Migs at last!

Managed to nip down to Ballycotton for the afternoon on Friday.

With all the migrant activity being reported along the coast, I bypassed the beach as the tide was low, even with the possibility of running into the AGP found by Denis, and made straight for the cliffs.

3 Wheatear on the benches at the pitch and putt course was a good sign of migration, and swallows were streaming over.

Phil's back passage had 1 spotted flycatcher and a few crests and phyloscs. But there was little of note around the fields and gardens around the boreen.

The gardens on the seafront were much the same, a few crests and chiffs the best.

The school had a rather nice pied fly though, giving good views in the sycamore south of the dusky house.

Silver strand had a whinchat on the hedges, with a yellow wagtail on the seaweed of the little beach (seaweed rack is starting to build up again, which gives hope for waders and passerines in October).

I then decided to try and re-locate the AGP. The lake was devoid of any waders of note, and nothing much was doing at Ballynamona or Shanagarry pool.

2 cracking juvenile Long Tailed skuas were a really treat out in the bay. These birds were actually loafing on the water, only visible due to the kite surfers putting them up every few minutes as they disturbed them.
The amount of birds that must pop into the bay and go undetected on the sea.

The bird of the day came in the form of a confiding Wryneck. Found whilst calling up to Phil's for a cuppa. The bird was feeding on the road behind Waves cafe, before moving into the hedge/bank behind the new houses, viewing from the car the whole time. Only my second on patch, the first being way back in 2006 on the cliff walk.

Species: 158
Points: 252
Comparative score : 106.93

With October here, Mizen now beckons and it may be sometime before I see Ballyc again.