6th-8th October

Well I got the weekend right but the american birds stopped short in Galway. 4 on Inishmore- Eastern Kingbird, 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Blackpoll Warbler.  and a long over due Belted Kingfisher on the mainland.Unprecedented on the western seaboard? I think so.

Dawn at the harbour

There was plenty of expectation on cape as the news rolled in but it was to be a pleasent if not spectacular couple of days.

Bird Obs

Early morning in Cotters

Coal Tits dominated with about 400-500 roaming in packs around the island.There were few warblers around with small numbers of phyllocs, Blackcaps and up to 4-5 Yellow browed Warblers including this showy bird in Michael Vincents

Yellow-browed Warbler

Goldcrest

The Lake

Central Bog

Saturday was warm and sunny before rain on sunday

Paul Kelly got the ball rolling on saturday with an elusive Barred Warbler in Central Bog.

PiedWagtail

Paddy O'Keefe "The bird man of Cape"

Tame jackdaw

Sunday improved slightly with an elusive Common Rosefinch found by Mary Cadagin on her feeders. Eamonn O'Donnell found another elusive bird, this time a Hobby at the lake and later seen over the waist.

Still despite a few good birds I could'nt help leaving feeling a little disappointed. I left early on moday morning.

EOD says goodbye.

I stopped off at Rosscarbary to twitch the Bairds Sandpiper which showed ok in the mist

Baird's Sandpiper with Dunlin

On my way through the Curragh I spotted a large flock of Golden Plover and managed to pick out an American Golden Plover among them. Honest!

Left of middle at the back, head up!

Until next year...............