CONNEMARA CRIPPLER

Bang!Bang!Bang! on the front door woof!woof!woof! goes Tasha...its just gone 9am Sunday morning I'm in dream land.Debs shouts ''who the f***s that?..ooowh me neck!!'' we've just been woken by Gregs.Standing bollock naked I lean out the window ''whats up dude?''...''theres a LITTLE BLUE HERON in Ireland come on get dressed (please)''.

Its headless chicken time as I get dressed, look at my pager, rumage for the Irish map and switch my phone on all at the same time.Its twitch on and the 'A'Team are preparing for action.

Gregs for some reason has booked us on a flight to Belfast at noon, a four hour drive from the boy (geography not one of his strong points).Picking up our small rental car (Renault Laguna!! booked by you know who) we blitz across Ireland and arrive at the pier just west of Letterfrack to miss the bird by five minutes....aaaarrrrggghhhhh!

Undaunted the 'A'Team go into action and spend the next hour searching every nook and cranny around Ballynakill Bay...nowt but Grey Herons.Returning to the pier we stop to ask a binocular clad chap ''any sign of the LBH''...''yes sure its just over there'' as he points to a small bay just hidden from the road.BINGO!! dumping the car immeadiately we leap out and there it is, a fourth for the WesternPal noless.

juv.LITTLE BLUE HERON no.498

Obviously now there are many stunning images of this mega but I took the one above so that makes it special (cheers Mark H for use of your scope).

The stunning Connemara scenery enroute was breathtaking, definately a must come back and do properly.

OML