Cape Return 2026 - Part 3

Sunday morning came around too quickly to be honest. Harry and Brians' visit had come to an end, and after yet another huge breakfast, they headed back to the mainland on the morning ferry. I birded myself all day although my lower back and hip were aching so I took it a little easy, saving myself for a more concerted push the next day.

Monday morning dawned cool, calm but very foggy. Before breakfast I walked to Lough Errul and Michael Vicent's garden but the fog was so thick you could barely see a thing.

A very foggy Lough Errul

After breakfast I decided to walk up to old Lighthouse Road, the fog was slow to clear and birding was slow.

The Old Lighthouse complex on Cape Clear

Just whilst I was dreaming of there being a Catharus thrush hopping around the lighthouse buildings a message came up on the birders WhatsApp group that Callum Fawdry had found a Little Bunting in the trees at North Harbour that was showing well. Little Bunting is an Irish tick so I wasted no time in getting back down from the east side of the island, picking up my camera gear at the B&B en route, and arrived (in a sweat) at North Harbour in time to see the bird briefly in a sycamore tree before it vanished. Ticked at least but no photos. After an hour of waiting the bird was refound between the cemetery and the Bill of Clear where it showed well on the small path. After getting what I felt were more than acceptable views and photos of it on the deck, the bird flicked up briefly onto a lichen covered stone wall and posed like a diva!

To be honest, it's been a while since I've done any meaningful bird photography, for lots of different reasons. The moment the Bunting popped up and posed and I got the above shots was like a shot in the arm for my bird photography. I felt the old buzz returning, the enjoyment I get when I manage to capture good shots of a good quality bird. It had already been an amazing few days on Cape but this little bird was the icing on the cake.

I grabbed a very late lunch and then walked the lower road towards the bogs. I found a Pied Flycatcher at Brid's garden and a tail-pumping yet silent Pipit further along the low road that was most probably a late Tree Pipit. After all of that I spent the remaining few hours of the day trying to capture a respectable record shot of the Pied Flycatcher that had been frequenting Cotter's garden throughout my stay.

As usual the day ended in Cotters with the log call.

I took the 9am ferry off the next morning, stopping once again at a warm and calm Toe Head where two Spotted Flycatchers were the best on offer.

Before I knew it I was touching down at Heathrow Airport and navigating the mayhem that is the M25 at rush hour. Cape might feel like a distant memory but in reality it's never too far away in my thoughts and I will not leave it seven years before I return.