Still time for one more year tick

Well, I'm on the home straight as they say. Into my last stretch of birding in Cork before we leave for the UK.
A male Goosander was reported yesterday and again today from Midleton. Showing well upstream from the Charleston Maltings. I got there at low tide and the bird was in absentia. I spoke to the finder Sean Cronin and he confirmed to me that I was in the right place but as I suspected the wrong time. I headed off to do some food shopping at the local Tesco, I figured the bird might appear again as the tide turned.
I arrived back one hour later and this time I could see the bird distantly in the channel swimming and diving.
I set my gear up hoping that as the tide rose the bird would begin to make its way up the channel and would eventually pass below me allowing for some reasonably close shots. However after twenty minutes or so it hadn't budged an inch and if anything seemed to be moving further away. I thought perhaps it might make more sense to go to Great Island for the last hour of light and come back tomorrow morning on the high tide. Just as I turned to go I bumped into Ken Preston  and Alex Jeffares. Ken knew a back road that would bring us closer to where the bird was out along the channel. So both Alex and I followed him in our cars, we parked up, cut through an old graveyard where we flushed Pheasant, Jay and Stock Dove. We came out onto the shore and this time we were able to view the bird from a distance of about 150 meters. The light was crap though and sheets of drizzle came sweeping up the channel. I took a few record shots before we all called it a day and headed back to our cars.

Male Goosander, Midleton, Cork - 30th December 2012

I'll head back on a high tide within the next few days for better views. This is only the second ever Goosander I've seen, the previous was a red-head along the river in Glanmire in February 2009.
I notice that the adult Iceland Gull I found on 26th December in Cobh is being reported as a fourth winter Kumlien's Gull. Mark Carmody had better views of it within the last few days and felt that the grey on the primaries is too extensive for a nominate glaucoides bird. Opinion is still a bit divided on the bird but obviously I hope it turns out to be a Kumlien's. I haven't seen too many adult Iceland Gulls but those that I have seen have never had anything like as much grey on the wing tips as this one so I certainly feel that its a very good candidate for Kumlien's Gull.

Boxing day birding in Cobh

After a Christmas Day spent cooking, eating, drinking and changing flat tyres by the side of the road (long story!) I was ready again for a little birding.
St. Stephen's Day morning was very wet and very windy but by midday it had brightened up considerably so I decided to head out. No sign of any Waxwings at Little Island so I continued on towards Great Island to look for the Black Redstart that had been reported around the Sirius Arts Centre on Christmas Day. I checked from the train station, the arts centre, the promenade and as far as Kennedy Pier but no sign at all. The best was a couple of winter plumage Med Gulls hanging out with the Black-headed Gulls behind the Quays Bar.

Med Gulls with Black-headed Gulls, Cobh, 26th December 2012

I grabbed a sandwich and a coffee before heading over to the Holy Ground to see if the strong off-shore winds had brought any good Gulls in.
There were quite a few Gulls knocking around in the shelter of the small harbour. Mainly Black-headed and Common Gulls but a few large Gulls were present too as well as a single adult winter Med Gull. This winter plumage Black Guillemot was fishing around the pilot boats also.

Black Guillemot, Cobh, Cork - 26th December 2012

As I checked through the large gulls on the pier wall I came across this very smart adult winter Iceland Gull. Its been a while since I've seen an adult Iceland Gull so this was nice. I returned to the car for my camera and took a few shots as it moved along the pier wall.

Adult Iceland Gull, Cobh, Cork - 26th December 2012

Adult Iceland Gull, Cobh, Cork - 26th December 2012

I noticed that the primaries were a little grey and wondered if it might actually be an adult Kumliens's Gull. I had no field guide with me and at home all my bird books have been packed up and sent to the UK ahead of our move so I can't consult with Malling Olsen et al. I let Cobh birders Mark Carmody and Ronan McLaughlin know before heading back up the town to buy a loaf of bread.
I returned within fifteen minutes and there was no sign of the bird. Mark called to say he was on his way down. Just as I hung up I noticed a Black Redstart (female type) perched on a lobster pot on the beach. A male Stonechat though chased it away. The Black Redstart at the Sirius Arts Centre seems faithful to that particular area so I rather fancy this is a different bird. Sadly though I got no further views of it.
Mark and Ronan soon arrived but for the next hour the Iceland Gull failed to show. However it was good to just shoot the breeze for a while as we watched the other Gulls devour our bread. We spotted this Black-headed Gull with a white darvic ring.

Black-headed Gull with darvic ring, Cobh, Cork - 26th December 2012

I took a couple of shots and checking them at home this evening I can read the inscription ZJF which is in fact the same bird I found in the same location on New Years Day (see 'Great' island). This bird was ringed in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009. Good to know its still around, assuming it was ringed as a pullus, it is now over three years old.
With no further sign of the Iceland Gull we decided to move on. Mark and I headed back to look for the Black Redstart over at the Sirius Arts Centre while Ronan went to Cuskinny.
There was no sign however of the Black Red. It was getting late and it had possible it had gone to roost. Mark and I walked to the edge of the promenade and scanned through the gulls hoping to pick up the Sabine's (although this may have moved on at this stage). As we spoke a rather large stone bounced off the ground between us. I was wondering where it had come from but Mark had seen one of three kids in hoodies and tracksuits throw it. They can't have been more than ten years of age at the most. I moved my camera out of the line of fire but when a second missile landed Mark pointed his lens at them and took a few shots of their faces before they pulled their hoods up and legged it off. What 'scumbags' is all I can say. If you're already chucking rocks at strangers at that age then the outlook for you is likely to be bleak. Sad really.
Back to the birding, scanning the large gulls bobbing out on the water I picked up the Iceland Gull once more. We called Ronan to say we had it again, meanwhile though he already had a first winter Glaucous over at Cuskinny. Just then the Iceland took flight with the other large gulls heading towards the roost site at Haulbowline Island. I tried to get a couple of flight shots of the spread wing but the light was pants so nothing I could really take from them.
We had one last look for the Black Red (without success), I stopped off at Cuskinny on the way home but the Glaucous had moved away by then.

Christmas Eve Birding

Christmas Eve was total mayhem on the streets and in the shops. A bit like the opening scenes from the movie 'Saving Private Ryan'. I thought I had it all covered and wouldn't need to venture out in the traffic but there's always one last thing to pick up isn't there?
A bit of local patch birding was the best way to calm down after all that craziness, so I drove the short distance over to Carrigrennan Point at Little Island.
From the car park I took the footpath that runs east towards Fota Island, the small pond was quiet save for a sleeping Little Grebe. But the willows along the path held Robin, Chaffinch, Goldcrest and a Bullfinch pair calling softly to each other. A group of about twenty Mallards had gathered in the second of the two pools further along the path and a couple of hidden Water Rails put up a chorus of squeals from within the rushes. In the shallows a Common Snipe regarded me carefully while he snoozed.

Common Snipe, Carrigrennan Point, Little Island, Cork - 24th December 2012

 
I checked the beech trees on the distant bank and lo and behold I spied a Kingfisher perched on an overhanging branch. Possibly my friend from last winter - see Carrigrennan Point and Pesky Kingfisher
Here's a record shot from back then, the best I could manage despite trying very hard!!

Kingfisher, Carrigrennan Point, Little Island, Cork - February 2012

I continued along the path a little further but an absolute downpour of rain had me legging it back to the car, camera's don't like water!
The showers cleared and I returned to the pool in the vain hope of a better Kingfisher view. He remained on the far bank, as elusive as ever. A couple of Little Egrets had taken to roost in the far trees and two or three pairs of Eurasian Teal were now present on the pool also.

With the evening drawing in I headed for home. Driving past the church in Little Island I spied this familiar shape perched atop a bare tree.

Waxwing, Little Island, Cork - 24th December 2012

He appeared to be all alone but at least he had a whole Cotoneaster bush to himself. I took a record shot in the gloom, a Cork tick after all.

Waxwing, Little Island, Cork - 24th December 2012

Before I finish this post I'd like to make a small plug. Its for a website that my wife Polina has just put together promoting the excellent Tai Chi school she visited this year in China. See - The Wang Zhi Ping Tai Chi School

Happy Christmas!

The twelve birds of Christmas - final part

The eleventh bird

For the year that's in it, I couldn't leave out Waxwing. The first ever birds I twitched were Waxwings, way back in December 2004 in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. With a failure of the berry crop in Scandinavia this has been a classic Waxwing winter. Hundreds of birds showing up all over the country. 
I caught up with this flock not far from my parent's home in county Dublin and was very pleased to able to take my Mum along with me where we got eye-level views of the flock as they drank and fed on Cotoneaster berries.
Not my best photos of the year but I couldn't leave Waxwings off the list could I!

 Focal length - 700mm, f5.6, ISO400, shutter speed - 1/250 with lens resting on car roof.

Juvenile Waxwing, Glenageary, Co. Dublin - November 2012

Focal length - 700mm, aperture - f5.6, ISO400, shutter speed - 1/125 with lens resting on car roof.

The twelfth bird

I've already written two separate blog entries about these two birds - see A lifer, a year tick and a Leinster win and also Bird of the year
Dotterel was a long overdue tick for me and this pair from Robert's Cove, Cork were special. Nice light, approachable birds and lifers to boot.

Dotterel - Roberts's Cove, Cork - October 2012

Both images:

Focal length - 700mm, aperture f5.6, ISO200, shutter speed - 1/200s with tripod

So that's it. My twelve birds of Christmas. I'd like to thank everyone who's taken the time read my blog, comment on it or leave likes on facebook. It means a lot to me. From 2013, as you may know, the blog will be coming from Norfolk, a part of England with a rich history of birds, birding and birders.
I hope you'll keep reading!

Merry Christmas and very best wishes to you all for the New Year.

Graham Clarke

The twelve birds of Christmas - part five

The ninth bird

This was the first time I tried the 'frying pan' technique for photographing waders. I saw it on an American bird photography DVD and thought it looked 'neat' (as they say across the pond).
It enabled me to get really close to this Semipalmated Sandpiper on Garretstown beach near Kinsale, County Cork. The shot was taken seconds before a loose dog flushed it, apparently though the sight of photographer stalking bird and Jack Russell stalking photographer made quite an amusing scene for a small group of passers-by.
The end result though was quite pleasing, I use the picture as the banner on my blog and it has been published in 'Wings' and 'Birdwatch' magazines.

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Garretstown beach, Cork - September 2012

 Focal length - 700mm, aperture - f8, ISO100, shutter speed - 1/320 and tefal frying pan!


The tenth bird

I'll readily admit I'm atrocious at flight shots, I need to practise a bit more on them. I find it very hard to get the autofocus to lock onto the subject at precisely the right moment.
Cuskinny Reserve on Great Island is where I saw my first Ring-billed Gull and a regular spot for them throughout the winter.
Attracted to bread, this bird came quite close. On this ocassion I think the dull background helped the autofocus to pick the bird out and the result was quite pleasing.

Ring-billed Gull, Cuskinny Reserve, Cork - December 2012

Focal length - 500mm, aperture f4, ISO200, shutter speed - 1/1000s with tripod

The twelve birds of Christmas - part four

The seventh bird

I had taken to Cape Clear for the weekend but sadly the place was pretty dead. After one night I cut short my visit and took an early ferry home.
Paul Connaughton had found a Yellow-browed Warbler in the willows near the Knockadoon Head campsite (I always thought those willows would be good for a YBW at least). In order to salvage something from the weekend I headed there on my way back from Cape. That evening the bird showed well briefly but the following day had moved on.

Yellow-browed Warbler, Knockadoon Head, Cork - September 2012

 

Yellow-browed Warbler, Knockadoon Head, Cork - September 2012

Focal length - 500mm, aperture - f4, ISO400, shutter speed - 1/100s with tripod (same details for both images)


The eighth bird

Owen Foley had organised a pioneering pelagic out of Kilbaha, Co. Clare in early August. You can read the full details of this at Kilbaha pelagic. We boarded the boat at 5am and set out NW from Loop Head. We had a great day, I added Wilson's Petrel to my Irish list and we all enjoyed stunning views of Great Skua, Sooty Shearwater, European Storm Petrel and hundreds of Common Dolphin. I struggled with the weight of a large lens on a pitching deck and reckon a light zoom such as a 100-400 or better again 70-200 f2.8 would be the best lenses for pelagic work. This 2nd cy Arctic Skua treated us to a few really close fly-bys, there were better shots of it taken than mine but it was still special to see one so close.

2nd cy Arctic Skua - 12km NW of Loop Head

Focal length - 500mm, aperture - f6.3, ISO200, shutter speed - 1/1600s, handheld (with great difficulty!)

The twelve birds of Christmas - part three

The fifth bird

This is a particular favourite for me. Early June in Latvia and the local forests were full of singing Wood Warblers. It wasn't hard to seek one out, the only tricky bit was avoiding the voracious mosquitos as I'd try to photograph them. But it was worth it, fantastic to watch them glide from branch to branch before pausing to deliver their 'spinning coin' song and plaintive call.

I made a short movie clip of this singing male as well as taking what is, I think, one of my favourite shots from 2012.

Here's the movie clip first:

Singing Wood Warbler - Jurmala, Latvia

And here's the photo!

Wood Warbler, Jurmala, Latvia - June 2012

Focal Length - 500mm, aperture - f4, ISO400, shutter speed - 1/80s with tripod


The sixth bird

Autumn passage of Northern Wheatears seemed to go on for several months, I saw the first juveniles on Ballynamona beach in early August and birds were still present in early November. However, the early November birds looked bulkier and based on the time of year I guessed they may be 'Greenland' subspp. 'leucorhoa'. 
Using a large piece of driftwood as cover, this nice Greenland Wheatear came quite close to me as I photographed it on Ballynamona beach during the first few days of November.

possible 'Greenland' Northern Wheatear - Ballynamona beach, Cork - November 2012

Focal length - 700mm (500mm lens with 1.4 extender), aperture - f7.1, ISO200, shutter speed - 1/500s with tripod.