Blue-winged Teal, a species new to Loop

This afternoon Dave McNamara found a juvenile Blue-winged Teal on the small pond at the Fodry, Loop Head. This is the first bird of this species found on the headland.  Hopefully a sign of more North American Birds to arrive on the Loop. Also at Loop there was a Snow Bunting.

 Blue-winged Teal at Fodry © Dave McNamara

Snow Bunting, Loop Head © Dave McNamara

Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Fodry

There was a flock of 15 Buff-breasted Sandpipers at the Fodry, Loop Head yesterday 15th September 2011.  This is one of the largest flocks ever recorded in Ireland. There was only one other flock of equal size in this part of the world and that was on the Scilly Isle in the 1970's.  A wonderful spectacle.  Also at the Fodry were 12 Lapland Buntings, two Dunlin and a flock of Black-tailed Godwits.

  Buff-breasted Sandpiper at the Fodry © John N Murphy

The 15 Buff-breasted Sandpipers with 2 Dunlin at Fodry © Jeff Copner

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

This morning saw the long awaited arrival of six Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Loop Head.  One was found by a group of seawatchers this morning at the Bridges of Ross, while there other five were found feeding on grasslands at the Fodry, near the tip of Loop Head.  Also on the headland were 14 Lapland Buntings.

Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Fodry © John N Murphy