Aidan G. Kelly

@agk10k.bsky.social

Balbriggan, Dublin, Ireland. Birder since age 11. Sometimes twitcher. Bird-book fanatic. Like all wildlife & wild places. Apartment, Dublin, Irish and World Bird Lists the ones I keep.

A few shots of the Blackburnian taken in misty conditions yesterday. Thanks to Noel Linehan & Paul Rowe for a great find & to Tony Nagle for driving us up to the garden. Seeing this bird means that I, and a few others, have now seen all 15 American Wood Warblers on the Irish List😎

Good weekend of seawatching at Bridges of Ross, Co. Clare, with 28 Wilson’s Petrels passing on Saturday and 6 y’day. Nice to see quite a few Cory’s, Great & Sooty Shears. Single Leach’s and a ‘Blue’ Fulmar too. A few cropped shots of a Wilson’s and a Bonxie (of which we had just 2 of).

It was well worth the trip up to the Cooley Peninsula, Co. Louth yesterday evening to see the stunningly tame Red-footed Falcon as it caught insects in a field, eyeing them up from the telegraph poles and wires.

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Was nice to catch up with these 2 Bewick’s Swans from the observation tower at the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve last Sunday. Only a handful of birds have been recorded in Ireland this winter. Better than last winter though when none was recorded!

Seeing this Critically Endangered Ridgway’s Hawk at Los Haitises a short while ago meant we got our last possible endemic in the Dominican Republic. One of a pair present.Note ring on left leg. ‘Green 82’ Puerto Rico next..😎

A few highlights from a great weekend in Wexford,finding this Purple Heron at Tacumshin on Sat. & finally getting a few shots of it next day. Fem. Blue-winged Teal & 3 LRPlovers also at Tacumshin. Also this fantastic male Redstart at Carnsore Point, found by Joe Adamson.

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Was lucky this evening when this fabulous Waxwing came down to eye level to feed in a small fruiting tree in a front garden at Willow Park Avenue, Glasnevin, Dublin. Great find yesterday by Victor Caschera. They have been extremely scarce in Ireland this winter.

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Some of the better looking Antbirds we saw in Guyana last month. Ferruginous-backed, Rufous-throated and White-plumed. Very high iso settings used in the dark rainforest undergrowth which reduces the image quality. Single Wing-banded Antbird also seen, but unfortunately no photos #BirdingGuyana

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Enjoyable 2 days of ‘Scotering’ in Kerry in good weather conditions. Highlights were the continuing ad. WwScoter at Inch Strand accompanied now by a 1w ‘Velvet-type’ (id. not clinched); 9 Surf Scoters(6 at Inch, 3 at Brandon Bay). Found a new ‘advanced’ 1w WwS at Brandon with 4xVelvets also present.

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The very sad news that the Slender-billed Curlew has been declared extinct prompted me to look up my notebook from when myself & Aidan Duggan were lucky enough to see that last individual bird at Merja Zerga, on Xmas Day 1994. Brief notes but they bring back cherished memories..

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