Dun Laoghaire - 19th Dec

Back in Ireland for Christmas, and back to my favourite coastal site. Most of the usuals present, including Black Redstart, Water Pipit, Black Guillemot, Common Guillemot and Mediterranean Gull.

Female/ immature Black Redstart. I hadn't seen any reports of this species this winter, but I went looking on the off chance and got lucky!

Rock Pipit. This was the palest individual I saw, which contrasted strongly with the rest which are much darker (see next picture). All other plumage details point to Rock Pipit, it's just very pale. Maybe a first winter bird?

A more conventionally coloured Rock Pipit.

Winter-plumaged Black Guillemot

Winter-plumaged Common Guillemot. Nice to see these two together showing the differing structure and posture.

Common Redshank

Eurasian Oystercatcher with a limpet.

Mediterranean Gull. At least 58 spread between the piers at Dun Laoghaire, Sandy Cove and The Forty Foot. Most birds were at the last spot. 

Ring number PRN6. Mediterranean Gull ringed as an adult in Poland on 26/05/2015. It spends most of the year in Ireland, and is most often seen at Scotsman's Bay (probably at the roost at The Forty Foot). It has been seen twice at a coastal site in Germany, as it travels between Ireland and Poland (5 sightings) where presumably it breeds in the summer.

Juvenile Herring Gull 

Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull

Harbour Seal