Some pictures I took recently

GreyEagle

I passed this poor creature on the roadside today near Gormanston Co Meath:


Took a closer shot of the rear paws:


I thought it might be a mink, but not sure. Can anybody give me a positive ID?

stevensi

Unfortunately it's not a mink. Looks like it's an otter.

I was watching BBC winterwatch the other night and they mentioned that there had been a lot of otters reported as road kill in the UK due to the recent floods. Otters are looking for leaving rivers that have become swollen due to all the rain they had and once on roads there is always a chance they will be killed...

Art Deko

Capercaille

stevensi wrote: »

Unfortunately it's not a mink. Looks like it's an otter.

I was watching BBC winterwatch the other night and they mentioned that there had been a lot of otters reported as road kill in the UK due to the recent floods. Otters are looking for leaving rivers that have become swollen due to all the rain they had and once on roads there is always a chance they will be killed...

x2
The feet are much too large to be mink. Also the tail is very broad at the base, narrow in mink. Pity it wasn't a mink:(

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The tail is more than half the body length so also not a mink.

spookwoman

Can see the webbed feet on it. Mink dont have webbed feet

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Oh yes they do have webbed feet. Not a noticeable as in an otter but webbed all the same.

spookwoman

Jazlyn Incalculable Yo-yo wrote: »

Oh yes they do have webbed feet. Not a noticeable as in an otter but webbed all the same.

Very slight webbing where you have to pull the toes apart and really look. I personally would say no. The webbing is noticeable on an otter as it is in the picture.

Zoo4m8

If it's an otter why is it so small?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Zoo4m8 wrote: »

If it's an otter why is it so small?

Seems to be a young female.

Art Deko

spookwoman

Probably Bass

Fish jumping in stormy seas by Spookwoman, on Flickr

paulusdu

Art Deko, as usual fantastic shots, Spook Woman, what a catch.

A couple of Mute Swans (Male and Female?) at Loughrea lake, i must upload the flock of Whooper Swans i stumbled across too

vandriver

Bull Island today


IMG_7966 by carl cotter, on Flickr



IMG_7969 by carl cotter, on Flickr

dodderangler

spookwoman wrote: »

Probably Bass

Fish jumping in stormy seas by Spookwoman, on Flickr

I've been zooming in on that for while as it was annoying me what it was. Looks like a wrasse. I've seen them jumping in the surf after bait fish which is the only time you'd see them near the surf.
Could be wrong but body shape says wrasse.
Great shot of it. Perfect timing

Woodville56

Phone scoped this Great Northern Diver at Ballyvaughan Pier today !

Capercaille

Woodville56 wrote: »

Phone scoped this Great Northern Diver at Ballyvaughan Pier today !

Did you see any Black throated divers? That's the best place in the Country to see them.

OpenYourEyes

Capercaille wrote: »

Did you see any Black throated divers? That's the best place in the Country to see them.

For any of the Divers you have a decent chance of seeing them from any decent headland or harbour around Ireland tbh.

Woodville56

Capercaille wrote: »

Did you see any Black throated divers? That's the best place in the Country to see them.

Unfortunately no Black Throated Divers today - they were on my tick list but no joy ! Got them there last year however, and I see them listed on Irishbirding as sighted at this location last weekend. Plenty of GND's though and a few distant Red Throated but hard to scope as sea was choppy enough ! Also plenty of Razorbills and Black Guillemots and a few Common Scoters . Was hoping for a few Long Tailed Duck even but roads around Finvarra/ New Quay torn up by weekend storms and hard to get to shoreline .

Capercaille

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

For any of the Divers you have a decent chance of seeing them from any decent headland or harbour around Ireland tbh.

Great Northern Diver/Red throated diver are widespread, however Black throated diver are not. I have only ever seen them in the Ballyvaughan area.

OpenYourEyes

Capercaille wrote: »

Great Northern Diver/Red throated diver are widespread, however Black throated diver are not. I have only ever seen them in the Ballyvaughan area.

Sightings in Down, Donegal, Sligo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Cork, Wexford, Wicklow and Louth since the start of November.


I know they're not common, but from the looks of the sighting locations it's not easy to narrow down where you might have a good chance of seeing the next one.


Most sightings from Donegal, but as with everything you have to wonder if that's because of survey bias.

Capercaille

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Sightings in Down, Donegal, Sligo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Cork, Wexford, Wicklow and Louth since the start of November.


I know they're not common, but from the looks of the sighting locations it's not easy to narrow down where you might have a good chance of seeing the next one.


Most sightings from Donegal, but as with everything you have to wonder if that's because of survey bias.

If you look at your Bird Atlas 2007-2011 the main site is Ballyvaughan area. Other areas are sporadic at best, but if you want a good chance to see them birders go to Ballyvaughan area. I do a good amount of seawatching. I'm no expert either though.

OpenYourEyes

Capercaille wrote: »

If you look at your Bird Atlas 2007-2011 the main site is Ballyvaughan area. Other areas are sporadic at best, but if you want a good chance to see them birders go to Ballyvaughan area. I do a good amount of seawatching.

Reading back through the thread and I see that you said "That's the best..." - I had originally thought you said "What's the best...", so sorry about that! I can see how my comments might have come across as argumentative, wasn't my intention.

From looking at the Bird Atlas it seems that because of the inlet there there is a longer stretch of coast from which you could see a BND alright, but that being said it doesn't look like it's any more popular than Donegal, Mayo or Cork, and I'm sure survey effort plays a part in that too.


But anyway, sorry about that mix up! My sea-watching experience is still limited and I've never seen a BND myself, so I won't be saying any more!

Capercaille

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Reading back through the thread and I see that you said "That's the best..." - I had originally thought you said "What's the best...", so sorry about that! I can see how my comments might have come across as argumentative, wasn't my intention.

From looking at the Bird Atlas it seems that because of the inlet there there is a longer stretch of coast from which you could see a BND alright, but that being said it doesn't look like it's any more popular than Donegal, Mayo or Cork, and I'm sure survey effort plays a part in that too.


But anyway, sorry about that mix up! My sea-watching experience is still limited and I've never seen a BND myself, so I won't be saying any more!

No offence taken OpenYourEyes. I do like a geeky discussion though:D.

GreyEagle

Woodville56 wrote: »

Phone scoped this Great Northern Diver at Ballyvaughan Pier today !

That's a good shot from a phone. Well done

Woodville56

GreyEagle wrote: »

That's a good shot from a phone. Well done

Thanks for that ! I was using a Meopta phone scope adaptor (Christmas present) , comes in handy but takes a bit of practice , especially with birds that move about all the time or constantly feeding divers on fairly choppy water !

spookwoman

dodderangler wrote: »

I've been zooming in on that for while as it was annoying me what it was. Looks like a wrasse. I've seen them jumping in the surf after bait fish which is the only time you'd see them near the surf.
Could be wrong but body shape says wrasse.
Great shot of it. Perfect timing

Its a good bit out that fish, camera was at 75mm, i was at least 100 yards from the shore. Had my dad look at it and he thought bass but as you said could be a big wrass

OpenYourEyes

Chaffinch - Male and Female




Great Tit


Greenfinch


Goldfinch

spookwoman

Grey Seal Pup getting rescued by Spookwoman, on Flickr

Eglinton