Blue-Headed Wagtail

Headed off today with Mark Power (M.P.) in search of the Blue-Headed Wagtail that was spotted at tacumshin (and hopeful for a glimpse of a spoonbill). We started off at the forgotten corner and headed for the monument but with very little action there bar a high count of 32 little egret we made our way to the high car-park and encountered 8 swift feeding before we crossed the lake.
There was a large flock of Dunlin >60birds as we approached sigginstown and we noticed a few pied wag feeding in amongst them. Then, in the reeds, a flash of yellow and we had our flava. It was very shy and only ventured out briefly but there it was!
We moved on to stoney point in search of the spoonbill but alas no joy. Heading back we scanned the East-End pool but no joy here either. Here are a few pics from the day.

Red Admiral

Silver Y

Common Darter

Green-Veined White

Blue-Headed Wagtail (Motacilla f.flava)

Emerald Damselfly

Swift

Six-Spot Burnet

Butterflies

Large White

Small Tortoiseshell

Common Blue

Meadow Brown

Red Admiral

Ringlet



Small Heath

Small Copper

Painted Lady
 

Grayling

Peacock
 

 

Other Wildlife

Common Frog

Goose Barnacles

Otter

Hare

Sika

Basking Shark

Fox

Bottlenose Dolphin

Feral Goat

Grey Squirrel

Grey Seal

Dragonflies

Emperor Dragonfly (M) - The Raven N.R.

Brown Hawker (M) - The Raven N.R.

Migrant Hawker (M) - Tacumshin

Hairy Dragonfly (M) - Tacumshin

Four Spot Chaser - Tacumshin

Black-Tailed Skimmer (M) - Ballynafagh

Common Darter (F) - Tacumshin

Hairy Dragonfly (F) - Tacumshin
 

Damselflies & Insects

Snipe Fly - Tacumshin

Sloe Bug - Tacumshin

Variable Damselfly - The Raven N.R.

Minotaur Beetle - Glendalough

Large Red Damselfly - Tacumshin

Beautiful Demoiselle - Castlebridge Wood

Tacumshin Trip

After a brief solo visit and only a glimpse of the gull-billed tern yesterday I decided on an early morning trip to Tacumshin this morning to try and get better views. Arrived a little after six, with Mark Power, and thanks to the clear morning was able to scope one tern on the far shore opposite the Forgotten Corner car park. Roosting with the black-headed gulls, it showed well, preening and shifting position for about an hour before taking flight in the direction of the east end.

Gull-Billed Tern (Phone-Scoped)

Scanning the reeds opposite the top of the forgotten corner gave us a great surprise - a water rail out at the waters edge for 3-4 mins before ducking back into cover.

Water Rail (Phone Scoped -V.distant)

Hairy Hawker

Best of the rest for the day was 1 swift and 1 peregrine, hunting low from sigginstown towards forgotten corner, a few dragonfly (which i'm only starting to come to grips with) and a hare, just opposite the high car park.

4 Spot Chaser
 

My Bird Pics

Corncrake - Tory Island, Donegal

Hen Harrier - Wexford Wildfowl Reserve

 

Purple Sandpiper - Dun Laoghaire, Dublin

Waxwing - Wexford Town

Long-Eared Owl - Gorey, Wexford

Hen Harrier - Wexford Wildfowl Reserve

Ring-Billed Gull - Wexford Harbour

Osprey - The Cull, Wexford

Glossy Ibis - Tacumshin, Wexford

Red Kite (Untagged) - Rosslare Strand

Kestrel - Wexford Wildfowl Reserve

Woodchat Shrike - Hook Head, Wexford

Great Northern Diver - Slade Harbour, Wexford

Long-Tailed Tit - Tacumshin, Wexford

Cuckoo - Lingstown, Wexford

Bearded Reedling - Lingstown, Wexford

Fulmar - Tory Island, Donegal

Treecreeper - Carrig-on-Bannow, Wexford

Peregrine Vs Merlin - Bannow Bay, Wexford

Crane - Tacumshin, Wexford

Puffin - Great Saltee, Wexford

Glaucous Gull - Bannow Bay, Wexford

Buzzard - Avoca, Wicklow

Blue-Winged Teal - Wexford Wildfowl Reserve

Turnstone (w/Sanderling) - Rosslare, Wexford

Grey Partridge - Rogerstown, Wexford

Stonechat - Cullenstown, Wexford

Guillemot - Great Saltee, Wexford

Chough - Slade Harbour, Wexford

Little Tern - Tory Island, Donegal

Razorbill - Great Saltee, Wexford

Spotted Flycatcher - Great Saltee, Wexford

Gannet - Great Saltee, Wexford

 

Black Redstart - Tacumshin, Wexford

Cattle Egret - Tintern Abbey, Wexford