Many thanks to our photo contributors - Mícheál Casey, Shay Connolly, John Coveney, Stephen Foster, Paul Kelly, Gerry O'Neill, Michael O'Clery & Ivan Quail.

(Above) Mediterranean Gull, Sandycove, Co.Dublin, 29th March 2003 (Photo: Ivan Quail).

(Above) Mediterranean Gull, Sandycove, Co.Dublin, 29th March 2003 (Photo: Ivan Quail).

(Above) White Stork, near Valentia island, Co.Kerry, 14th March 2003 (Photo: Michael O'Clery).

First-winter hybrid Herring X Glaucous Gull (Above right), and first-winter Herring Gull, Dingle, Co.Kerry, 10th March 2003 (Photo: Michael O'Clery).

This bird has been present at Dingle since early November 2002, and prompted thoughts of first-winter Kumlien's Gull. Glaucous Gull traits include head shape, narrow eye crescents, generally heavy bill shape and general body bulk at rest and in flight. Herring Gull influences, particularly evident in this flight shot include similar tail pattern and faint secondary wingbar to first-winter Herring Gull. The primaries are very pale, though with intricate delicate patterning towards the tip. The covert pattern, and the scatter of bold, dark chevrons on some of the scapulars (see photo below) is also indicitive of Herring Gull,

(Above) First-winter hybrid Herring X Glaucous Gull, Dingle, Co.Kerry, 10th March 2003 (Photo: Michael O'Clery).

(Above) First-winter Kumlien's Gull, Dingle, Co.Kerry, 1st March 2003 (Photo: Michael O'Clery).

(Above) First-winter Kumlien's Gull, Dingle, Co.Kerry, 1st March 2003 (Photo: Michael O'Clery).

(Above) Forster's Tern, Gibraltar Point, Co.Sligo, 27th March 2003 (Photo: Mícheál Casey).

(Above) Forster's Tern, Gibraltar Point, Co.Sligo, 27th March 2003 (Photo: Mícheál Casey).

Two birds were present together at this site, the first records for Co.Sligo.

(Above) Dark-bellied Brent, Swords, Co.Dublin, 23rd March 2003 (Photo: Paul Kelly).

(Above) Dark-bellied Brent, Swords, Co.Dublin, 23rd March 2003 (Photo: Paul Kelly).

(Above) Glaucous Gull, Clogher Head, Co. Louth, 22nd March 2003 (Photo: Paul Kelly).

(Above) Ruff, Dundalk Harbour, Co.Louth, 16th March 2003 (Shay Connolly).

Unidentified (American?) Golden Plover.
John Coveney

(Above) Unidentified (American?) Golden Plover, Ballycotton, Co.Cork, 8th March 2003 (John Coveney).
Bird left of centre - note the long wings and very pale head.

(Above) Unidentified (American?) Golden Plover, Ballycotton, Co.Cork, 8th March 2003 (John Coveney).

(Above) Unidentified (American?) Golden Plover, Ballycotton, Co.Cork, 8th March 2003 (John Coveney).
Partly obscured in this photo. Note how pale and brown it is compared to the golden plovers.

(Above) Unidentified (American?) Golden Plover, Ballycotton, Co.Cork, 8th March 2003 (John Coveney).

"Note the dark underwing - this was especially so when compared with the very white underwings of a Golden Plover in the same flock. However, the white feathers at the base of the underwing are also very prominent. Note also the apparently long "thigh". In the field, we first noted this bird because of its paleness, especially around the head. After seeing the underwing, I started thinking of AGP. However, the prominent white feathers at the base of the underwing appear to be wrong for that species - but the otherwise dark underwing is equally wrong for Golden Plover. Pale axillaries are not shown in the underwing illustrations of adult American Golden Plover or Pacific Golden Plover in the Collins Guide - nor in illustrations of juvenile AGP or PGP in Lewington et al. The bird also mostly lacks a pale underwing bar - except for short patch on the central or inner primaries -. The Collins Guide shows this for adults but Lewington et al. does not for juveniles. "

John Coveney

OBSERVERS: Dave Branagh (finder), Phil Davies, Denis O' Sullivan and JC.
TIME & DATE: Seen between c.11.30 and c.13.30 - Sat 8th March 2003.

PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTES: Taken with an Olympus C-2100 with 10x optical zoom and stabiliser, which was hand held to a Leica APO Televid 77 with 20-60x zoom. To deal with shake problems due to poor light and wind, the aperture on the camera was closed down. This darkened the shots but typically increased shutter speed from c 1:20 to 1:80. Shots were taken at c. 50x (camera at 1x and scope at 50x) and c. 200x (camera at 10x and scope at 20x). The magnifications (before cropping) are approximate.

(Above) Spotted Redshank, Dundrum Inner Bay, Co.Down, 9th March 2003 (Stephen Foster).

(Above) Crane, Church Hill, near Ardfert, Co.Kerry, 7th March 2003 (Paul Kelly).

(Above) Crane, Church Hill, near Ardfert, Co.Kerry, 7th March 2003 (Paul Kelly).

(Above) Crane, Church Hill, near Ardfert, Co.Kerry, 7th March 2003 (Paul Kelly).

(Above) Adult Ring-billed Gull, Limerick City, Co.Limerick, 9th March 2003 (Paul Kelly).

(Above) Merlin, Rogerstown, Co.Dublin, 9th March 2003 (Shay Connolly).

(Above) Red Kite, Dunany Point, Co.Louth, 1st March 2003 (Paul Kelly).

(Above) Red Kite, Dunany Point, Co.Louth, 1st March 2003 (Paul Kelly).

(Above) Red Kite, Dunany Point, Co.Louth, 1st March 2003 (Shay Connolly).

(Above) Red Kite, Dunany Point, Co.Louth, 1st March 2003 (Paul Kelly).

(Above) Adult Yellow-legged Gull, Dundalk Docks, Co.Louth, 2nd March 2003 (Gerry O'Neill).

(Above) Adult Yellow-legged Gull, Dundalk Docks, Co.Louth, 2nd March 2003 (Gerry O'Neill).

(Above) Common Buzzards, Dunany Point, Co.Louth, 1st March 2003 (Shay Connolly).

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