Bird News Saturday 8th November

Whitehead this morning had 52 Red- throated Diver + 4 Great Northern Diver fly past into Belfast Lough (Ian Enlander)

The Goosander is still at Ballycarry bridge.There was also around 3,700 Eider between Macedon and Holywood.(Ian Enlander)

Whooper Swans have been heard flying over Belfast and the surrounding areas in the last few nights. Two Whoopers were in flight over Cloughfern, Newtownabbey last night at 11pm. (Jim McKeown)

A Short-eared Owl and a Long-tailed Duck where on Rathlin Island.(Neal Warnock)

Fanad Head had a Lapland Bunting at Ballyhoriskey, the first winter Glaucous Gull and five Twite (Wilton Farrelly)

Two Little Auk were seen off Carrickfergus (BirdGuides)

Our thanks to Dick Glasgow for the picture of a Jay and also to Wilton Farrelly for the Lapland Bunting.

Bird News Friday 7th November

15 Great Northern Divers were off Newcastle Harbour today. (David Nixon).

A Mediterranean gull with a green leg ring - 32lu - was at Whithead seafront. A Pink-footed Goose was 50 Greylag at Glynn in Larne Lough. (Cameron Moore).

2 Kestrel were near the Floodgates in Newtownards. (Lindsay Hodges).

A 1st winter Glaucous Gull was at Fanad Head in Donegal. (Wilton Farrelly).

3 Snow Bunting were near the summit of Divis Mountain (Aide McIlduff).

Thanks to Cameron Moore for the pictures of the Mediterranean Gull and the Pink-footed Goose, to Lindsay Hodges for the pictures of the Kestrels and to Dick Glasgow for the pictures of the Buzzard and the Stonechat.

 

 

 

Colour ringed gulls update

Adam McClure has sent through details on both colour-ringed gulls photographed by Cameron Moore at Ballycarry yesterday.

 

Black-headed Gull, 2AFB, is an adult male which was originally ringed last December at Carrickfergus and has been recorded a number of times since, but this is the first time it's been seen away from the ringing location.

 

The colour-ringed Herring Gull, while part of a project registered in England, was actually ringed on the Copeland Islands earlier this year. This is the first re-sighting of it since. In fact, this is the first re-sighting of any of our birds from Copeland, so we're delighted!

 

A total of 16 Herring Gulls were colour-ringed in May in the first year of what is an extension to a project already ongoing in mainland UK.

 

Anyone attending the BTO Conference at Oxford Island tomorrow will hear presentations on both of these projects during the afternoon session.

 

Any further sightings of colour-ringed gulls are most appreciated and should be sent to Adam who is co-ordinating re-sightings for both projects.

 

adamdmcclure@yahoo.co.uk

Bird News Thursday 6th November.

50 Sanderling and 150 Bar-tailed Godwit where at Kinnegar shore.(Chris Henry)

A Goosander was at Ballycarry bridge, along with a Herring Gull showing a yellow ring ov;w plus a Black headed Gull showing an orange ring showing 2afb, 2 Long-tailed Duck flew into Belfast Lough.(Cameron Moore) see photo's below.

Info on the ringed Gulls below.The BHG is a local ringed scheme headed up by Adam McClure. The Herring Gull is a British ringing scheme .Our thanks to Richard Donaghey.for providing the info.


  Below are Cameron's pics from Ballycarry bridge showing the Goosander the Black-headed Gull and the Herring Gull both Gulls showing leg rings.

Bird News Wednesday 5th November

A Lapland Bunting flew over calling at Mullaghmore near Hilltown (Clive Mellon)

2 Snow Buntings were at Rathlin Island harbour Also noted on the island were 17 Whooper Swans flying past, 20 Redwings and 50 Blackbirds (Colin Guy)

A 1st winter Iceland Gull was on the seafront at Ballycastle (Colin Guy)

A Green Sandpiper was along the Lagan at Meadowvale immediately north of Waringsford. Also present were a pair of Stonechat, a Kingfisher and a Red Kite (Richard Gray)

6 Little Egret and 5 Greenshank were at Killough Harbour and a Great Crested Grebe at the Outer Bay (Tim Murphy)

A flock of 120 Redwing/Fieldfare was along the Strabane Canal (Brian Hegarty)

At Tyrella today there were 2 Red Kite, a flock of some 30 Twite, a dozen
Linnet, 2 Stonechats and a Kestrel. (Lindsay Hodges)

5 Buzzards & 1 Peregrine were in and around Inch Wildflowl Reserve, Inishowen, County Donegal. 3 Buzzards were at Strabane, County Tyrone. (Christine Cassidy)

The Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group have produced an excellent newsletter which you can view at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ppsvna41x8mzhlm/Northern%20Ireland%20Raptor%20Study%20Group%20Autumn%20Report.pdf?dl=0

Many thanks to all who volunteered to look after the forthcoming visit by an American Birder.

Thanks to Adam Middleton for this pic of Brent Geese at Newtownards, Frank Murphy for the female Stonechat and Lindsay Hodges for the Twite:

Brent, Adam Middleton:

Stonechat, Frank Murphy:

Twite, Lindsay Hodges:

Bird News Tuesday 4th November

Two Long-tailed Ducks and a Little Egret were at Greenisland. (Gerard McGeehan).

 A first-winter Iceland Gull was on the west side of Ramore Head and a single Twite on the headland (Stuart McKee).  

A Sparrowhawk was hunting amongst 1,000 Starling going to roost at Albertbridge Road in Belfast (David Clarke).

A mixed flock of 150 Redwings and Fieldfares were on Glenhead Road, just off Shilnavogey Road. (Brenda Campbell). 

Thanks to Tony Donaldson for sending in this picture of a probable hybrid Snow Goose (with Greylags) seen at the Quoile. The bird shows many Snow Goose features but the bill appears too dark and small and the neck detail unusual for a pure Snow Goose. A similar bird was at Ballycarry earlier this year (see the January 12th and January 18th blog posts). However views and feedback on this bird are as usual, more than welcome.

Thanks to today's photographers, to Tony Donaldson for the picture of the hybrid Snow Goose, to Suzanne Belshaw and Lisburn RSPB for the picture of the Kestrel, to Charles Stewart for the picture of the Long-tailed Duck and the Scaup and to Ian Jackson for the picture of the Greenfinch

 

 

Bird News Monday 3rd November.

A Common Sandpiper was on the Newry river this morning.(Frank Carroll)

Yesterday 400 Whooper Swan and 170/200 Greylag were at the swan fields at The Creagh near Toome (Clem Davis).

 

Our thanks to Dick Glasgow for the three pics of different thrushes, top photo is of a Mistle Thrush the second a Redwing and the third is of a Song Thrush. 

Bird News Sunday 2nd November

The juvenile Long-tailed Duck was seen briefly this morning at Corbet Lake near Banbridge (Frank Carroll).

A Little Stint was still off the car park opposite Strangford Holiday Park, north of Kilclief Castle, 20 Sandwich Terns were also present. (Ian Graham/Philip West).

A Greenshank with a red ring on its right leg and a green leg on the left leg was at Gibb's Island in Strangford Lough. (Philip Ferguson).

A female Merlin was near Kelly's Wood and a Kestrel and small flocks of Linnet and Skylark near the lighthouse at St John's Point. A Barn Owl was hunting at Clea Lakes at 5.30am (David Clarke)

The first-year Mediterranean Gull was at Fisherman's Pier in Carrickfergus and an adult Mediterranean Gull flew over Whitehouse Park. A Raven was in flight over Skegoneill Avenue in Belfast (Stuart McKee)

Thanks to Alistair Prentice for the pic of a flock of roosting Pied Wagtails, Dick Glasgow for the Goldfinch and Fulton Sommerville for the Dunlin:

Roosting Pied Wagtails, Alistair Prentice:

Goldfinch, Dick Glasgow

Dunlin, Fulton Sommervile:

Bird News Saturday 1st November

The 1st winter Mediterranean Gull was at Carrickfergus Harbour. A Carrion Crow was also present. (Paul McCullough)

A Chiffchaff was at Kearney. (Richard Weyl)

2 Pintail and 6 Snipe were at Glynn this afternoon. (Adam McClure)

4 House Martins were over Glenarm at 15.00 hrs. (Larry Toal).

A House Martin was near the Coastal Zone, Portrush today. (Colin Guy).

 A Peregrine and a Kestrel were hunting over Mamore Gap, Inishowen , County Donegal Approx 2000 Whooper Swans were at Inch Levels, Inch, Inishowen, County Donegal (Big numbers of juvenile birds were among the flock ) ( Dermot Mc Laughlin & Christine Cassidy)

 An adult Dark-bellied Brent was with 220 Pale-bellied Brent at Mill Bay in Carlingford Lough (Graham McElwaine). 

A Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting, Whimbrel, 3 Twite and 64 Purple Sandpiper were at Ramore Head. The adult Ring-billed Gull was at Portrush East Strand. Yesterday a Slavonian Grebe was at Longfield Point, Lough Foyle. The Long-tailed Duck was at Myroe Levels and 7 Little Egret were also noted (Matthew Tickner).

Thanks to Paul McCullough for the picture of the Mediterranean Gull and to Christine Cassidy for the pictures of the Whooper Swans:

 

 

Bird News Friday 31st October.

Malin Head Co.Donegal had 3 Snow Bunting and a flock of 40 Twite.(Ronan McLaughlin)

Below is a photo of a Common Gull sent in by Cameron Moore bearing a ring with the lettering 2ADK, Cameron would like to know where the bird  was ringed any info.please pass it on to the blog. 

Bird News Thursday 30th October

A Short-eared Owl was at Groomsport (Frank Murphy)

St John’s Point, from 8.30-9.00 had 10 Tree Sparrows, 250 Linnets, 50 Skylarks, 100 Lapwings, a pair of Stonechats, Buzzard, Kestrel and a Redwing. (Chris Murphy)

An immature Long-tailed Duck was at Corbet Lake this afternoon; 1 Redshank at Loughbrickland was unusual for that location. (Joe Furphy)

The drake American Wigeon was still at the Culdaff Estuary. (Irish Birding)

A Richardson's Cackling Goose was once again with Barnacle Geese at Lissadell, Co Sligo (Seamus Feeney)

Look out for the Strangford Brent Geese which are featuring on Autumnwatch tomorrow night.

Thanks to Philip McErlean for the PC of a Merlin:

Bird News Wednesday 29th October

A Slavonian Grebe was seen on the River Bann today about one mile upstream from the hide at the Barmouth, see picture below. (John Clarke).

St John’s Point between 8.30 and 10.30am had 2 juvenile/female Merlins, 1 juvenile female Peregrine, 1 female Sparrowhawk, 20 Twite, 40 Linnets, 20 Goldfinches, 30 Tree Sparrows, 4 Mistle Thrushes, 50 Skylarks (more calling high, out of sight; also heard going over Killough previous evening between 7pm and 11pm), 42 Magpies, 2 Stonechats and 30 Mallard on the sea. Also single Porpoise, Common Seal and Grey Seal. (Chris Murphy).

Scarva to Poyntzpass produced: - 7 Buzzard, 5 Fieldfare, 3 Goldcrest, 1 Kingfisher, 10 Linnet, 7 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Raven, c30 Skylark, 3 Treecreeper and 2 Water Rail calling. (Fulton Somerville).

The Long-tailed Duck was still at Myroe Levels along with 5 Greenshank, 3 Yellowhammer and good numbers of Skylark. A Black-throated Diver and 2 Slavonian Grebe were off the Levels and 1,000 Golden Plover at Magilligan (David Clarke, John Pyper).   

2 Red Kite, 2 Kestrel and a Reed Bunting with a flock of Linnets were at Tyrella (Warren Fowles).

Thanks to John Clarke for the picture of the Slavonian Grebe, to Karl Martin for the pictures of the Meadow Pipit, Ringed Plover and Linnet, to Fulton Somerville for the picture of the Starling and to Dick Glasgow for the Wren pictures.

 

 

 

 

Bird News Tuesday 28th October

St John’s Point was quiet this morning, best was a pair of Shelduck. In Killough there were 6 Little Egrets, a Greylag and a family of 6 Whoopers (incl. 4 juvs), 32 Ringed Plover and 6 Tree Sparrows, (Chris Murphy)

Ballykelly had small groups of Whooper Swans totalling 40 birds, 35 Pale-bellied Brent, 2 Pink-footed Geese, 1 Pintail, 3 Little Egrets and c 80 Skylarks. Myroe Levels produced 20 Whooper Swans,1 Pink-footed Goose,1 Long-tailed Duck,1 Scaup (the latter two in the drainage channel) 2 Little Egrets, a Peregrine with a kill and 12 Greenshank. (Coleraine RSPB Group)

A Red-flanked Bluetail, the fourth Irish record, was at Tarmon on the Mullet Peninsula.

Thanks to Karl Martin for this pic of a Stonechat at Tyrella and to Margaret Adamson for the Pintail at the Maltings, Strangford:

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This year's Calendar includes images that have been published in the BBC Wildlife Magazine, Birdwatch Magazine and Birdwatching Magazine images also included are Wheatear, Snow Bunting , Dipper etc Many have also been shown on this blog!

To place an order, please email Christine Cassidy at

christinecassidy@btopenworld.com

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Bird News Monday 27th October.

A fem. Merlin and a Kestrel where at St Johns Point.(Chris Murphy)

An adult Mediterranean Gull was at Whitehead and 5 Twite at Greenisland Sea Park (Gerard McGeehan).

 A Great Northern Diver was off Groomsport (George Gordon).

There was 18 Little Egret at Ballycarry, 10 Snipe at Glynn sea front and 16 Greenshank at the bay on the left of the Rugby grounds in Glynn.(Margaret Adamson)

 Yesterday 9 Buzzard were at Agheton Drive in Portstewart but up to 12 have been present over the last week (Jane McLoughlin).

Buzzard

Visiting Birder

Aidan Morgan, an American birder, will be visiting in NI in December and January, staying in the Newry/Armagh area.

He is interested in joining any bird walks or outings taking place around the Newry/Armagh area during his stay.

If you are aware of any such events that may be of interest to Aidan please let us know and we will be happy to pass them on.

Bird News Sunday 26th October

A first-winter Mediterranean Gull was at Carrickfergus Harbour (Adam McClure).

Ballyquintin Point had 3 Manx Shearwater and 5 Sandwich Tern. Kirkiston had a Merlin and 300 Golden Plover. (Richard Weyl).

Kearney had a Merlin and 2 Sandwich Tern. (Philip West/Ian Graham).

Thanks to Sonya Duff for the picture of a Merlin which visited her garden and to Jane McLaughlin for the picture of the Purple Sandpiper.

 

 

Bird News Saturday 25th October

A dark morph Snow Goose (young bird) was with 100s of Greylags at Marlfield (N of Portaferry, Outer Ards). (Keith Bennett)

Ramore Head had..2 Great Skua, 1 Arctic Skua, 1Long-tailed Duck, 5 Twite, 10 Purple Sandpiper, 5 Red-throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Diver, 3 Whooper Swan, The Ring-billed Gull still at East Strand car park.(Neal Warnock)

The drake Pintail was showing well at RSPB Portmore Reserve this morning (Brenda Campbell and Robin Brown)

3 Swallows were heading south at Newry this morning. (Frank Carroll)

A Ruff was in a stubble field at Kearney. (Richard Weyl)

Between 9am and 10am 5 Great Northern Divers, 4 Scoter and a pair of Eider passed south. Also 1,000 Goden Plover, 100 Lapwing, 500 Starling, 100 Skylark, 20 Tree Sparrow and 20 Twite at the point. Five House Martins and three Swallows flew south over Downpatrick at 3pm.( Chris Murphy)

Inner Dundrum Bay had a Raven,, Carrion Crow,, Little Stint and 5 Greenshank. Opposite Tyrella Carpark - female Merlin, 2 Red Kite, 2 Raven, Buzzard.

 St John's Point - 5 Gt Northern Diver, 2 Red Throated Diver, Buzzard. Killough to Ardglass - 3 Swallow, Male Merlin, Red Throated Diver, 30 Ringed Plover, Little Egret.( J Whitla, R Hart, M Richardson, F Somerville)

Bird News Friday 24th October

A juvenile Little Stint was with around 12 Dunlins in the bay at Kilclief, Co. Down, beside the GAA pitch. A Sandwich Tern was also present. (David Nixon).

3 Wheatear, 20 Twite, a Red Kite, Sparrowhawk and 120 Ringed Plover were at Tyrella (Stuart McKee).

Yesterday up to 20 Whooper Swans were opposite the hide at the Quoile Pondage. (Tony Donaldson).

St John's Point between 9am and 10am had two Merlins including an adult male, 500 Skylark, 70 Tree Sparrows, 40 Goldfinches, 10 Meadow Pipits, 28 Magpies, 10 Blackbirds, 3 Snipe, and 800 Golden Plover. (Chris Murphy).

Thanks to Tony for this picture of the Whoopers.

 

Bird News Thursday 23rd October

Yesterday there were  3 Red Kites flying over Tyrella.15-20 Twite were also present. (Noeni Bryars)

A drake Pintail was at Portmore lLugh today. (Anne Guichard)

Circa 150 Whooper Swans and 150 Linnets were at Runkerry, close to the Giants Causeway (Dick Glasgow)

You can share rare / scarce birds news via nibirds@live.co.uk , Twitter: @nibirds or text: 07973 403146.

Thanks to Noeni Bryars for these pics of a Red Kite and Sanderling and Anne Guichard for the Pintail: