Bird News Sunday 18th January 2026

Female type Black Redstart still Whitehead favouring Boat Yard and environs (Garry Armstrong et al).

1w Goosander Ballycarry Bridge (Wilton Farrelly et al).

Slavonian Grebe from Glynn (Philip West et al).

Yesterday the Black Redstart again at Newcastle at the white bridge beside Mauds (Adam Middleton).

1st winter drake Harlequin still Tra na gCoch, 2 Long-tailed Duck Magheraorarty (Luke Gerarty).

Possible Green-winged intergrade and Barnacle Goose at the Bann Estuary (Dean Jones).

Black Redstart still showing very well at Portavogie this afternoon (Stephen Dunbar).

2 Black-throated Divers Carnlough, also 3 Great Northern Divers, immature male Common Scoter (Philip West, David Steele et al).

2 Red Kites in the Antrim Hills (Bob Watts et al)

Black-throated Divers, Daniel Newton:

Bird News Saturday 17th January 2026

A Red Kite was on Broighter Road, Ballykelly (Searlas Anderson / Kevin McLaughlin)

The drake Harlequin Duck was still at Curranport, Donegal, this morning (Leia and Mark Getty)

A drake Lesser Scaup was at Todd’s Corner, Lough Neagh, along with a Merlin. Two Great White Egret and a Great Northern Diver were east of Emersons Sandpit  (Garry Armstrong)

A drake Goosander was at Corbett Lough, Banbridge this morning (Chris Rankin)

The Black Redstart and Purple Sandpiper were still at Whitehead (Paul Hunter)

A female Ring-necked Duck and 6 Scaup were at Knockninny Refuge, Co Fermanagh (John Cusack / Ronan Owens)

A Peregrine was on the Seven Mile Straight, Antrim (Mark Smyth)

An eagle species was seen at distance in the Antrim Hills (Ian Dickey / Kenny Moore)

20+ Twite were at Gyles Quay car park, Co Louth (Don McCorry)

Four Great White Egret were at Lough Beg, along with 3 Great Northern Diver (David Steele)

Harlequin Duck, Leia Getty:

Red Kite, Searlas Anderson:

Black Redstart, Whitehead, Paul Hunter:

Bird News Friday 16th January 2026

The Harlequin Duck is still at Tra na Goloch, 4 Red Billed Chough at Derrybeg golf club, a Great Northern Diver at Derrybeg harbour, 2 Cackling Geese with Barnacles and a Ring Necked Duck at Dunfanaghy New Lake, 2 Slavonian Grebes at Blanketnook in Donegal. (Garry Wilkinson).

9 Taiga Bean Geese are amongst the Greylags at Blanket Nook in Donegal. (Chris Ingram).

A male Lesser Scaup was at the Maltings in Newtownards. (Dermot Hughes).

An adult Little Gull was in Carnlough Bay this evening. (David Steele).

You can see more bird pictures at https://nibirdpics.blogspot.com/

Harlequin Duck, Garry Wilkinson.

Buzzard, Rod Gillan.

Little Gull, David Steele.

Bird News Thursday 15th January 2026

A Barn Owl at Tullywest Road, Crumlin this morning (Gayle & Garry Wilkinson).

Great Northern Diver at Portrush Harbour (Tim Davis).

Red Kite close to Loughbrickland Lough (Juliet Fleming).

Male Black Redstart still at Portavogie (Ian Young).

3 Slavonian Grebes off Macedon Point in Belfast Lough this morning (Philip McHaffie).

1st winter drake Harlequin still at Tra na gCloch, near Curranport, Co Donegal (Peter Doyle / Hugh Delaney).

Lapland Bunting at Blanket Nook. Donegal (Theo Campbell / Martin Deehan). Also a single Pinkfoot (Garry Wilkinson et al).

Female Black Redstart also continues at Rangers Club Whitehead (David Bowman / Ian Young).

2 Drake Goosander at Glassdrumman Lough, Co Armagh (Joe Devlin).

Bittern at Inch, Donegal from platform (Theo Campbell / Martin Deehan). Also 4 Greenland Whitefronts and a Merlin Garry Wilkinson et al).

A Great White Egret at Inishlught, Upper Lough Erne (Ronan Owens).

Black Redstarts at Portavogie & Whitehead, Ian Young:

Bird News Wednesday 14th January 2026

20 Purple Sandpipers were at Donaghadee. Grey Plover were seen at Ballyhalbert and Portavogie (David Clarke)

A Barn Owl was seen at Ballyblack Road East \ Moss Road, Donaghadee on the 8th January (J Adams)

The Lesser Yellowlegs was still on Rathlin (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

A Sandwich Tern was at Groomsport today (Denis Chambers)

Purple Sandpiper, David Clarke:

Sandwich Tern, Denis Chambers:

You can see more pictures of local birds at: https://nibirdpics.blogspot.com/

Bird News Tuesday 13th January 2026

The male Black Redstart is still at Portavogie. A Grey Plover and a Purple Sandpiper were also present. (Bob Watts).

The hybrid Ring-billed x Common Gull is still at Millisle and 15 Purple Sandpipers are at Donaghadee. (Bob Watts).

A ringtail Hen Harrier was at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara).

Two Ring-necked Ducks reported again at Knockninny, Upper Lough Erne. (Birdguides).

The Black Redstart and Purple Sandpiper are still at Whitehead seafront. (Cameron Moore).

Bird News Monday 12th January 2026

Single Pinkfoot with c30 Greylag at Myroe Levels (Martin Deehan). Also 2 Snow Buntings close to a flock of Oystercatchers (Patrick Barton).

86 Pintail from the Castle Island Hill hide, Quoile this morning (Maurice McNeely).

Adult Iceland Gull still at Glynn (Rhona Bell).

24 Ruff at Church Island, Lough Beg and still 8 Great White Egrets; 5 at Annagh on the west side and 3 at the Toome end (David Steele).

Bird News Sunday 11th January 2026

The Harlequin Duck is still at Trá na gCloch in Donegal. (Daniel Newton).

The Black Redstart is still at Whitehead. (Tom Garner).

A Slavonian Grebe is still at Glynn in Larne Lough. (Gary Brown).

An adult Iceland Gull is at Glynn in Larne Lough. Ivan Quail).

A Glossy Ibis is at Portmore. (Garry Armstrong).

A Great White Egret was at Todd's Corner near Ardmore and a Merlin at Reedy Flats. (Ed O'Hara).

4 Ring-Necked Duck (2 males and 2 new females) and 16 Greater Scaup at Knockninny, Great Northern Diver on Mill Lough, White-tailed Eagle and Great White Egret near Drumguiff. Upper Lough Erne, Co. Fermanagh. (John Cusack).

A Great White Egret was at the back of the Discovery Centre at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara).

At least eight Great White Egrets around the south end of Lough Beg this afternoon, four together and others dotted about, all quite mobile, also two Great Northern Divers remaining out on the lake and five Pinkfeet by the A6 at Toome. (David Steele).

Iceland Gull, Ivan Quail.

Yellowhammer, Robert Boyle.

Bird News Saturday 10th January 2026

The 1st winter drake Harlequin remains at Tra na gCloch, Donegal (Chris Ingram / Harry Hussey).

Carrion Crow at Audleys, Strangford (Stuart Cossey).

Male and 2 female Ring-necked Ducks and the male hybrid still at west end of New Lake Dunfanaghy, Donegal (Chris Ingram).

Black-throated Diver at Carnlough (Michael Latham).

6 Long-tailed Duck (4drake) off from the sea wall at Myroe this morning. 38 Slavonian Grebe present also (Dean Jones).

Adult Mediterranean Gull at People's Park,  Ballymena (Nicky Lynn).

Redhead Goosander at Glynn. Also a Slavonian Grebe (Gerard McGeehan / Michael Latham).

2 Bittern still at Inch, Donegal also 2 Russian Whitefronts (Derek Brennan).

Brambling still at Oxford Island NNR (Aaron Long).

Long-tailed Duck and adult Mediterranean Gull from Kinnegar Shore (Jeff Higgott).

Ringtail Hen Harrier at Killard (Stuart Cossey).

Four Common Scoter (male and three females) north past Galboly and adult Little Gull offshore in Red Bay (David Steele).

Juvenile Golden Eagle still present in Antrim hills this afternoon (Stephen Dunbar).

Black Redstart still at Whithead near Rangers supporters club (Michael Latham).

Adult Iceland Gull west of Letterkenny at Anagaire, Co. Donegal (Michael O’Cleary).

Barn Owl, Ardglass Rd, mile south of Downpatrick Hospital, 6.35 this evening (Chris Murphy).

Black Redstart, Michael Latham:

Brambling, Aaron Long:

Goosander with Red-breasted Merganser, Michael Latham:

Bird News Friday 9th January 2026

 A juvenile Golden Eagle was in the Antrim hills. (Kenny Moore).

Two Great White Egrets were off Croagh Hide and a Great Northern Diver off Owen Roe's Flat at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara).

At least 50 Purple Sandpipers were behind the coastal zone in Portrush. A Peregrine was at the Bann Estuary. (Martin Deehan).

A male and a female Common Scoter were off Drains Bay, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver were off Ballygally, a Black-throated Diver was in Glenarm Bay before flying towards Carnlough. (Garry & Gayle Wilkinson).

Golden Eagle, Kenny Moore.

Bird News Thursday 8th January 2026

No sign of Waxwing flock at onslip to M2 at Broughshane (Mark Getty).

Green Sandpiper still present Corbet Lough  (Martin Deehan / Theo Campbell).

Great White Egret past Croaghan Hide and female Brambling at feeding station Oxford Island (Martin Deehan / Theo Campbell).

A Bittern from the platform at Inch, Donegal at 4pm (Searlas Anderson).

Lesser Yellowlegs still at roost on Rathlin this evening also c30 Purple Sandpipers (Jon Biddle).

Male Brambling still in a Whitehead garden (Cameron Moore).

Off Macedon Point 3 Slavonian Grebe and 1 female/immature Long Tailed Duck looking roughly towards Giants Park and Kinnegar (Stuart McKee). 

Brambling and Blackcap, Cameron Moore:

Bird News Wednesday 7th January 2026

A single Twite was at the Long Hole, Bangor (Adam Ringland)

Approximately 15 Waxwings were feeding on berries beside the slip road joining the M2 from the Broughshane exit, at 2pm today (Guy Hamilton). 5 Waxwings flew off East from the on-slip in direction of Ballymena livestock market at 4pm (Mark Getty)

Two Green Sandpiper were still on Corbett Lough (David McCreedy)

First winter Iceland and Glaucous Gulls were at Killybeggs today (Chris Ingram)

A female Black Redstart was at the mouth of the river in Newcastle (Rhona Bell)

The Black Redstart and Purple Sandpiper were still at Whitehead (Sarah McCann)

Three Snow Bunting were on Divis Mountain (John O’Boyle)