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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Second-calendar Ring-billed Gull back in Barnaderg Bay, Co. Galway during the week. Turned up last winter. Only about my fourth individual in Connemara in 18 years.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

A group of nine White-tailed Sea Eagles hanging out together last week in Connemara (eight in this video). 8 were tagged birds released on Lough Corrib in 24 & 25. Intriguingly one was untagged, potentially from an undiscovered nest somewhere? Incredible sight.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Green-winged Teal from Rahasane Turlough, Co. Galway yesterday. Probably close to 2,000 dabbling duck present on site.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

This colour ringed Ringed Plover was in Streamstown Bay, Clifden yesterday. I got word from Brian Burke @bburke88.bsky.social that he had ringed it this summer as a breeding adult at Baltray Little Tern colony in Louth. Strange that it would choose to winter 250km away on the other side of Ireland.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Took a trip up to Tully Mountain SAC/Letter Hill about a fortnight ago. It's designated for it's European dry, Alpine & Boreal heaths. Unusually for an upland site in Connemara, it's in good condition due to low numbers of sheep present. Juniper & Bearberry were frequent at the higher elevations.

Juniper Juniperus communis subsp. nana & Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) amongst Ling Heather.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

Cattle Egret at Mullaghglass, Tully Cross from 14th October. Still rare in Galway.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

Buff-bellied Pipit on Inishmore from 16th October. Second island record and the fourth or fifth county record. The only American passerine for the Autumn in Galway. Just one White-rumped Sandpiper and two American Golden Plovers for the whole Autumn.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

A few pictures of two "North-Western" Redpolls from Inishbofin on 7th October. One of the birds (first two pics) was a paler bird and possibly closer to an islandica type, while the other was a more classic looking rostrata type. Both were exceptionally tame.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Niall Keogh found county Galway's first Marsh Warbler at Renvyle Head yesterday. Typically, for an Acrocephalus warbler, it proved very challenging to get good prolonged views but after about 5 hours, we eventually did thankfully. Makes up for the complete lack of good waders here so far.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Nice day out on the islands of Derryclare Lough on Tuesday. We were out to collect Yew berries & cuttings for propagation for further planting locally. We were also hoping to collect some Rock Whitebeam berries as well but didn't find any unfortunately. Quite a rare species away from Killarney.

Aspen, restricted to just two islands on the lough. Haven't recorded it on any other lough islands but occurs very sparingly on some mainland coastal cliff sites.

Rock Whitebeam with Derryclare conifer plantation and hill in the background. The species seems to favour the western, more exposed sides of islands. Probably doesn't tolerate too much shading from bigger trees but as a result is often quite wind-burnt and stunted.

Mature Yew tree. Red Deer are starting to have a negative effect on vegetation structure and tree regeneration. They happily swim out to these little oasises for shelter and productive feeding.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

Adult Bonaparte's Gull back at Ballyconneely Strand yesterday for its third winter now. I wonder where it disappears to during the summers?

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

Random picture upload from the last month or so.

Local birding fans at Rahasane Turlough.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

A few sights from Currywongaun, Twelve Bens Mts, NW of Kylemore today. This was the location for Marconi's radio receiving station as part of the first transatlantic wireless telegraphy back in 1913. Worrying a lot of Rhodo spreading throughout the hill, at least 1km north of the Kylemore estate.

Lough Touther in the foreground with Doughruagh hill in the background.

Cave formed by a jumble of huge boulders.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

This Loggerhead Turtle was found by a tourist on Lettergesh beach, Rinvyle today. I collected her & brought her half the way down to Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium who specialise in the rehabilitation of sea turtles. 7th Loggerhead to be found in Ireland this year.🤞for a successful recovery.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Nice selection of orchids on display at the moment. I've had all these in the last few days in the environs of Ballyconneely. Green-winged, Early Purple, Irish Marsh & Early Marsh Orchids have been and gone by now and Autumn Ladies Tresses are yet to appear. I've seen about 14 species in total here.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

It's Peregrine ringing season again. Numbers a bit down this year. We've ringed six nests so far here in county Galway. Most of the pairs in Connemara are missing this year.

Irene O'Brien ringing a Peregrine chick.

Peregrine chicks back on the ledge after being ringed.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Large fire along the Western Way at Derryherbert & Cappanlaurabaun beside Lough Corrib from last Saturday. Thanks to the help of a helicopter it probably would have kept going through the tinder dry tree farm. A good amount of trees on the ground due to Storm Éowyn which contributed to the fire.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Male Ring-necked Duck, male Garganey & plenty of breeding Gadwall, Shoveler, Pochard at Muckrush, Lough Corrib today. The breeding Lapwing & Redshank not doing so well with a Fox patrolling the main island in broad daylight and seemed to be successfully getting food.. @breedingwaderseip.bsky.social

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Shots taken locally yesterday mainly Ballyconneely.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

Russian White-fronted Goose hanging out with feral Greylag Geese on Tumduffbeg Lake, Boora, Co. Offaly today. Probably a county first (?) and only the second I've seen in Ireland. I saw my first ever White-fronted Goose (Greenland) literally on the other side of the road 30 years ago! 😳

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Nice fresh Green Hairstreak from Derryclare yesterday.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Adult winter Bonaparte's Gull relocated to Ballyconneely beach, Co. Galway in front of Murlach this evening as it did last winter as well.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

I picked up this adult winter Bonaparte's Gull while driving along the Ballyconneely road beside Mannin Bay today. Same way I picked up what was presumably the same individual here last winter.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

We were up around Bencullagh and Muckanaght in the Twelve Ben Mts on Thurs. Lovely to see good coverage of Juniper around the latter where sheep grazing has been low. Typically quiet for birds, 50 Golden Plover on the hilltop, handful of Raven and a Meadow Pipit being it.

Hillside spring with abundance Sphagnum mossed.

An Gleann Mór looking west with Diamond Hill/Bengooria in the distance.

Nice (alpine?) heath on the east side of Bencullagh.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

Female White-tailed Sea Eagle, Inagh Valley, Connemara. Released on Lough Corrib in 2023.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

Male White-tailed Sea Eagle, Inagh Valley, Connemara. Originally from Lough Derg, born 2022.

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Reposted by Dermot Breen

Rewild Scotland @rewildscotland.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Sheep appear to contribute to wader nests failing. More research needed. www.bto.org/sites/defaul...

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Colour ringed Ravens feeding on a deer carcass from a local ringing project here in Connemara.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Some footage showing the damage caused by Storm Éowyn last Friday in Derryclare Wood Nature Reserve..

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Very fresh female Common Dolphin on the beach near Tullymore just below the Renvyle Beach caravan and camping park.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

Two 2nd cal Ring-billed Gulls at Waterside, Galway city. It's been several years since there's been a new RBG in the Nimmo's Pier/Waterside area. Last of the regular adults seemed to have kicked the bucket about two years ago along with the long staying Forster's. 2nd cal Argentatus also present.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

Blue phase Snow Goose at Belclare Turlough, Co. Galway today. Found yesterday by Darren Ellis.

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Dermot Breen @dermotbreen.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

Some footage of several Woodcock feeding out on machair commonage at Aillebrack, Ballyconneely at 2300hrs last night. Forgive the shaky videos, taken with night vision binoculars at x22 magnification.

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