Great Northern Diver
These birds have probably been coming to Galway Bay every year but it is the first time I’ve noticed them. Since the end of March, I noticed a big seabird with a white underbelly swimming close to the shore in Salthill. It turns out that there is a flock of them further out in the Bay (I could only see them with a bird scope). The one closest to shore spends most of its time diving underwater looking for food. It is called a Great Northern Diver [Gavia immer] and is a winter migrant to the west coast of Ireland.
