A Dark green fritillary just outside the obs today.

Hundreds of Manx Shearwaters in Roaringwater Bay right now.

A very productive weekend at the global bird fair with fellow bird observatories council colleagues promoting avian conservation & research (especially at Cape Clear) to hundreds of visitors. A notable increase this year in young people wanting to hear about & tvisit obs across Britain & Ireland.

This morning some bird ringing on the East side of the island produced an adult breeding male Grasshopper Warbler (see image below). Puffins moving on from breeding grounds are now appearing in small numbers rafting in Roaringwater Bay, 16 last evening and 9 today.

The CCBO 2023/24 report is now complete. With the sad passing of warden Steve Wing in Sep 24' this publication could not have been achieved without the photographs and information provided by the birding community, a huge thanks to all involved. See birdwatchireland.ie/publications...

Gull ringing today in the best of company with NPWS rangers on the Calf Islands, 100 mostly Lesser black backed Gull chicks were colour ringed. Future field sightings of these birds help gather data about survival rates, longevity, migration routes, wintering grounds and colony recruitment.

The first Storm Petrels of the year were ringed during the early hours of this morning with visiting UK ringer Tommy Saunders and a small group of young Irish ecologists staying at the bird Observatory. Photo from last night's session.

A stunning Yellow Shell moth was one of the ' finds' enjoyed this afternoon by the current ' Wildlife Weekend with the Warden' group. Photo JH.

In keeping with Birdwatch Irelands logo 'Protecting birds & Biodiversity', CCBO are accumulating a list of the diverse flora & fauna of the island, Over 800 species have been recorded since Feb 25' the latest addition a nationally rare insect - Raspberry Beetle Byturus tomentosus, 4th Irish record.

Guests taking part in this past few days Wildlife Weekend with the warden didn't miss out on home made ice cream at the island goat farm. Species recorded included Chough, Wheatear, Common Lizard, Field Cuckoo Bee, Irish Marsh Orchid and Western Bee Fly amongst many others. Photos from the weekend.

A Long-tailed Skua reported yesterday was a nice addition to the year list. The last few days have been notable for several sightings Clouded Yellow butterfly daily. This one on the wild flower patch outside the bird observatory this afternoon. Photo JH.

Last night at 2210hrs a European Nightjar was hunting over the fields where I was setting up the observatory moth trap on the East side of the island, fortunately it missed this fabulous Striped Hawk-moth, the first island record.

A warm welcome to this group of ex students now young professional Irish Naturalists returning to stay at the bird observatory this week by way of an annual reunion. Some impressive bird sightings included Quail, Hen Harrier & Hobby, also Common Lizard & a large pod of Common Dolphins.

An invasion of Painted Lady butterflies across the island today.

The latest Wildlife Weekend with the warden saw our guests taking part in bird ringing, moth trapping, bird census, wildlife surveys & Bat monitoring. Highlights included, Chough, Common Lizard, Hairy Birds foot Trefoil, Poplar Hawkmoth, Wall butterfly, Rose Chafer, Pippistrelle Bats & much more.

BirdWatch Ireland are delighted to announce the recipient of the Steve Wing bursary scheduled for this autumn, & thank everyone who took the time to apply, competition was fierce & picking out one from many excellent applications was a tough task. Congratulations go to Tim Slattery (pictured here).

A slow start to the year for moths so far, this Bordered Gothic the pick of last night's catch.

Colour ringing Chough chicks yesterday morning.

Two Basking Sharks just offshore in Roaring-water Bay this morning, 9 days later than the first record last year, great to see them back. Image here a Basking Shark dorsal fin 2 to 3 feet above water, one of this mornings sightings.

A Hobby began a flurry of additions to the observatory year list this morning, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and a smart Pied Flycatcher were amongst the bird ringing. Image, today's Pied Flycatcher.

Video of 1 of 20 Whimbrels recorded today. Also this afternoon our first Spotted Flycatcher of the spring was ringed at Cotter's Garden.

An interesting time to view Great Northern Divers right now, at least a dozen offshore in roaring water Bay, every plumage from first winter to adult summer and many variations in transitional plumage like the one shown here. Photo JH.

Record shots here of a distant Surf Scoter seen today from the island ferry, the diagnostic white nape visible. Also from the ferry 2 Whimbrels, Common Gull, Red-throated and Great Northern Divers. Several Swallows also heading north across Roaringwater Bay.

A surprise this morning by way of an impressive adult male Surf Scoter on sea and in flight from the island ferry this morning. A further surprise when researching for this post was to discover that the last Cape Clear record for this species was exactly 33yrs ago today.

A few migrants trickling through these past few days, Yesterday a Yellow Wagtail (scarce in Ireland) was found during the daily census & today a Sedge Warbler (shown here) amongst the bird ringing brightened up a murky morning for the current observatory guests. Video Charlotte Salter-townshend.

A chilly NE breeze didn't do much for migration today, just a couple of Chiffchaffs, some signs of spring however, Speckled Wood, Tapered Drone Fly, Large (Moss) Carder Bee and Scarlet Pimpernel this morning.

Great to have to opportunity to present to the members of West Cork BWI group last night.

It's not too late to apply to be the recipient of the 2026 Steve Wing Memorial Bursary. Submissions can be sent to ccbo@birdwatchireland.ie. The closing date for applications is Tuesday 31st March 2026. See the BirdWatch Ireland website for further details. Visit birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/cap...

Steve Wing Memorial Bursary - BirdWatch Ireland

The Steve Wing Memorial Bursary, named after our late friend and colleague, helps with support training, mentorship and direct experience.

birdwatchireland.ie

10 days later than our first spring fall last year, this morning a sprinkling of Robins, Blackcaps & Chiffchaffs featured amongst the bird ringing & got our passage of passerines underway. Common Scoter, Sandwich Tern, Merlin and Wheatear were all new for year during the last 48hrs. Image Chiffchaff

Spring is in the air, well bats, moths & migrating birds are at least! This past week Pipistrelle bats were out hunting, the moth trap was deployed recording Dotted Border. White tailed Eagle, Hen Harrier and Firecrest have been spotted, none of which were recorded last spring. Pic Dotted Border.