Tory delivers again

Decided I would bite the bullet and finally give Tory some of the time it deserves in Autumn. Despite some slow days, there was a constant turn over of birds. No great numbers and only one star. Will put up some sketches over the weekend and a bit of a trip report, a few shots for now.


                                        

 After almost identifying it on posture I started to try and get some 'proper' criteria. The wings were constantly drooped and made accessing the primary length difficult, even shots of the bird are mis leading at times. Grey brown above contrasting with a rusty tinge through the wing, starkly white underparts with a grey cast along the flanks and a distinctive 'chic' call all added to identification of blyth's reed warbler. A first for Donegal, and probably not many more than 10 Irish sightings before?

 Tree pipit. A bird on the 9th landed briefly on a wire before continuing east, appearing a lot yellower on the breast than this bird on the 10th. There are quite a few Tory records surprisingly considering there isn't a tree on the island!

Lesser legs. Checked Swords estuary this evening, 4 golden plover and an adult med gull hardly worth the effort. I stopped into twitch the legs at the causeway on the Bull. Great close views, shame about the light, and that I forgot my pencil case!