Sunday 29 July 2018

The trip to Tory - part three

We were all a little late starting the following morning, we birded around West Town before breakfast and were entertained by a spate between two Corncrakes as one tried to steal another's nettle patch....all good fun! This Wheatear posed for me on the way back back to the B&B.
Male Wheatear, West Town, Tory Island, Co. Donegal
For the remainder of the day we birded the eastern side of the island. We walked around Anton's garden (which the previous spring had a Baltimore Oriole) but Tree Sparrow's were the best there.
We enjoyed some spectacular views from the the cliffs on the north easterly side of the island.




After that we settled down for an afternoon of sea-watching where Rob managed to dig out a White-billed Diver!
We made our way back to West Town after that stopping briefly at the harbour to scan through what was scavenging on the tideline. Plenty of summer-plumaged Turnstones, Pied and White Wagtails and a single Iceland Gull. Before dinner I gave the Corncarkes one last go and managed some further views and photos.

Pity about the background!

Keeping a beady eye out for me!


Dinner that night was very quiet - I think everyone was simply shattered. We caught the ferry back to Donegal the next morning (where we added Glaucous Gull to the trip list with one on the beach at Magheraroarty). After that we drove back to Knock via the splendid scenery of Glenveigh National Park and the Barnesmore Gap before boarding our Ryanair flight back to Stansted and home to Norwich.