A first-year IVORY GULL has been present at Tacumshin Marsh (County Wexford) for just under a week now, showing very well at East End, close to the car park. It represents the first Irish record since 2008, Ed Carty kindly listing the previous records -:
1847 Feb Blennerville Kerry 2 birds [1 immature shot]
19th Century Full
details unknown
1905 27 March Belmullet Mayo 1 bird [found
dead]
1913 16 Feb Marina Cork [leg + wing found]
1913 25 March
Teelin Pier Donegal [immature] [shot]
1931 late March-early April off
Down coast
1969 16 Oct Ballycotton Cork [adult]
1971 06 Aug near
Bunowen Pt Galway [adult]
1978 26 Nov-01 Dec Bangor Down
[immature]
1980 01-09 Jan Ballycotton Cork [immature]
1983 25-26
March Wexford Harbour [adult] [found dead on 26th]
1988 21 Jan Dungarvan
Wexford [immature]
1989 02 March New Forge Belfast [immature]
1998
31 Dec Newport Dump Mayo [adult]
1999 09-10 Jan Kinsale Cork
[adult]
2009 03-08 March Baltimore Cork [immature]
2014 08-14 Jan
Tacumshin Co Wexford
This is the UK400 Club Rare Bird Alert highlighting all records of avian interest and published in association with Rare Bird Alert Pagers and utilising additional information gleaned from the Regional Birdlines, BirdGuides, local email groups and individual observers
Tuesday 14 January 2014
Monday 6 January 2014
Storm-driven GREY PHALAROPES
With tidal surges of over 25 feet and Atlantic storms arriving quicker than your average bus, it is hardly surprising that a number of GREY PHALAROPES have been displaced. When I heard that one had been providing observers with crippling views on the South Coast, I could not resist and spent a couple of hours with it today. It was favouring the tiny paddling pool just east of Hove Lagoon (Sussex) and was present for a second day. It was ridiculously confiding, so much so that I ended up with over 900 decent images of it - a selection of which I present below. There was a nice crowd too - mostly Sussex Boys.......
The scene - paddling pool to the east of Hove Lagoon
Tony Cook in action
John King and Gary Messenbird enjoying the view
Luke Dray getting up close and personal