delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 30/09/2026#donegalbirding A Lesser Legs was found last week at Inch Lake, but went missing until yesterday. Yet another yank to add to this years list. 010
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 23/09/2026#donegalbirding Just a quick note - continuing the American theme, a drake Lesser Scaup was discovered by visiting birders at Blanket Nook on Sunday 20th. Not seen since but must be around here somewhere. And two Ring-necks are now present at Inch. 021
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 17/09/2026#donegalbirding Ran down to Inch this afternoon after an American Wigeon was picked up. Flashed clean white auxiliaries at one point. The yanks keep comming. 030
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 15/09/2026#donegalbirding I like that title - does it come with a badge? The county has seen a mad run of nearctic waders! 2 Pecs, 3 Baird’s, AGP and now Semi-p Sand. More to follow I reckon. 020
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 09/09/2026#donegalbirding Baird’s Sandpiper still hanging around Blanket Nook. Rob Vaughan had a second bird a couple of days back, so we definitely benefited from the recent influx. 020
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 06/09/2026#donegalbirding Managed a few better shots of the Baird’s today. Also, a Pec Sand was found yesterday at Malinmore, so many more yank waders could be lurking in the county. 030
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 05/09/2026#donegalbirding The yanks have finally arrived, with a Baird’s at Blanket Nook this morning. The westerlies appear to have brought quite a few into the country in general. 021
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 02/09/2026#donegalbirding Couple of pelagics over the past few weeks. The highlight of today’s was at least 4 Wilson’s petrels. Looks like they’re out there in decent numbers. 140
Reposted by @delboydonegal.bsky.socialdelboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 16/08/2026#donegalbirding This interesting wag turned up at Inch Lake today. Has to be either Grey-headed or Black-headed. Tricky buggers at this time of year. 131
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 17/08/2026#donegalbirding Nothing recorded unfortunately - realistically the only chance it had of passing a committee. Clean yellow throat and green smudging to breast sides, rather than spotting, might suggest Bkack-headed. Wasn’t there today. 000
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 16/08/2026#donegalbirding This interesting wag turned up at Inch Lake today. Has to be either Grey-headed or Black-headed. Tricky buggers at this time of year. 131
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 16/08/2026#donegalbirding A Green Sandpiper turned up yesterday at Blanket Nook. Pretty good year for the species. 010
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 16/08/2026#donegalbirding A Pelagic into Donegal bay (Fri 14th) produced a good selection of seabirds including.. 30+ Cory’s Shearwaters 17 Great Shearwaters 4 Sooty Shearwaters 3 Wilson’s Petrels 100+ European Storm Petrels 4 Great Skua 1 Arctic Skua 2 Minkie Whales and 2 Sunfish also. Many observers. 050
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 07/07/2026#donegalbirding Just making the 2025 Donegal bird report available via zenodo. Should be a much more reliable source, and more permanent. zenodo.org/records/2124...zenodo.orgDonegal Bird Report 2025This, to the best of my knowledge, is the first annual bird report available for County Donegal. It details the rare and scarce birds seen within the county. 020
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 03/07/2026#donegalbirding Here is a link to the report on OneDrive.. 1drv.ms/b/c/5d061cfd...1drv.ms Microsoft OneDrive 011
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 25/06/2026#donegalbirding They are hanging on well in the farmland between Blanket Nook and Inch. Long may it continue. 130
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 25/06/2026#donegalbirding A couple of very brief visits today produced a Green Sandpiper from the platform at Inch, and the Bonaparte’s Gull and two Common Sands at Blanket Nook. The European heatwave (and some easterlies) might push a few bits and pieces our way. 030
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 24/06/2026#donegalbirding Glad you got it! Sure if it was easy it’d be no fun.. Some shots that might be of interest. 020
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 16/05/2026#donegalbirding Bonaparte’s Gull still enjoying its stay at Inch Lake this afternoon. 030
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 05/05/2026#donegalbirding Couple of stills from earlier. 020
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 05/05/2026#donegalbirding And the Little gull.. 010
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 05/05/2026#donegalbirding Bonaparte’s showing much better this morning, with a Little Gull only a few feet away making for a nice comparison. 120
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 04/05/2026#donegalbirding Picked up a gull yesterday that looked promising for Bonapart’s. Could only get a couple of ropey record shots during the brief time it was there. But with the help of Robert Vaughan, C. Ingram and T. Campbell, we pinned it down today. Hopefully it stays and decent shots can be taken 000
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 30/04/2026#donegalbirding The answer to that it seems is None! 110
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 29/04/2026Get some pictures up here. Need a better idea of what to look for on Tory! 010
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 29/04/2026#donegalbirding Next up, in 2025 we had a dodgy White Stork, sporting an odd looking ring and peach toned feathers. The peach tones can apparently be the result of being fed pellets, indicating captivity. But yesterday a clean looking bird turned up near Bkanket Nook. No rings, no peach tones.. 230
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 29/04/2026#donegalbirding A few more shots of the Inch birds. Apparently only 5 previous spring records. And a bit of Wood Sandpiper trivia, up until the mid 1950’s there had been approx 7 records for the entire country. 120
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 29/04/2026#donegalbirding Haven’t posted in a while, but migration season has arrived, so hopefully we’ll have some interesting birds moving through. To start with, we’ve already had 3 Wood Sandpipers this year already! Two at Inch and one on the west coast. Well done to all involved for finding them! 120
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 01/02/2026#donegalbirding A nice side by side comparison shot of a Greenland White front and one of the Russian White fronts. Will these ever be split I wonder? 140
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 22/12/2025#donegalbirding I bumped into a French chap on the 16th who had a fear of flying, so he had travelled by car from Normandy via Rosslare to see the bird! 110
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 20/12/2025#donegalbirding The Harlequin is looking better by the week. This was it on Dec 16th. The same day had 2 Cackling Geese and a Ring-necked Duck at Dunfanaghy new lake. 1100
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 08/11/2025#donegalbirding The other goodies were American Golden Plover (new or same bird? Can’t tell), Lesser Yellowlegs (probably the bird @miceal.bsky.social had a few days back but wasn’t sure enough to post - be more confident!), Great Egret and Hen Harrier. Barn Owl and LEO in the evening. 030
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 08/11/2025#donegalbirding Great day at Inch. A Bittern was seen in the morning and eventually showed itself close to dusk, giving great views. Lots of other goodies too. 040
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 25/10/2025#donegalbirding Just to be clear, the bird above is from today, not 1982! 000
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 25/10/2025#donegalbirding The Influx of Taiga Bean Geese continues with 9 birds now at Inch. It’s a bit crazy that despite convincing previous sightings, there are no accepted records for this species in Donegal! Reference ‘The Birds of Co Donegal’ - a flock of 21 was at Castlewray in 1982. 220
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 25/10/2025Can’t really improve on Oscar Wilde’s outlook on it. ‘The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable’. 010
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 21/10/2025#donegalbirding While helping to relocate the Bean Geese this morning I found an 8th bird (below). The flock of 7 later returned to the same field as yesterday. With additional views and shots, the ID of Taiga seems good. 020
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 21/10/2025#donegalbirding A few more of the Bean Geese.. 020
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 21/10/2025#donegalbirding Stumbled upon a flock of 7 Bean Geese today at Inch. The jury is out, but it’s very possible that these are Taiga, which would be significantly rarer than the Tundra cousins. Here’s hoping! 140
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 21/10/2025#donegalbirding Numbers seem to have exploded this year in particular. I thought a count of 40+ at Blanket Nook towards the end of the summer was good, until a few weeks later someone had 60+ (possibly even more). They’ve overtaken Grey Heron at many sites. Incredible progress. Global warming?? 000
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 17/10/2025#donegalbirding The flow of American waders continued this afternoon with a juv American Golden Plover at Inch lake. Possibly the same bird as the one at Blanket Nook - I might check later if I can. Nice to get a direct comparison with a Golden.. 040
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 14/10/2025#donegalbirding The tally of White-rumps has risen to 4 at Inch. The country in general is overrun with them. The American Golden Plover was at the same place at Blanket Nook, but in better light this afternoon. The next week could be very interesting! 010
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 13/10/2025#donegalbirding Looks like the yank waders have well and truly arrived. Brief visit to Blanket Nook revealed a Juv American Golden Plover. Hopefully today is the start of a run of birds. 020
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 13/10/2025#donegalbirding With all the White-rumped Sandpipers that are popping up all over the country, it was surely only a matter of time before we got one. This one was off the Tready hide this afternoon. The Ring-necked was there too. 130
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 12/10/2025#donegalbirding Not quite the kerb appeal of a Harlequin, there was a drake Ring-necked Duck today at Inch lake from the Tready hide. A walk around Horn Head later to look for Snow Bunting was a success with a very confiding bird at the lookout tower nearest to the point. Beautiful birds! 031
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 10/10/2025Please do pass on the numbers. If I don’t have to work I might find more good birds.. 010
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 10/10/2025#donegalbirding Well, no prizes for guessing where I’ve been. The Harlequins showed well this morning so off to Tory to get the Vireos. No sign, so it looks like they may have cleared out. Can’t complain though. Thanks Rob, again.. 181
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 09/10/2025#donegalbirding The madness continued today when those who headed for Tory for the Grey-cheeked Thrush and RB Shrike, we’re also treated to THREE Red-Eyed Vireos. Another new species for the county. If I might paraphrase Scottie, ‘A canny take much more captain’! 061
delboydonegal.bsky.social @delboydonegal.bsky.social · 07/10/2025#donegalbirding Superb day on Tory with the Grey cheeked thrush showing well, eventually! Bonus birds that are always welcome were Red backed shrike and Lapland bunting. With the Blackpoll still at Arranmore, there’s a lot more out there! 071
