Ring-necked Ducks, Ross castle

Male & Female Ring-necked Duck, Ross castle, 2nd December 2014 (Davey Farrar).

Grebes and Geese

Slavonian Grebes, Rough Point, 30th November 2014 (M.O'Clery).

A total of 16 Slavonian Grebes were present from Rough Point, SE to near Aughacasla, equalling the county record set in the same area in November 2013.

Barnacle Geese, Magharees, 30th November 2014 (M.O'Clery).

 Barnacle Geese used to frequent the Blasket islands in winter, but the regular flock of up to 200 birds stopped using the site in the late 80s, and thereafter they were only occasionally seen on the Magharees, sometimes feeding around Lough Gill. In each of the past four winters, the Barnacle flock has once again become a regular sight on the Magharees. The above photo shows 102 individuals, the second highest count in recent years, since the peak of 105 birds in January 2014.

During last years' national census, a total of 31 sites in the Republic held 17,500 Barnacle Geese, just under a quarter of the Greenland-breeding population, and an increase of 43% compared with the previous survey in 2008. The combined Scottish, Welsh and Irish total of 80,670 Barnacle Geese is the highest ever recorded.

Black Brant, Barrow Harbour

Adult Black Brant, Barrow Harbour, 27th November 2014 (M.O'Clery).

American Coot and Lesser Scaup, Lough Gill

 

American Coot (right), Lough Gill, 18th November (M.O'Clery).

(Click on any of the images for a closer view)

American Coot (right), Lough Gill, 18th November (M.O'Clery).

American Coot (left), Lough Gill, 18th November (M.O'Clery).

Male Lesser Scaup (centre), Lough Gill, 18th November (M.O'Clery).

Male Lesser Scaup, Lough Gill, 18th November (M.O'Clery).

Male Lesser Scaup, Lough Gill, 18th November (M.O'Clery).

American Coot & Black Redstart

 American Coot (second from left), Lough Gill, 11th November 2014 (Kilian Kelly).

This is about as good a  view that pretty much everyone who has gone to see this bird has managed since it was found. Often frustratingly distant, often in windy and/or rainy conditions, or sometimes seemingly absent, presumably feeding or roosting deep in the reed beds which fringe the lake. The small Coot flock of 8 to 10 individuals roams the lake, but is now being seen more often at the east end (from the jetty), but a calm day seems to be one of the requirements for at least some kind of decent view.

Black Redstart, Fahamore, 11th November 2014 (Kilian Kelly).

Black Redstart, Fahamore, 11th November 2014 (Kilian Kelly).

 Black Redstart, Fahamore, 11th November 2014 (Davey Farrar).

Not a photo of the American Coot

Bonxies are easy to tell apart from American Coot. Note the large size, white wing flashes and lack of white undertail coverts. And it's flying 400m out to sea. Actually it might well eat an American Coot if it got the chance, though that may not be a diagnostic field characteristic.

Great Skua, Brandon Point, 7th November 2014 (Michael O'Clery).

We would love to be showing full-frame, HD quality photos and video of the American Coot here, but instead you'll have to make do with this. With driving rain, wind, distance and a rather annoying habit of feeding in the inaccessible areas of Lough Gill, the American Coot has only been giving the most distant and unsatisfying of views since its discovery. A calm day and a fair degree of luck will be needed to get decent views.

Black Brant, Barrow Harbour

Adult Black Brant, Barrow Harbour, 6th November 2014 (David O'Connor).

This adult was present at Barrow Harbour at the same time as another adult at Spa.

Another Siberian Chiffchaff

Siberian Chiffchaff, Finian's Bay, 5th November (Michael O'Clery).

American Coot, Lough Gill

American Coot (right), Lough Gill, 5th November 2014 (Davey Farrar).

(You can click on any of the images for a closer view)

The first record for Kerry, and only the fourth for Ireland, following one each for Cork, Mayo and Galway.

American Coot (centre bird), Lough Gill, 5th November 2014 (Davey Farrar).

American Coot (centre bird), Lough Gill, 5th November 2014 (Davey Farrar).

American Coot, Lough Gill, 5th November 2014 (Davey Farrar).

Yellow-browed Warbler, Tralee

Yellow-browed Warbler, Tralee, 3rd November 2014 (David O'Connor).