Galway Mega

Cardynal

MEGA EASTERN KINGBIRD , Inishmore , Aran Islands Co Galway.
Found by Dublin Birder Hugh Delaney today , This is not only the 1st Irish record for this North American passerine but the 1st for the whole of Europe.
There will be birders from all over Ireland (myself included) , the UK , and further afield making their way over for it this weekend , let's hope it hangs around :)

littlebug

aghhh of all weeks I just can't go out there this weekend... or during the week... or next weekend. I wonder how long it'll stay?
Enjoy your stay Cardynal, hope you see the bird.

Birdnuts

Any pics of this bird yet??

greenscene11

I'm the guy who Hugh pulled off the tour bus and snapped a cell-phone picture of the bird through his telescope. It's a bit blurry, but you can see the bird and its notable characteristics.

whyulittle

There is someone's photo here.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=542247895800937&set=a.115000398525691.16265.110419742317090&type=1&theater

Cardynal

whyulittle wrote: »

There is someone's photo here.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=542247895800937&set=a.115000398525691.16265.110419742317090&type=1&theater

Think that's only a sample photo
Reports coming in now of a Belted Kingfisher near letterfrack , tomorrow's going to be a busy day:D

Cardynal

Photo's of the Kingbird on Irishbirding now

whyulittle

Cardynal wrote: »

Think that's only a sample photo

So it is.

greenscene11

Here's the first photo, from about 2pm yesterday. It was a cell phone through a telescope and sunny, glarry day.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=538445739504785&set=a.459867564029270.124927.100000180911916&type=1&theater

whyulittle

The Kingfisher confirmed.

http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/49604/Belted_Kingfisher.html

Biodegradable Bellend

Some of the best pics I've seen of the Belted Kingfisher here

http://joshrjones.blogspot.ie/

whyulittle

And some more of the Kingbird.

http://dermotbreen.blogspot.ie/2012/10/eastern-kingbird.html

V_Moth

whyulittle wrote: »

And some more of the Kingbird.

http://dermotbreen.blogspot.ie/2012/10/eastern-kingbird.html

Excellent stuff. It is very unfortunate and a little bit surprising that the Kingbird didn't stay for a couple of days at least. The Belted Kingfisher is probably still at one of the lakes in area, but will be difficult to track down.

whyulittle

I was thinking a few days before this showed up, do any of our normal regular birds, show up as 'Megas' anywhere?

V_Moth

whyulittle wrote: »

I was thinking a few days before this showed up, do any of our normal regular birds, show up as 'Megas' anywhere?

There have been the odd records of Redshank, Lapwing and Corncrake in eastern Canada/United States. The big rarity site for North American listers are the Aleutians and Pribilof Islands where they hope to find Willow Warbler, Common Cuckoo and Common Swift :P.

Netfugl has an interesting searchable database ("bird species") where you can see records of some commoner birds in unusual areas of Europe (eg Little Grebe in Iceland).

Also, the IRBC published the 2011 rare bird report:

http://irbc.ie/reports/irbr/2011_IRBR%28Interim%29.pdf

whyulittle

Belted Kingfisher back in Galway, on the mainland this time.

http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/50744/Belted_Kingfisher.html

Biodegradable Bellend

whyulittle wrote: »

Belted Kingfisher back in Galway, on the mainland this time.

http://www.irishbirding.com/birds/web/Display/sighting/50744/Belted_Kingfisher.html

You're probably mixing up your kingbird with your kingfisher. The kingfisher always was mainland. Lough Fee and Kylemore were locations of both sightings.

whyulittle

Yep, cheers.