Spotted Flycatcher

There were numerous Spotted Flycatchers in the garden and bushes around the house on Great Saltee Island last weekend.

 Spotted Flycatchers on Great Saltee Island, Wexford © John N Murphy

Spotted Flycatcher

While in Cork last week I visited Mizen Head on 21st & 22nd September.  There was one Hudsonian Whimbrel there which was found on the 20th, and I managed to re-find it on the Wednesday 21st.  But I could not get close enough to get any pics, the bird was very wary and alert.  This was only the third Irish record of this North American form of Whimbrel in Ireland.  Also at Mizen was one Semi-palmated Sandpiper, two Whinchats and a Spotted Flycatcher as seen below.

Spotted Flycatcher

On Saturday 7th May 2011, I had a 4.00 am start to my day leaving home for headlands in Waterford where I was hoping to get a few stray migrants that may have been blown in by the southerly winds.  just a s I arrived at Helvick Head, I dipped on a female Golden Oriole by about two minutes.  I spent all morning between Helvick, Mine and Ardmore Heads with little more than Whitethroats and a hoodwink large brown Warbler.  I got a phone call from a few friends on the Saltee Islands in nearby Wexford to say  Great Reed Warbler had just been found, so being so close I had to travel for the big twitch.  On Saltee there were nice numbers of common migrants including Spotted Flycatchers, (see below).