Christmas 2025
A couple of weeks back home in Ireland was primarily a family trip, with very limited birding opportunities interspersed here and there. I had just one full day to myself which I instantly used to go see Rob Vaughan's stunning male Harlequin Duck. I arrived on the north coast before dawn, gulped down a quick breakfast and coffee in the car park at Magheraroarty before moving on to it's favored beach. Sadly on this one day, the bird decided it would not be a sitter as it had been previously and made me work for it. I eventually picked it up from the cliffs to the west of the beach as it flew very close in shore headed east. The viewing was good and it's some amazing bird in flight, but unfortunately I didn't managed to relocate it as I again checked the bays towards Magheraroarty. I knew it would go back to the beach eventually (which it did) but I had to push on. I made some quick stops on my way back south, finding birds like Slavonian Grebes etc. Quick trips ou...