The start of just over a week's holiday in Ireland began aboard the 2:30am ferry from Holyhead to Dublin. The crossing was made in a moderate westerly, with drizzle for much of the way. Redwings could be heard and occasionally seen in the ship's lights, and a party of Meadow Pipits joined us for the voyage; as far as we could tell, they never alighted, but were obviously attracted to the ship's lights; at times they appeared perilously close to the water. The occasional Guillemot was also noted and Tom claimed a Puffin.
The drive to our home for the week, just outside Dingle, was made in torrential rain and gale force westerlies and a wrong turning somewhere meant we came through the spectacular Conor Pass.
After unloading, myself and Tom went birding, starting with a look out to sea at Slea Head as we didn't fancy leaving the car. We saw nothing apart from a few Gannets, but an improvement in the weather meant we could at least do some birding around Dingle and Ventry. We did, and saw nothing! List of other birds seen:
Mallard
Cormorant
Shag
Little Egret
Grey Heron
Hen Harrier
Kestrel
Oystercatcher
Ringed Plover
Grey Plover
Curlew
Redshank
Greenshank
Turnstone
Kittiwake
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Guillemot
Rock Dove
Wood Pigeon
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Stonechat
Blackbird
Mistle Thrush
Magie
Jackdaw
Rook
Hooded Crow
Starling
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
