bit of a washout.

Cuckoo 1

Song thrush 1

Peregrine 2

Collard dove 1

Goldfinch 3

Chiffchaff 4

Corncrake 3 (2 west, 1 east).

The Egyptian goose mentioned by Chris seems to have taken up residence in anton's brothers garden, hanging out with the magpie geese. 

A Canada goose on the east lake is probably a wanderer from the same garden?

Robert Vaughan arrived today so I dare say there'll be some stuff coming your way over the week. Might get back myself on Friday for a day.

Cheers,

Derek.

Derek Brennan 6th May

Some figures from today -
More for Peter's benefit.

Chiffchaff 8 (3 west, 5 east)
Willow warbler 3 (1 west, 2 east)
Whitethroat 1 (graces garden)
Tree sparrow 5
Collard dove 1
Goldfinch 1
White wagtail 20
Wigeon 1
Pink foot goose 1
Little tern 3
Corncrake 3 (2 west, 1 east)
Peregrine 1
Chough 2
Wheatear everywhere (100+)
Brent goose 3.

Derek.

Derek Brennan 5th May

Four Yellow Wags (flavissima) this evening at the East Beach on Tory. 2 chiffchaff and 2 willow warbler also. Here till Sunday, so hopefully more to report later.

Derek