29th October

JD AGK VC

The best 25+ Waxwing. One flock of about 17 and a group of 3 and the rest singles. Most flew over but one lingered at the magic bush.. (per JD)

Other birds;

10 Snow Bunting
4 Blackcap
1000 Redwing
2 Buzzard
1 Goldeneye
1 Chiffchaff

Redwings and Waxwings

Common Rosefinch

Common Rosefinch

Thanks to Aiden Kelly for the above photos.

27th and 28th October

Jim Dowdall, Aiden Kelly and Victor Cashera are on Tory for the long weekend.

27th

2 Buzzard
1 Goldeneye
5 Blackbird
2 Fieldfare
50 Redwing
1 Goldcrest
1 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap
1 Wheatear

28th

Bad weather hampered the search

1 Common Rosefinch
1Snow Bunting
2 Blackcap
1 Chiffchaff
1 Glaucous Gull (first winter)
200+ Redwing

Better weather due tomorrow...

Chris Ingram 25th and 26th October.

I recieved an e mail from Chris who was on Tory for a couple of days. His complete trip list as follows;

Here's my list: (44 species)

Great Northern Diver  1 from boat on 25th
Cormorant
Shag
Heron  1 on 25th
Mute Swan  on both lakes, also one dead below telegraph wires near west lake
Whooper Swan  8 flew in and landed on west lake
Mallard
Teal 
Eider  14 on 25th, 35 on 26th including northern race bird both days
Goldeneye  female on east lake
Buzzard  1 on 25th, 2 together on 26th
Peregrine  1 on 25th
Kestrel  male on 25th, female on 26th
Pheasant
Oystercatcher
Ringed Plover  much reduced numbers
Lapwing
Snipe
Curlew
Whimbrel  1 on 25th
Redshank
Turnstone  much reduced numbers
Black-headed Gull  imm on west lake both days
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black Backed Gull
Kittiwake  offshore
Rock Dove
Rock Pipit  c.40 on lighthouse road on 25th, smaller numbers on 26th
Meadow Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Wren
Robin  1 on 26th
Blackbird  2 on 25th, 7 on 26th
Redwing  300+ on 25th, c.50 on 26th
Fieldfare  1 on 25th, 2 on 26th
Goldcrest  1 on 25th
Chough
Hooded Crow
Raven
Starling  reduced numbers from last week
Chaffinch  1 on 26th
Linnet  11
Tree Sparrow

Coal Tit 23rd October

Anton Meenan texted me to say he had a tame  Coal Tit in his garden today. The first one he has ever recorded there.

Arranmore 20th October

Headed out for the day to Arranmore with Rob Vaughan, Ger Murray and Chris Ingram. We had a modest enough return for the day.The best birds were

1 Snow Bunting near the lighthouse
1 Hen Harrier near the north east end
1 Woodcock
3 Brambling with the Chaffinch flock.

Snow Bunting

Black Guillemot

Tory in the distance

Dunnock with white eye rings

On the way home we had the returning male Ring necked Duck at Lough Shevagh.

Ring-necked Duck

We could not make inch levels in time to look through the flock but had nice views og the Whooper Swans as they came in to roost on the lake.

Whooper Swans over Inch Lake

19th October

JD PK

1500 Redwing
8 Brambling
2 Snow Bunting
1 Lapland Bunting
4 Blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
2 Goldcrest
1 imm  male Northern Eider outside the harbour (per tweet)

18th October

J.D P.K

Another wet and windy day. Best bird a Richard's Pipit seen briefly in the lighthouse complex-presumably same as Sunday's bird.

1000+ Redwing
11 Snow Bunting
12 Brambling
50 Barnacle Geese
120 Whooper Swans
1 Jack Snipe
1 Chiffchaff
2 Goldcrest
1 Dunnock