Last weekend my friend and I spent another day watching and counting shore birds for the I-Webs survey here in Kerry. The weather was relatively came after the strong winds that Storm Dorris brought over the previous few days.
Below are some of the pictures I took while out and about with her on the Dingle Peninsula.
This first picture is by far my favourite. This cheeky little chap kept a close eye on us as we walked the beach and into the dunes.
I’m unsure of my identification of this bird though… I’m certain that it is a Pipit. I reckon it’s a Meadow Pipit, but it may also be a Rock Pipit. I’d be delighted if any of my readers could offer a correct ID.
Here’s two of the numerous Ringed Plover that we counted at the site during the day. I think all-in-all there was close to 100 ringed plover that day.
When we were finished our counting, we packed up the equipment and hit the road home. We were just arriving in Dingle when we noticed a black bird silhouetted against the water in Dingle Harbour. So we pulled up on the side of the road to have a better look. Happy days, it was a Black Guillemot! A first for both me and my friend! They were quite far out in the harbour, so getting a decent shot of it was a bit tricky.
I love the striking difference between the bright white wing patch and the dark black of the rest of the bird. Apparently Black Guillemots also have vivid red legs/feet, but they weren’t noticible at this distance.
