Bird News Saturday 5th September 2026

Adult summer plumaged Sabine’s Gull this morning from Stena ferry off Whiteabbey. Following ferry briefly after flying in from Carrickfergus direction (Geoff Campbell).

Late news from yesterday on Rathlin of a Leach’s Petrel which flew into a hotel! (Katy Bell).

Seawatch from Fanad Head, 7:15 to 9 am, 350+ Sooty Shearwater, 6 Bonxie, 5 Arctic Skua (Wilton Farrelly).

Baird’s Sandpiper at Blanketnook, Donegal at the Grange end (Derek Brennan).

Singles of Great and Arctic Skua, Little Gull and Whimbrel at Magilligan Point (Garry Armstrong, David Steele, Stuart McKee, Hal McCullough).

Possible Hobby at Portmore Lough (Gary Brown). Great White Egret and Merlin also present (John Cusack).

Brent Geese seen at several sites today and yesterday eg flock of 37 at Whitehead (Gerrard McGeehan).

Adult American Golden Plover still present 5pm also 5 Curlew Sandpipers and 3 Little Stints (Garry Armstrong, David Steele, Hal McCullough & Stuart McKee).

Marsh Harrier at the Starbog Road (Ivan Quail).

Sabine’s Gull, Geoff Campbell:

Leach’s Petrel, Katy Bell:

American Golden Plover, David Steele:

Baird’s Sandpiper, Derek Brennan:

Bird News Friday 4th September 2026

9 Ruff were on Ardglass golf course this morning. (Chris Murphy).

Rocky Point in Donegal this morning, 3 hours from 9am. Wind initially F5-6, gusting stronger. Cory's Shearwaters 38, Great Shearwater 17, Sooty Shearwaters 175, Storm Petrel 1, Bonxie 19, Pomarine Skuas 2, Kittiwake 2, Whimbrel 1. (John O’Boyle). 

A Wood Sandpiper and a Curlew Sandpiper were at Lady Bay this afternoon. (Garry Armstrong).

A Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, 4 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin were at Seaghan Dam in Co. Armagh. (Joe Devlin).

A Ruff was at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve and a Wheatear was at Kinnegar shore. (Mel O'Hagan).

The Black Tern, Osprey and 4 Glossy Ibis were all at Lough Beg this evening. (David Steele).

A 90 minute seawatch this evening from Fanad Head in Donegal had 5 Great Shearwater, minimum of 400 Sooty Shearwater, 3 Great Skua. (Wilton Farrelly).

A flock of over 200 Pinkfeet  flew south east over Ballyclare this evening. (Emma Rafferty-Tally).

Brief seawatches this morning and afternoon from Portrush had 21 Sooty Shearwater, 4 Bonxie, 2 Arctic Skua, 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Arctic Tern, and approximately 130 Brents . (Matthew Tickner).

Glossy Ibis, David Steele.

Black Tern, David Steele.

Wood Sandpiper, Richard Caves.

Curlew Sandpiper, Richard Caves.

Bird News Thursday 3rd September 2026

The Osprey was at the Quoile this morning (David Stirling / Dylan Feore)

A Black Tern was at Lough Beg. Also at Lough Beg, female or juvenile Garganey, four Glossy Ibis, five Great Egrets and the Osprey. (David Steele)

The Wood Warbler was still at Malin Beg, Donegal (Dermot Hughes)

A Whimbrel and Red-theoated Diver were best at Magilligan. Eight Barnacle Geese and a Curlew Sandpiper were at Myroe (Jonny Rosborough)

Two Med Gulls were at the East Strand car park, Portrush (John Clarke)

3 Ruff and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits were at RSPB WoW (Derek Polley)

An Osprey is at the far end of Hillsborough lake high up in the pine trees preening. (Gayle and Garry Wilkinson)

Curlew Sandpiper, Jonny Rosborough:

Bird News Wednesday 2nd September 2026

A Wood Sandpiper is at Longfield Point, Lough Foyle, in the channel beside the airport. (Richard Donaghey).

A Marsh Harrier was at Lough Beg. (Dylan Feore). The Marsh Harrier was still at Lough Beg this evening. (David Steele).

One of the Ospreys is still at the Quoile. (David Stirling, Tim Jess).

A pelagic today from Teelin in Donegal between 08:00-15:00 had a minimum of 4 Wilson’s Storm Petrels, 50+ Storm Petrels, 2 Cory’s Shearwaters, 20 Sooty Shearwaters and 1 Arctic Skua. 

5 Glossy Ibis were on the shore of Lough Neagh near Toomebridge. (Joshua Atkins).

Marsh Harrier, Dylan Feore.

Bird News Tuesday 1st September 2026

Barn Owl hunting in lowland field near Eglinton airport close to railway at 0810 (Peter Elliott).

Green Sandpiper on pond at private land near Carryduff (Clive Mellon).

2 Ospreys at Quoile Pondage this morning (Daniel Bailie). The 2 Ospreys were near the Castle Island hide this afternoon. (Harvey Hughes).

Last night a Wood Sandpiper was at Lady Bay. (John Cusack).

A male Blue-winged Teal was shot on the south shore of Lough Neagh this morning.

A Ruff was at the Bann Estuary, there was no sign of the Osprey. (James McDowell).

There was no sign of the Wood Sandpiper at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve this evening but a Curlew Sandpiper was seen briefly. (Daniel Newton).

Green Sandpiper, Clive Mellon:

Bird News Monday 31st August 2026

3 Curlew Sandpiper were off the Tready Hide at Inch. Another was off the viewing platform (Searlas Anderson)

The Osprey still at Lough Beg, opposite side of Longpoint (Jonny Rosborough)

A seawatch from Bloody Foreland, 630 to 1030 had 25 Corys Shearwater, 10 Great Skua, 1216 Manx Shearwater, 2 Pomarine Skua and 7 Sooty Shearwater. (Michael Thornton)

Lough Beg / The Bann today had an Osprey, 6 Glossy Ibis, 3 Green Sandpiper, 5 Great White Egret and Whooper Swans (Jim Wells et al)

Fanad Head this morning from 6:45 to 10am had circa 25 Corys Shearwater, 6 Great Shearwater, 5Sooty Shearwater, a Storm Petrel, a Pomarine Skua, 3 Arctic Skua and 4 Bonxie (WF, SD, AL, JB)

The Wood Sandpiper and three Ruff were still at RSPB WoW (Alan Fitzsimmons)

Rocky Point, Donegal this morning had 9 Cory’s, 7 Sooty  and 1 Bonxie.  Malin beg “magic” garden, had a Wood Warbler, although elusive (Dermot Hughes / John O'Boyle)

An adult Iceland Gull was at Loughshore, Shore Road, Whiteabbey (Tony Dodds)

A Marsh Harrier and Hen Harrier were in the Antrim Hills (Ewan McKenzie)

Galboly this evening up to 20:15 had 152+ European Storm Petrels, all after 18:00 when the northwest breeze dropped out…most flying quickly north but a few groups pausing to feed quite close in with Manx Shearwaters; also seen, singles of Sooty Shearwater, Great Skua and Arctic Skua (David Steele)

Myroe had several Curlew sandpiper and at least 2 Little Stints (Ivan Quail / Nicky Lynn /  John Clarke / Michael Latham)

Wood Sandpiper, Alan Fitzsimmons:

This interesting corvid has been around House of Vic-ryn, Moira Road, Lisburn  it possibly shows some characteristics of House Crow:

Bird News Sunday 30th August 2026.

2 Curlew Sandpipers and 2 Ruff at Inch. and 2 Curlew Sadpipers and 3 Ruff at Blanket Nook. (Searlas Anderson).

The Osprey is still at north end of Lough Beg. (David Steele).

6 Brent Geese went past Glassagh Bay, Fanad Head in Donegal. (Wilton Farrelly).

 A Wood Sandpiper was in front of the observation room at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve, 2 Ruff were also present. (Stuart Cossey). The Wood Sandpiper and 3 Ruff were still present this afternoon. (Bob Watts).

2 Little Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper were at Myroe. (Daniel Newton).

25 Brent were at island Hill in Strangford, also 2 Knot. (Gerard McGeehan).

The Osprey is still at the Quoile Hide. (Ethan McMillan, Michael Latham).

A Ruff was at the Bann Estuary. (John Spottiswood).

2 Curlew Sandpipers and a Ruff were at Inch in Donegal. (Kyle Martin)

Swifts were heard at Moseley Mill this morning. (Isaiah Davis).

Osprey, Michael Latham.

Bird News Saturday 29th August 2026

21 Ruff, single Curlew Sandpiper and Great White Egret off Long Point, Lough Beg (Ivan Quail).

Osprey at north end of Lough Beg this evening and 6 Great White Egrets (David Steele).

Adult and 2 juvenile Ruff at Belfast Lough WoW Reserve (Stuart McKee, Gerrard McGeehan).

Osprey still from Castle Island hide, Quoile (Ewan McKenzie).

Bird News Friday 28th August 2026

Two Ruff were at RSPB WoW this morning (Daniel Newton)  Three Ruff (two juvenile and an adult) were present at lunchtime (Stuart McKee)

Four Spotted Flycatcher were at Augher River walk this morning (Colin Bell)

A Ruff was at Ladys Bay, Lough Neagh (Richard Caves)

An Osprey was seen flying down river over Steamboat Quay to Castle Island Hide, the Quoile at 2pm (Tim Davis)  The bird was still present at 5:30pm (Laura Millar)

Juvenile Ruff, Richard Caves:

Bird News Thursday 27th August 2026

 An Osprey was at Kilmore Quay Lower Lough Erne this morning, it flew south west behind Inishcorkish Island out of view. The Osprey returned to the area before flying off eastwards. (Colin Bell).

Two juvenile Curlew Sandpipers, a Stock Dove, two Wheatear, two Mediterranean Gulls and juvenile Peregrine were at Myroe. (Theo Campbell, Paul McSwiggin). One of the juvenile Curlew Sandpipers was still at Myroe this evening. (John Spottiswood).

On Arranmore in Donegal a juvenile Citrine Wagtail was at Poolawaddy ( NE corner ), flew towards Leabgarrow. (3rd Island record). (Andrew McMillan).

An Osprey and a Common Sandpiper are at the Barmouth hide. (Searlas Anderson).

Two Spotted Flycatchers were near the Discovery Centre at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara).

A Whimbrel and a Greenshank were the best at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve. (Derek Polley).

The Osprey and at least five Great Egrets still at Lough Beg however no sign of the Black Tern. There are also a few small waders about including four juvenile Sanderling. (David Steele).

The Chough is still at Torr Head. (Ivan Cullen).

A male Hen Harrier flew over Dungannon park being harassed by gulls. (David Shilliday).

A single Sooty Shearwater and 800 Manx Shearwaters past Galboly in a couple of hours this evening in nearly calm conditions. (David Steele).

A Swift was at Woodcroft, Ballymena this evening. (Richard Gray).

An Osprey was seen circling over Killyleagh road close to the bridge on the Quoile river today at 12:30.

Spotted Flycatcher, Ed O'Hara.

Osprey, Searlas Anderson.

Common Sandpiper, Searlas Anderson.

Bird News Wednesday 26th August 2026

Late news from yesterday of a single Swift over Hillsborough Lake (Garry Wilkinson).

Juvenile Black Tern, Lough Beg…covering a wide circuit over the main lake and a dozen juvenile Common Terns also present (David Steele).

Osprey still at the northern end of Lough Beg, perching in the same big willow tree (distant scope views from Long Point Wood). 6 Great White Egrets, one at Long Point, roosting with Little Egrets on the small wooded island, 4 south of Church Island and one at south end (David Steele).

Juvenile Grey Plover in the Bann Estuary (John Clarke).

Chough still at Torr Head; the same Manx bird which was on Rathlin in the spring (Ric Else, Hazel Watson).

Arctic Skua amongst large numbers of feeding Razorbill, Terns and Gannets close inshore at Carnalea (Richard Weyl).

Peregrine, Laura Rose:

Great White Egrets, David Steele:

Bird News Tuesday 25th August 2026

A ring-tail Hen Harrier was off the viewing platform at Inch, Donegal (Theo Campbell)

The Osprey was still at the Quoile this morning (David Stirling)

Two Green Sandpipers were at Blackstaff River and a Stock Dove at Ardilea, Dundrum Bay, this morning. The Osprey was in flight, at the Yacht club end of Quoile Pondage at lunchtime. (David Nixon / Philip McHaffie)