Bird News Monday 8th December 2025

1w drake Harlequin still present 8.50am 50m out on surf line with small gull flock @ the Tra na gCloch pin drop, Donegal (Andy Young).

Bittern at 0815 Inch, Donegal (Steve Millar). 

2 Great Northern Divers off Owen Roe at the back of the Discovery Centre, Oxford Island NNR. Also adult Peregrine and Great White Egret at Kinnegoe Bay (Ed O’Hara).

Green Sandpiper still at Corbet Lough this morning (David McCreedy).

Red Kite at Rush Hall, near Limavady (John Pudney).

7 Purple Sandpipers and a Merlin at Portrush Coastal Zone (Mel O’Hagan).

Blue phase Snow Goose with 2 Greylags, ringtail Hen Harrier and 2+ Great White Egrets at south end of Lough Beg this morning (Dermot Hughes).

Great White Egret at Reedy Flats this afternoon (John Spratt).

Red Kite, John Pudney:

Bird News Sunday 7th December 2025

One of the Bittern showed this morning off the platform hide at Inch (Jon Biddle)

The first winter drake Harlequin was showing this morning off north west Donegal at: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Fo5vjRq6uCc4h8e7?g_st=ipc

The Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper were at Corbet Lough, Banbridge (John Spottiswood)

At least 9 Taiga Beans were still with the Pinkfoot flock in fields behind Blanket Nook lake near blue containers). Donegal (Jon Biddle)

The Lesser Yellowlegs was seen yesterday on Rathlin by RSPB volunteers.

At Dunfanaghy New Lake, Co. Donegal: 2 Richardson’s Cackling were still with Barnacles. 2 Pink-feet were also present. 2 female Ring-necked Ducks and a male hybrid  Ring-necked x Tufted (Aidan Kelly)

A Snow Bunting was on the beach at Warren Road north of Donaghadee this morning (Richard Weyl)

A drake and female Goosander were at Mill Bay, Larne Lough (Cameron Moore)

Bird News Saturday 6th December 2025

Male & female Ring Necked Ducks, plus the 2 Cackling Geese & 2 Pinkfeets at New Lake, Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal. (Jon Biddle).

One Great Northern Diver was still in Kinnegoe Bay at Oxford Island, 8 Greater Scaup were off Croaghan hide. (Garry Armstrong).

Adult Little Gull again off Galboly, also three Great Northern Divers. (David Steele).

The Bittern was seen again in flight at Inch in Donegal. (Anne Gordon).

6+ Taiga Bean Geese at Blanket Nook in Donegal. (Chris Ingram, Michael Latham).

A Green Sandpiper is at Lough Corbet, north east of the Lough. (Leia Getty).

The Red Kite is still present in the Myroe area. (Rev Rhys Jones).

The Harlequin Duck was at Meenaclady Beach, Donegal. (Searlas Anderson & Kevin McLaughlin)

An adult Bonaparte's Gull is at Sandy Bay, Larne. (Ivan Quail).

A Chiffchaff was with Goldcrests in Lagan Meadows this afternoon. (Mel O'Hagan).

A Ring tailed Hen Harrier was at Portmore. (Leia Getty).

A Black Redstart was at the Giants Causeway. (Stefano Miceli)

A Great White Egret was at Portmore. (Stefano Miceli).

A White-tailed Eagle was on the shore of Lough Neagh at Gawleys Gate.

Bonaparte's Gull, Ivan Quail.

Bird News Friday 5th December 2025

1w drake Harlequin feeding just offshore at Curranport, Donegal (Jon Biddle).

Merlin and Great Northern Diver on Rathlin also Chiffchaff still present yesterday (Ric Else / Hazel Watson).

10+ Taiga Bean Geese still amongst the Pinkfeet flock at Blanket Nook, Donegal (Chris Ingram).

Adult Little Gull with a feeding flock off Galboly / Garron Point (David Steele).

Bittern again at Inch, Donegal late afternoon after a 6 hour wait (Ian Young).

No sign of the 2 Taiga Bean Geese at New Lake, Dunfanaghy in poor conditions this afternoon, but the 2 Cackling Geese with Barnacles, 2 Pinkfeet with Greylags & just over 100 Greenland WFs including 4 or so juvs (Jon Biddle).

Red Kite still present at Myroe (Rev Rhys Jones).

Bird News Thursday 4th December 2025

A Great White Egret and two Great Northern Diver were off Oxford Island (Ed O’Hara)

A Green Sandpiper and 7 Goosander were on Corbet Lake this morning. A Red Kite was also seen. (David McCreedy)

A Black Redstart was near Fishermans Row, Killough (Ann Feltham)

A Black Redstart was at Newcastle Harbour (Danny Baillie)

The Harlequin Duck was again at Curranport, Co Donegal. At Dunfanaghy New Lake, two Taiga Geese were with Whitefronts and Greylags close to the Anglers Car Park. A Green-winged Teal was at the west end. Two Cackling Geese were with the Barnacles. (Ralph Sheperd)

The Spotted Redshank was still at Dundrum South Inner Bay (David Nixon)

Spotted Redshank, David Nixon:

Bird News Wednesday 3rd December 2025

The wing-tagged Red Kite was still around Myroe this morning. (Rev Rhys Jones).

7 Goosanders are on Corbet Lough outside Banbridge, the birds are at the far end of the lough from the carpark. (David McCreedy). 

A Great Northern Diver was in Kinnegoe Bay at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara).

A Common Sandpiper was at Penny Burn in Derry. (John Spottiswood).

A Great White Egret was at Inishcreenry, Upper Lough Erne in Fermanagh. (Gavin Thomas).

A Carrion Crow was at Sharman House in Bangor. (James Harte).

Great Northern Diver, Ed O'Hara.

Red-throated Diver, Terry Hanna.

Bird News Tuesday 2nd December 2025

Great Northern Diver still present in Portrush Harbour (Rodney Gillan).

11 Taiga Bean Geese still at Blanket Nook, Lough Swilly, Donegal (Chris Ingram).

Drake Lesser Scaup and drake Ring-necked Duck at Portmore Lough (Gavin Thomas).

Ringtail Hen Harrier and female Greater Scaup at Reedy Flats (Gavin Thomas).

2 Red Kites and a Merlin in the Antrim Hills (Ivan Cullen).

Ringtail Hen Harrier at Inch, Donegal (David Hill).

Wing-tagged Red Kite around Myroe (Nigel McFarland).

Great Northern Diver, Rodney Gillan:

Hen Harrier, David Hill:

Bird News Monday 1st December 2025

The Lesser Yellowlegs remains on Rathlin (Jon Biddle)

40 Purple Sandpiper were at the Coastal Zone, Portrush. A flock of 30 Twite were also present. (Rod Gillan)

The first winter drake Harlequin Duck was seen again at Curransport, north west Donegal, this morning. Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/y8ZN3eJ2VH12A9Fm9?g_st=ipc

A Snow Bunting was feeding on the tide line at Whitepark Bay (Patrick Barton)

Purple Sandpipers, Rod Gillan:

Bird News Sunday 30th November 2025

The Great Northern Diver was still in Portrush harbour and a Merlin was on Ramore Head. (Chris Hamilton).

A Great Northern Diver was east of Emersons sand quay at Ardmore on the south shore of Lough Neagh. A Great White Egret was at the east end of Reedy Flats. (Garry Armstrong, Ed O'Hara).

Two Slavonian Grebes were off Glynn in Larne Lough. (Michael Latham).

A Great White Egret was at Drumguiff on Upper Lough Erne in Fermanagh. (John Cusack).

The male Lesser Scaup was still on Portmore. (Garry Armstrong).

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in Ormeau Park.(Jonathan Clark).

A Great White Egret was in Kinnegoe Bay at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara).

3 Slavonian Grebes on Foyle off T-junction at Myroe Levels and 2 Twites heard near viewing screen. (John Spottiswood).

The Lesser Yellowlegs was still on Rathlin. (John Biddle).

The Bittern was still at Inch in Donegal. (Derek Brennan).

The Taiga Bean Geese were still with Pinkfeet at the back of Blanket Nook in Donegal. (Chris Ingram).

Great Northern Diver, Dakota Reid.

Bird News Saturday 29th November 2025

A female Brambling was at the Magheradartin Road, about 500m before the Comber Road, Hillsborough (Garry Wilkinson)

Two drake Ring-necked Duck are on Lough Fern, Co Donegal (Jamie Bliss)

The Lesser Yellowlegs was on Rathlin this morning along with a Snow Bunting and 35 Purple Sands (Jon Biddle)

The flock of Purple Sandpiper remain at the Coastal Zone, Portrush (Leia Getty)

A Red Kite was in the Antrim Hills (Michael Latham)

Two Cackling Geese were at the east end of Falcarragh Beach with the Barnacle Geese (Jamie Bliss)

Three Goosander were on Lough Begney near Dromara (David Nixon)

A Common Sandpiper was seen at the Governors Bridge, Stranmillis, Belfast (Stuart Cossey)

A Purple Sandpiper and a Red-throated Diver were seen at Whitehead Bay. A Barnacle Goose was at Larne Lough with a flock of 70 Greylags (Cameron Moore)

The Harlequin Duck was looked for at Port Arthur beach this morning, without success. A Grey Phalarope was however present. A female Ring-necked Duck was at Inch (Andrew McMillan)

Bird News Friday 28th November 2025

6 Purple Sandpipers at Dunseverick Pools (Patrick Barton).

Female or immature Black Redstart from Memorial Garden, Fisherman's Row, Killough (Ann Feltham).

2 Great White Egret off Croaghan Island, Oxford Island NNR (Ed O’Hara).

Adult Mediterranean Gull at Whitehead (Gerard McGeehan).

2 Snow Buntings on Rathlin (Ric Else / Hazel Watson).

Bird News Thursday 27th November 2025

4 Woodcock were seen at the Rectory, Drumquin Road, Limavady (Rev Rhys Jones)

14 Purple Sandpiper were on Rathlin (Hazel Watson / Ric Else)