Nimmo's 23rd Nov 15

I was in Galway today and had a look at Nimmo's Pier for the first time this winter. I saw this first-winter Iceland Gull on the slipway with a fish hook impaled in the inside of the upper mandible with about a foot of fishing line still tied on. The bird was in obvious discomfort and it's likely that it will probably starve to death as a result of not being able to properly feed. It's when you see small stuff like this you realise what an utter virus the human race is to this planet. The bird was still well capable of flying so trying to catch it would prove nigh on impossible. Ringers have tried using clap nets to trap gulls for ringing here before but they've proved useless as the gulls are incredibly wary of anything out of the ordinary even a spot like this where they are habituated to people.
I also had a Norwegian colour ringed Black-headed Gull. It was ringed in Oslo on 10th April 2011. It has visited Nimmo's Pier on several occasions and has also returned to its original ringing site. Details below. One second-winter Ring-billed Gull also but no sign of any of the usual returning adults. The beach and rocks were devoid of any gulls or terns.

Date	Location	Coordinates	Observer	Days/Distance
10.04 2011	Treschows Bro, Oslo, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°56'29"N 010°45'56"E	Mjelde, John Martin	-
06.11 2011	New Rd., Galway City, Galway, Ireland (EIRE)	53°16'00"N 009°05'00"W	O` Donaill, Aonghus	210/1417
28.11 2011	Nimmos Pier, Galway, Ireland (EIRE)	53°16'02"N 009°03'12"W	Davis, Michael	232/1415
11.02 2012	Nimmos Pier, Galway, Ireland (EIRE)	53°16'02"N 009°03'12"W	Cuffe, Tom	307/1415
15.04 2012	Treschows Bro, Oslo, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°56'29"N 010°45'56"E	Lome, Carsten Mjelde, John Martin	371/0
08.06 2012	Middelalderparken, Oslo, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°54'14"N 010°45'42"E	Lome, Carsten	425/4
06.04 2013	Bjørvika, Oslo, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°54'28"N 010°45'02"E	Mjelde, John Martin Molværsmyr, Sindre	727/4
13.04 2013	Treschows Bro, Oslo, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°56'29"N 010°45'56"E	Molværsmyr, Sindre	734/0
21.04 2013	Solvikbukta, Bærum, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°53'33"N 010°33'06"E	Helberg, Morten Lome, Carsten Lorentzen, Nils Helge Mjelde, John Martin	742/13
14.04 2014	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Evenrud, Jon	1100/22
27.04 2014	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Helberg, Morten Nilsson, Anna	1113/22
25.05 2014	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Evenrud, Jon	1141/22
12.06 2014	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Helberg, Morten	1159/22
05.04 2015	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Evenrud, Jon	1456/22
20.04 2015	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Helberg, Morten	1471/22
23.11 2015	Nimmo's Pier, Galway, Galway, Ireland (EIRE)	53°16'40"N 009°03'17"W	Breen, Dermot	1688/1414

First-winter Iceland Gull with fishing line.

First-winter Iceland Gull with fishing hook and line.

 

First-winter Iceland Gull with fishing hook and line.

First-winter Iceland Gull with fishing hook and line.

 

Second-winter Ring-billed Gull

Norwegian ringed JHP9 adult Black-headed Gull.

First calendar Shag with two adult Cormorants.

 

Rossaveel early March 2015

 

A few shots taken down at Rossaveel from early March. Having got off to a very poor start for white-wingers, I had reasonable numbers here with at least five first-winters, two second-winters, a third-winter and an adult Iceland along with a single first-winter Glaucous. Most of the Icelands were actually feeding on the opposite side of the Cashla/Costelloe Bay at the small outflow off Sruffaun Pier just before Carraroe village. Birds often move between Rossaveel harbour and here as the tow are less than a kilometre away from each other. Nimmo's Pier and the rest of Connemara continues to be relatively quiet however on the gull front. No definite Kumlien's so far this winter in Galway which is a little strange even though it has been very quiet for them this winter.

First-winter Iceland Gull

First-winter Iceland Gulls

First-winter Iceland Gull

First-winter Iceland Gull

Three first-winter Iceland Gulls

Second-winter Iceland Gull

Second-winter Iceland Gull, different from above.

Second-winter Iceland Gull, same as above.

Third-winter Iceland Gull

Third-winter Iceland Gull

First-winter Glaucous Gull

First-winter Glaucous Gull

First-winter Glaucous Gull

First-winter Glaucous Gull

First-winter Glaucous Gull

First-winter Glaucous Gull

First-winter Great Black-backed Gulls

Adult Great Cormorant

First-winter Great Cormorant, the gular angle is probably in the intergrade zone between carbo and sinensis.

Black Guillemot

 

Random Dec 14 shots



Great Cormorant, Nimmo's Pier, 20th December 2014.



Grey Heron, Nimmo's Pier, 20th December 2014.

Colour ringed Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Nimmo's Pier, 20th December 2014.

 Oystercathcer, Bunowen Pier, 19th December 2014.

 

Oystercatcher, Omey Strand, 18th December 2014.

 

 Greenshank, Omey Strand, 18th December 2014.

 Greenshank, Omey Strand, 18th December 2014.

 Greenshank, Omey Strand, 18th December 2014.

First-winter Ring-billed Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 20th December 2014.

Adult Forster's Tern, Newtownlynch Pier, 20th December 2014.

 

Nimmo's Pier 10th & 15th February 2014

A selection of some recent shots from mostly Nimmo's Pier.



Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

 

Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Adult Forster's Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Second-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

Second-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

Second-winter Kumlien's Gull, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

 

Second-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

Adult Iceland Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 10th February 2014.

Adult Kittiwake, Nimmo's Pier, 10th February 2014. I've probably seen more Laughing Gulls on the slipway at Nimmo's than I have Kittiwakes!

Adult Kittiwake, Nimmo's Pier, 10th February 2014.

Adult Ring-billed Gull (bird no. 1), Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Adult Ring-billed Gull (bird no. 2), Nimmo's Pier, 10th February 2014.

Adult Ring-billed Gull (bird no. 3), Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

Barnacle Goose with Pale-bellied Brent Geese, Nimmo's Pier, 10th February 2014.

Turnstone, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.

carbo Cormorant, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

Little Egret, Rossaveel, 10th February 2014.

Otter, Nimmo's Pier, 15th February 2014.