Make Black Redstart showing well at Portavogie (Michael Latham).
Black Redstart, Michael Latham:
Bird News Saturday 3rd January 2026
The Black Redstart and Purple Sandpiper were still at Whitehead (Michael Latham)
Brambling, Cameron Moore:
The Great White Egret and two Great Northern Diver were still at Owen Roes Flat, Oxford Island (Garry Armstrong)
A Chiffchaff was along the Lagan towpath, Moores Bridge, Lisburn (Eric Randall)
The Bonapartes Gull was still at Sandy Bay, Larne (Jon Biddle)
The male Brambling was back visiting a garden in Whitehead (Cameron Moore)
Purple Sandpiper, Michael Latham:
Bird News Friday 2nd January 2026
Seven redhead Goosanders were on the River Maine at Slaght. (David Steele)
The male Black Redstart is still at Portavogie. (Richard Weyl).
The Harlequin Duck is still at Trá na gCloch, Donegal. (Shawn Dowdall).
A Greater Scaup was at Portmore. (Daniel Newton).
Seven Pinkfeet were at Myroe. (Martin Deehan).
A Bonaparts Gull wad at Sandy Bay in Larne (Gerard McGeehan).
Winter plumaged Curlew Sandpiper in the channel at Myroe. (Martin Deehan).
Two male Ring-necked Duck and 3 Scaup at Knockninny refuge, as well as the single Great White Egret again near the Kilmore Lodge, Upper Lough Erne Co. Fermanagh. (John Cusack).
An adult Mediterranean Gull was at Ballyholme beach. (Jeff Higgott).
The Iceland Gull was seen flying around behind the Stena line ferry at 15.30. (Stuart Cossey).
The Black Redstart was still around the beach at Killough this afternoon.
(David Nixon/Philip McHaffie).
2 Richardson's Cackling Geese still with big Barnacle Goose flock Dunfanaghy New Lake Co Donegal. (John Spottiswood).
The Black Redstart was still at Whitehead. (Gerard McGeehan, Shirley Dunlop).
Four Ruff were off the platform at Inch in Donegal around 4pm. (Steven Farquhar).
Bird News New Years Day 2026
Approximately 70 Whooper Swans from Castle Island hide, Quoile and good numbers of Pintail (Kevin Kirkham).
The Lesser Yellowlegs remains on Rathlin (Ric Else / Hazel Watson).
Great White Egret along River Quoile at Inch Abbey. Ruff at Kilclief, Strangford. (Clive Mellon).
1st winter Mediterranean Gull Kinnegar Shore this morning (Jeff Higgott). Adult Iceland Gull again at 2pm (Stephen Farquhar). 2 Mediterranean Gulls Kinnegar Shore in afternoon, Iceland Gull flew off 3pm (Jeff Higgott).
A Short-eared Owl at the southern tip of Ballyquintin Point. Ruff in flooded fields north of Kirkiston (Richard Weyl).
Pair of Goosanders at the river mouth at Waterfoot and the long-staying Pinkfoot still with the feral geese at the car park there (David Steele).
Adult Mediterranean Gull with red ring and Purple Sandpiper at Whitehead (Ian Enlander / Cameron Moore). Black Redstart close to dusk near Rangers Club (Aaron Long / Kevin Rice).
Brambling in a Whitehead garden (Cameron Moore).
Harlequin still present at Trà na gCloch Co Donegal. 30+ Whitefronts with Barnacle Geese and drake Ring-necked Duck at Dunfanaghy New Lakes (Stephen Dunbar / Michael Latham).
Red Kite near Castlewellan (Mel O’Hagan).
A single Ruddy Shelduck of unknown origin still at Kiltonga (Kevin Kirkham).
Ring-billed x Common Gull hybrid still at Millisle (Jeff Higgott).
Male and female Goosanders at Ballycarry Bridge and a Barnacle Goose with 98 Pale-bellied Brent Geese at Steele’s Point, Larne Lough (Cameron Moore).
Jack Snipe and Woodcock at Harbour Meadows, Belfast Lough (Stuart Cossey).
Bittern still at Inch, Donegal (Theo Campbell).
2 Black-throated Divers at Carnlough Bay (David Steele).
Purple Sandpiper at Ballintoy Harbour (Dakota Reid / Martin Clift).
2 Green Sandpiper at Corbet Lough, 3 Red Kites Loughbrickland area (Neal Warnock).
Purple Sandpiper & Mediterranean Gull, Ian Enlander:
Bird News Wednesday 31st December 2025
An adult Ring-billed Gull was at Lurgan Park Lake (Garry Armstrong)
The drake Harlequin Duck was still at the outflow at Trà na gCloch, Curranport, Co Donegal (Robert Vaughan)
An adult Iceland Gull is on Kinnegar Shore (Daniel Newton)
10 Mandarin and a Goosander were on the River Maine, Ballymena (Jonny Rosborough)
One of the Bittern’s showed this afternoon at Inch, Donegal (Ralph Sheppard / John Spottiswood)
A high count of 189 Hooded Crows were at Mary Peter’s Track tonight (John O’Boyle)
A happy New Year to all users of the Blog. In particular a big thank you to all who have sent news and pictures in during 2025!
Harlequin Duck, Robert Vaughan:
Iceland Gull, Daniel Newton:
Bird News Tuesday 30th December 2025
The Black Redstart is still at Whitehead. (Michael Latham).
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Three Great White Egrets and a Marsh Harrier are at Owen Roes Flat at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara, Chris Veale).
Green and Common Sandpipers remain at Corbet Lough. There is possibly a 3rd Green Sandpiper now. (David McCreedy).
6 Red-throated Divers off Castlerock between piers / moles and The Moors. (John Spottiswood).
A Merlin was at Dunseverick Castle. (Patrick Barton).
One of the Bitterns was seen again in flight at Inch in Donegal. (Theo Campbell).
A ringtail Hen Harrier was at Rathmullan Church, near Tyrella, Co.Down per Edward Carson. (Chris Murphy).
1st winter Little Gull and Black-throated Diver in a couple of hours from Galboly, plus for those interested a small group of Common Dolphins also seen. (David Steele).
A metal-rung Finnish Common Gull has returned to Antrim Marina.
ST177.028 was ringed as a juvenile on the 6th August 1995, which is 30 years, 4 months and 24days to date. Maaninka to Antrim Marina is 2,124 kms / 1,319 miles (WSW). (Gareth Platt).
127 Sanderling were at Murlough Beach. (Andrew Upton).
The Harlequin Duck was seen again as Curranport. (Chris Rankin).
Black Redstart, Michael Latham.
Black Redstart, Cameron Moore.
Ringed Common Gull, Gareth Platt.
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Bird News Monday 29th December 2025
1+ Velvet Scoter with scattered rafts of Common Scoter off Murlough Beach, also a Black-throated Diver and 49 Sanderling. The Spotted Redshank remains at Dundrum. (Stuart Cossey).
The Purple Sandpiper is still at Whitehead and a Black Redstart at the Rangers Club, Whitehead (Ivan Quail).
1st winter Harlequin still Tra na gCloch, Donegal (Richard Woods).
Male Brambling in a Whitehead garden (Cameron Moore).
27 Mediterranean Gulls at Cloghey Beach all adults bar one 1st winter (Chris Shaw)
Black Redstart, Whitehead, Jonny Rosborough:
Bird News Sunday 28th December 2025
The drake Harlequin Duck was still at Curranport, Co Donegal (Chris Veale)
The three Ring-necked Duck were still at the west end of Dunfanaghy New Lake (Neal Warnock)
The Lesser Yellowlegs was still on Rathlin (Jon Biddle)
An immature male Black Redstart was on Newcastle Beach / Islands Park (Mel O’Hagan)
A Bittern was seen in flight this afternoon at Inch, Donegal (Aaron Long / Ian Young)
A Green Sandpiper was on the River Maine at Slaght (David Steele)
A pair of Mandarin were on the Rover Maine (Leia Getty)
A Green Sandpiper was also at Corbet Lough, Banbridge (Nathan Gilbert)
Circa 10 Purple Sandpiper and 2 Whimbrel were on Lighthouse Island, Copeland (Brian Sutton)
The Purple Sandpiper remains at Whitehead (Steven Farquhar)
At Horse Island 2 Black-throated Diver and 3 Slavonian Grebe. Another 3 Slavonian Grebe were in Greyabbey Bay (Richard Weyl)
Lesser Yellowlegs, Jon Biddle:
Black Redstart, Mel O’Hagan:
Bird News Saturday 27th December 2025
A male and female Great Spotted Woodpecker in a garden on Drumlough Road, Rathfriland. (Chris Veale).
A Great White Egret was near the Kilmore Lodge on the Upper Lough Erne. (John Cusack).
The hybrid Ring-billed x Common Gull was still at Millisle. (Michael Latham).
The Purple Sandpiper was still at Whitehead seafront. (Ian Enlander).
The Harlequin Duck was seen again at Meenaclady Beach in Donegal. (Robin Pollard).
Purple Sandpiper, Cameron Moore.
Goosanders, Cameron Moore.
Purple Sandpiper, Ian Enlander.
Hybrid Ring-billed x Common Gull, Michael Latham.
Bird News Boxing Day 2025
Great Northern Diver still in the harbour at Portrush with another one on the Ramore Head side of the harbour wall on sea (Aaron Long). 2 Great Northern Divers still in Portrush harbour mid afternoon (Tim Davis).
Great Northern Diver in flight over Newcastle bay (Bob Watts).
2 Great White Egrets at Oxford Island NNR (Ed O’Hara).
The 1st winter drake Harlequin is still at Tra na gCloch, Curranport, Donegal. Bittern again at Inch, Donegal seen twice in flight. 220 Pinkfeet at Blanket Nook (Garry Armstrong / Wilton Farrelly / Philip West / David Steele).
Lesser Yellowlegs still on Rathlin into its 9th week also Great Northern Diver and two flocks of Purple Sandpipers (Ric Else / Hazel Watson / Leia Getty).
2 Green Sandpipers and 1 Common Sandpiper still at Corbet Lough this morning (David McCreedy).
2 Red Kites (untagged) still in Antrim Hills (Michael Latham).
Great White Egret at the south end of Lough Beg (Steven Fyffe).
Pair of Mandarin Duck along the River Maine, Ballymena (Jonny Rosborough).
Great White Egret still Lough Ross Co Armagh this afternoon (John Spottiswood).
Great Spotted Woodpecker at Cregagh Wood (Ian Enlander).
Great White Egret at Quoile (Liam O’Hara).
5 Pinkfeet in with Whitefronts and geese at Myroe (Dylan Thomas).
Adult Iceland Gull at Enniskillen dump and a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull at the Round O (Ronan Owens).
3 Ring-necked Duck (m & 2 fem) also hybrid Ring-necked x Tufted at Dunfanaghy New Lakes (Wilton Farrelly / David Steele / Garry Armstrong / Philip West).
Male and female Goosander at Ballycarry Bridge also Purple Sandpipers at Whtehead (Cameron Moore).
Lesser Yellowlegs, Ric Else.
Red Kite, Michael Latham.
Great Northern Diver, James Armour.
Bird News Christmas Day 2025
We wish all readers and contributors a very happy Christmas.
Two Red Kite were in the Antrim Hills this morning (Michael Latham)
The south end of Lough Beg had 24 Ruff, two Great White Egret, Great Northern Diver and a Hen Harrier (David Steele)
The hybrid Ring-billed x Common Gull (now 21 years old) was still at Millisle. Two other Common Gull ringed from the Copelands in 2005 and 2009 were also present (Gareth Platt)
Black Guillemot, Victoria Park, Juliet Fleming:
Hybrid Ring-billed x Common Gull, Gareth Platt:
Bird News Wednesday 24th December 2025
A male Long-tailed Duck and 2 Great White Egrets were at Reedy Flats on the south shore of Lough Neagh. (Garry Armstrong).
A Great White Egret was at Owen Roes Flat at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara).
A Woodcock was at Altnawalk Cross, near Roslea, Co Fermanagh this morning. (Colin Bell).
The Bittern was seen again off the Platform at Inch in Donegal. (Searlas Anderson).
Two Greenshank were in Victoria Park. (Simon Morton).
1 Black-throated Diver and 3 female Common Scoter were off Carnlough. (Aaron Long).
A Red Kite was in the Antrim hills. (Laura Rose Millar).
A drake Goosander was at Glassdrumman Lough and a Great White Egret at Lough Ross both Co. Armagh. (Joe Devlin).
A Swallow was reported in Newtownards. (Birdguides).
The Spotted Redshank was at the wader roost on the Dundrum side of the Moneycarragh River, in Dundrum South Inner Bay. (David Nixon)
A 1st winter Mediterranean Gull was at Antrim Marina. (Gareth Platt)
Red Kite, Laura Rose Millar.
Mediterranean Gull, Gareth Platt.
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