September. Here at last.

Back down to Ballycotton after last week's shameful, yet successful betrayal to the Bridges.

Started out on the cliffs, where quite a few Wheatears were knocking about, as well as good numbers of swallows. It was a tad windy along Phil's back passage (heh) so, not much to be seen there (heh).

On down to the beach chasing waders. A reasonable flock of smalls view-able from Silver Stand could not be relocated when I made my way around to Ballynamona. But a Lapland bunting headed east over the sluice was a nice year tick.

A couple of Dunlin and Ringos on the pools but not much of note otherwise. A large influx of Lesser Black Backed gulls as per usual this time of year. Though no Azorean with them this time, there were a couple of very black, long winged, slim billed individuals, which I would have no trouble calling Baltic if I was back in Finland. Ces't la vie.

I then mooched to the Garryvoe pool which I have been spending some time with lately, and was nicely surprised when a female Gadwall lifted out. As I said before, any quack other than teal and wigeon (of which many return migrants of both species are back in BallyC), is a welcome treat.

On Sunday I again started out on the Back Passage. This time a much calmer day, and lots of phyloscs in the hedges. Under the sycamores you could hear lots of bill snapping. And I spent a good 15 minutes staring into them to be rewarded with a cracking Wood Warbler making a brief appearance before moving into one of the hedges.

Moving on to the rest of the village, 2 Tree sparrows (at last) were just down from Phil's house and yet more phyloscs and a couple of whitethroats.

I moved down to the lake for the evening, and as I was awaiting the high tide, the sky suddenly darkened. I looked behind me out to sea, to be greeted by the sight of a solid wall of rain inbound from the Island. B*llix.

By the time I made it back down to the ballynamona end of the beach I was well and truly sodden through, but just as I made my way to enter the car park I hear the familiar call of a Pectoral Sandpiper. Two waders were passing by me, and I lifted the bins to see that there indeed was a Pec...and a gorgeous Buff Breasted Sand with it. Classic BallyC. No sign of a Little Stint or Curlew sand, but sure enough two yanks.

The birds carried on into the marshes and I left them to it, cranking the heat in the car up to thermo nuclear and making my way home. Hopefully this is the start of some nice yank wader-age at BallyC.

Species:154
Score: 242
Comparative: 102.69%