Cuskinny, Cobh, Ireland

Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

 Wednesday 17 September

The overnight storm and tempest as the ship sheltered in Cork Harbour had passed to give a dry, calm day with increasing sunshine and warmth.  Now docked at the cruise port at Cobh within the harbour Jenny and I took a taxi to the nearby Cuskinny Bird Reserve and coast a couple of kilometres to the north.  Arriving at the harbour having already seen our first Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Starling as we approached the roadside car park overlooking the small bay, we soon added more of the same along with a Pied Wagtail,  Hooded Crows and, on the beach, Heron, Oystercatchers, Black-headed and Great Black-backed Gulls. Moving along the road towards the hill we also added the first Robin and above the trees not only a small flock of Rooks but a pair of Chough.

Curlew Numenius arquata , Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus and Hooded Crow Corvus cornix

Time to take a walk along the road adjacent road to the small lake where we could see a pair of Mute Swans with a single cygnet plus Little Grebe and a Moorhen.  Carrying on down the narrow road we recoded a number of Mallard, a pair of Teal plus a couple of Cormorant and another Moorhen before location a Little Grebe on the opposite side of the water.  Also present on the water a lone Herring Gull in addition to both Black-headed and Great Black-backed Gulls. At the far end of the lake in the entry drive to the cottage we found a Blackbird and then a Blue Tit as we made our way back to the carpark.

Great Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus

Whilst waiting for our return taxi a call from the nearby bridge from a local inhabitant called us over where we observed one of the resident Kingfishers catching and eating small fish plus a lot of preening.  Whilst there I the noted the small bird alight in a nearby large bramble patch and found the male Blackcap quickly followed by a pair of Stonechats. 29 species not a bad return for just over an hour's birding.

Hooded Crow Corvus cornix

Birds seen:  

Mute Swan, Mallard, Teal, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Heron, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Magpie, Chough, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Starling.

Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Stonechat Saxicola rubicola

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Rook Corvus frugilegus

Distant Teal Anas crecca

Cuskinny Bird Reserve from coastal road

Cuskinny Bay from coastal road

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