Arranmore; 4th October

A change in the wind to westerly had me change mind mid week. I decided take a chance on Arranmore instead of Tory. With a few yanks arriving and the chance of some eastern birds being blown back onto the west coas,t I thought it worth a look.

Late thursday evening word came through that Rob Vaughan was on Arranmore for a couple of weeks. He had found a  Common Rosefinch, Wryneck, Yellow browed Warbler, Snow Bunting and a Pied Flycatcher in the north east corner during the day.

Gerard Murray and I picked up Chris Ingram on route and we got the 8.30am boat from Burtonport. Rob met us at the ferry and we were birding by 9am. We went looking for yesterday's birds but could not find any of them. We all split up and spent a very plesent day birding the island. I could not find a thing with my best birds, a single swallow, 10 Chiffchaff (mostly calling)and 5 Long-tailed Tits. Gerard did a bit better with a Spotted Flycatcher in the harbour and a Snow Bunting at the lakes.

Snow Bunting (Gerard Murray)

Spotted Flycatcher (Gerard Murray)

Chris had the Spot Fly and a single Yellow browed Warbler. Rob did best with a Snow Bunting in the north east,  Yellow-browed Warbler in the harbour and a 'tecking' "low down" Phylloscopus warbler near the Glen Hotel. Despite Rob getting some brief views and hearing the bird well, the bird would not "give itself up".

15 minutes befor the ferry was due to depart we got a call from Rob. He had refound yesterday's Wryneck in its original location. It showed very well on the ground beside the car, and on a bramble for the few minutes we had left.

Total for the day; c.15 Chiffchaff, 5 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Snow Bunting,1 Wryneck, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Kestrel, and 1 Sparrowhawk.

The best of luck to Rob and Shane Farrell, who will be joining Rob for the next week or so.

(I will add a few of Gerard's shots, when he sends them to me ).

Wryneck

Wryneck(Gerard Murray)

Wryneck (Gerard Murray)

Rose coloured Starling

Tim Murphy found a juvenile Rose coloured Starling on Tory this morning.

Early October; Tim Murphy

Tim Murphy is on Tory for a few days (per Chris Ingram).

His best birds today were a Stonechat, Swift and a Yellow-browed Warbler.

Chris Ingram 25th-27th September

I recieved an email from Chris about a recent visit to Tory. Here is his trip list:


Great Northern Diver  1 from ferry just offshore
Fulmar
Gannet
Heron  1 on 25th
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan  1 with Mutes on west lake
Mallard
Eider  2 males offshore on 27th
Kestrel  1 female around each day
Ringed Plover
Golden Plover  c.5 at west lake on 25th
Dunlin  1 at west lake on 25th
Snipe
Curlew
Redshank
Greenshank  1 calling not seen on 27th
Oystercatcher
Turnstone
Herring Gull
Great Black Back
Black Guillemot  c.15  on return crossing
Rock Dove
Pheasant  2 on 26th
Skylark
Swallow
House Martin  1 on 26th
Rock Pipit
Meadow Pipit  fall of100+ on 25th.  2 flocks of 3/4 following ferry from Inishboffin
Pied Wagtail
Wren
Robin  2/3 on 25th 8 on26th
Redstart  female or imm on 26th
Pied Flycatcher  1 on 26th
Wheatear  c. 5 in east both days
Blackcap  1 on 26th
Chiffchaff  1 on 26th
Willow Warbler  1 on 25th 5 on 26th 1 on 27th
Goldcrest  1 on 26th
Chough
Hooded Crow
Raven
Starling
Tree Sparrow
Linnet  flock of c.25 on 26th
Reed Bunting 3/4 west town

Regards Chris

Late September

A brief recap of whats been a good few days on Tory.

22nd September

2 Common Rosefinch ( D. Hunter).


23rd September

1 Comon Rosefinch (D. Hunter).
2 Spotted Flycatchers
1 Whitethroat
1 Whinchat

24th September

2 Yellow-browed Warblers (D. Hunter).
2 Turtle Doves
1 Common Rosefinch
2 Garden Warblers
2 Pied Flycatchers
1 Whitethroat
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff

25th September

1 Yellow-browed Warbler (D. Hunter)
1 Common Rosefinch

26th September

1 Redstart (C. Ingram)
1 Pied Flycatcher.
1 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
5 Willow Warblers
8 Robins

Thanks to Davey Hunter,Chris Ingram, Irish birding and Wilton Farrelly at nibirds.blogspot for providing the news.

7th-10th September

The weather looked promising with a brief shift to north easterly winds predicted on saturday and sunday followed by a strenghtening north and north west winds on monday and tuesday.

Brad Robson was on Tory the weekend (7th/8th)and Chris Ingram (8th/9th) and with Ralph Sheppard on the 10th. Gerard Murray and I made a day trip over on monday 9th.

The weather was wet and windy on saturday and a seawatch from the lighthouse produced 100 Manx Shearwater, 49 Sooty Shearwater and a single Storm Petrel. A Ruff and 2 White Wagtails were the only other migrants noted.

Sunday was drier and less windy and Chris found a Whinchat and a Turtle Dove and Micky Meehans. A Lesser Whitethroat was mobile around West town with the only other migrants a Kestrel,Robin, Chiffchaff and 3 Willow Warblers.

Gerard and I got the early boaton monday. The best birds on the way over were single Sooty Shearwater, Arctic, Great and Pomarine Skuas. I tried chumming on the journey over and a mix of vegatable oil and fish blood and oil had about 5 Fulmar trailing the boat.

We met Anton and Chris at the pier and decided to start at the east end, around Antons patch. An elusive Willow Warbler eventually showed after an hour and was the only migrant in the cover. We headed back east and found no other migrants. A little dissapointed we started to walk back to west town. We recieved 3 texts in quick succession from Chris to say first Lesser Whitethroat then Pied Flycatcher and then Common Rosefinch had all been found in Antons garden in West town. Eventually after much sculking both the Pied Fly and the Rosefinch showed well around the garden. The Lesser Whitethroat and Pied Fly later relocated to the magic bush and surrounding gardens were they gave brief views. Other migrants noted Robin, Blackbird, 2 White Wagtails, Kestrel, Chiffchaff and 4 Willow Warblers.

All photos by Gerard Murray

Chris and Ralph visited on the 10th and had Great Skua and a Sooty Shearwater from the boat. The only migrants noted were 2 Robins, the Pied Flycatcher and the Lesser Whitethroat.

Chris Ingram 8th September

Chris Ingram is on Tory for the a couple of days trying to take advantage of the recent north easterly winds. He had a good day by Tory standards with Pomarine and Great Skuas from the boat, Lesser Whitethroat and Turtle Dove this morning with Whinchat and Jack Snipe in the afternoon. 3 Willow Warblers and a Robin make up the rest of the migrants.

I was planning a day trip tomorrow with Gerard Murray, so we might have timed it just right...