September 08, 2006
Making enemies
Finding birds should be fun. A joyous exercise, enjoyed by all and sundry, with no malice or envy involved....yeah...right!;)
Yesterday evening i popped down to Ballycotton with a friend to show her somewhere scenic by the coast.....so naturally i chose a famous wader hotspot.
After 20 minutes on site I was looking at a rather attractive White rumped sandpiper at the exit of the lake, accompanied by a juv curlew sandpiper.
I picked it up from the opposite side at some distance, but was fairly sure and put the news out.
We then drove around to strand road to get closer to it.
We managed to get right up to it, and were soon joined by DOS and HH and IH.
It was then i learned that several birders had been doing ballycotton and east cork all week with nothing to show for it....and that i had just jammed in on the rarity in a 20 minute dude guiding excursion. Cest la vie! ;)
However i did receive a rather abusive text from on well known Brit ex pat. who had been doing the area over the past few days, stating that i should "bugger off back to lough beg". ;)
When i first moved down to cork one cork birder said that i was more than welcome, especially if i was finding birds....im not so sure i believe that anymore!
As the tide dropped, the birds moved down the beach and i took sara up to skinnys for some grub.
Before stopping we went up to the cliffs so she could take some pics of the coast.
As we were walking along the cliff track i spotted a small bird hopping along the gravel.
Wryneck! A brief 30 second view was all i got before walkers flushed it down into thick gorse.
15 minutes and no sign after that, but im told DOS relocated it this morning.
Corroboration i think the IRBC calls it!;)
Some grease in skinnys, and we moved back to the beach, to re find the white rumped sand at the sluice on shanagarry. Nice views in the fading light of the evening.
Not a bad evening!
Pariah
Worth while links
Irish County yearlists page 2006