Bird News Sunday 23rd March 2025

The female Lesser Scaup was off Croaghan hide at Oxford Island again, several House Martins were among a flock of Sand Martins. (Garry Armstrong).

A Wheatear was at Bar Hall Bay. A Swallow was at Cloughy. (Bob Watts).

4 Greater Scaup were at the north west corner of Lough neagh viewed from the end of Ballymaguigan Nature Reserve. (Aaron Long,  Mel O'Hagan).

Lough Beg at Church Island had 2 Great White Egret, Swallow, House Martin and Sand Martin all in small numbers and min 10 Pintail. The south end had 1 Great White Egret, 1 Cattle Egret and a Merlin (Aaron Long, Mel O'Hagan, Gerard McGeehan & Shirley Dunlop).

A Sandwich Tern was at Kinnegar shore in Belfast Lough and a Pinkfoot was at Reedy Flats, Lough Neagh. (Daniel Newton).

The female Ring-necked Duck is still on Corbally Reservoir outside Portrush. (John Spottiswood).

16 Pintail and 2 Swallows were in Collector's Bay at the Quoile. (Chris Murphy).

2 singing Willow Warbler, 1 Sand Martin and 1 Swallow at Broadwater, Moira today. (Andrew Upton)

Bird News Saturday 22nd March 2025

Female Lesser Scaup off Croaghan hide and Willow Warbler singing at Oxford Island NNR (Garry Armstrong).

Sand Martin and Slavonian Grebe at Kinnegar Shore, Mediterranean Gull at Belfast Lough WoW (Stuart Cossey). 2 Mediterranean Gulls this evening (Michael Latham).

Late news from yesterday that the female Ring-necked Duck was still at Corbally Road Res (Rare Bird Alert).

Glaucous Gull reported from Tory Island, Co Donegal (Rare Bird Alert).

Short-eared Owl this evening at St John’s Point. Long-eared Owl Downpatrick Road, Ardglass 1930 (Chris & Tim Murphy).

Probable subadult Yelliw-legged Gull on River Lagan, Belfast on 20th March (Mel O’Hagan).

Bird News Friday 21st March 2025

 Two Mediterranean Gulls were on the tern islands at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve. (Laura Kerr, Jim Wells).

A Cattle Egret is at the south end of Lough Beg. Also present were 4 Great White Egrets and 15 Ruff. (David Steele).

Mediterranean Gulls, Laura Kerr.

Chiffchaff, David Hill.

Crossbills, David Hill.

Bird News Thursday 20th March 2025

Snow Goose still with Barnacle Goose on Tory (Anton Meenan).

Great White Egret yesterday at Portmore Lough (Paul Hunter).

Adult Iceland Gull returned to Belfast Lough WoW at 1230 also 2 Mediterranean Gulls and a Whimbrel (Derek Polley).

2 Wheatear at Portstewart Golf Club (Abraham Varghese).

Stock Dove at Springvale, Castlerock (John Spottiswood).

Male Goosander at Glassdrumman Lough and 2 Pinkfeet with Whooper Swans in fields at Ballyfannahan Bridge near Cullyhanna, Co Armagh (Joe Devlin).

Whimbrel and 13+ Purple Sandpipers on Rathlin (Ric Else / Hazel Watson).

Fieldfare, David Clarke:

Great White Egret, Paul Hunter:

Mediterranean Gull, Neil Reid:

Red Kite, Garry Wilkinson:

Bird News Wednesday 19th March 2025

 A Snow Goose was on Tory Island. (Anton Meenan)

The adult Iceland Gull is again at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve, two adult Mediterranean Gulls were also present. (Tony Dodds).

A possible Cattle Egret was seen distantly on the island in Hillsborough Lake. (Garry Wilkinson).

Two adult Mediterranean Gulls were on the lake at the Billy Neill Country Park, Co Down, today. (Ron Price).

A Woodcock flew over Windmill Road towards Larchfield Estate near Annahilt this evening. (Garry Wilkinson).

Bird News Tuesday 18th March 2025

Drake Ring-necked Duck in Closet Bay, Oxford Island NNR (Ed O’Hara).

6 Ruff and Drake Ring-necked x Tufted Duck hybrid Inch, Co Donegal (Theo Campbell et al).

Adult Iceland Gull Portstewart on rocks near convent (Stephen Riddell / John Clarke).

Sand Martin over Ballymena (Chris Hamilton).

Mediterranean Gull at Whitehouse Lagoon (Holly McCormack).

Great White Egret at Lough Beg (Jim Wells).

Iceland Gull, John Clarke:

Ring-necked Duck, Ed O’Hara:

BTO Breeding Heron Census

The annual BTO heronry census is underway again with reports already coming in of chicks in nests. However there are also quite a few reports of apparently abandoned heronries (including all of my regular sites) some clearly related to our recent storms. There have also been a number of sites around the Lough Neagh area (where a significant proportion of the NI population breed) which have been lost entirely or are experiencing a reduction in numbers.

That would suggest there are potentially a lot of herons looking for new homes. The BTO census involves annual resurveys of known sites but doesn't include searching for new sites (although a few are found each year by surveyors).

If you know of or find a nesting site, please check the location against known sites on the BTO system -https://app.bto.org/colonies/public/vacant-sites.jsp. If the site is unknown, or if you aren't sure if it is a new site, email me [ian.enlander(AT)hotmail.com] details including site area, grid ref (preferably 10 fig) and, if possible, best estimate of active nest totals. 

You can find out more about the BTO heronry census at https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/heronries-census/about-heronries-census 

The most recent report on the UK census is at https://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/heronries_census_2024_summary_final.pdf 

Many thanks, 

Ian Enlander. 

NI BTO Heronries Census regional organiser

Bird News Monday 17th March 2025

 A Black-throated Diver was at Horse Island in Strangford Lough. (Richard Weyl).

Two Mediterranean Gulls were at Kinnegar sewage works this afternoon. (Gilly Irwin).

Two Ring-necked Ducks were on Castlehume Lough in Fermanagh yesterday. (Birdguides).

Bird News Sunday 16th March 2025

The Long-tailed Duck is still off Croaghan Hide at Oxford Island NNR (Garry Armstrong).

Swallow at Kinnegoe Marina, Oxford Island NNR (Ed O’Hara).

Great White Egret at Portmore Lough (Michael Latham).

Yesterday 6 Sand Martins over Sixmilewater, Antrim town (Richard Gray).

2nd calendar year Glaucous Gull by wooden bridge this afternoon (John Spottiswood / Michael Latham).

Adult winter Mediterranean Gull Larne Docks (Kevin Kirkham). 

Drake Ring-necked Duck on Stoneyford Res (Garry Armstrong).

Mediterranean Gull at Clea Lake (Hugh Thurgate).

Red Kite, Stevie Brennan:

Ring-necked Duck, Garry Armstrong:

Glaucous Gull, Michael Latham:

Bird News Saturday 15th March 2025

A Long-tailed Duck was off Croaghan hide at Oxford Island. (Garry Armstrong). The bird moved into Closet Bay. (Clifford Sharpe).

A Great Northern Diver was off Portmuck on Islandmagee. (Kevin Kirkham).

22 Slavonian Grebe were on the east side of Strangford Lough, 18 in Greyabbey Bay and 4 off Newtownards Sailing Club. (Richard Weyl).

The Iceland Gull is still at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve. (Daniel Newton,  Dakota Reid, RSPB Youth Network).

The male Ring-necked Duck, probably the bird from the Balancing Lake, was off Kinnegoe hide at Oxford Island. (Danny Gibson).

A 1st year Glaucous Gull was off the hide at the Barmouth. (Mel O'Hagan).

Ring-necked Duck, Danny Gibson. 

Glaucous Gull, Mel O'Hagan. 

Iceland Gull, Leia Giesel.

Bird News Friday 14th March 2025

Wheatear on Lunnon Road, Islandmagee (Kevin Kirkham).

Adult Iceland Gull again in the Bann Estuary (John Clarke).

Great White Egret at Inch, Lough Swilly, Co Donegal (Theo Campbell et al).

White-tailed Eagle in the Antrim Hills (Jonny Rosborough).

Female Ring-necked Duck on Corbally Res (John Clarke).

2 adult Mediterranean Gulls at the Ecos Park, Ballymena (Jeff Larkin).

An adult male Hen Harrier over Rathlin (Ric Else /Hazel Watson).

White-tailed Eagle, Jonny Rosborough:

Iceland Gull, John Clarke & James McDowell:

Bird News Thursday 13th March

 14 Purple Sandpipers were on the rocks below the promenade in Portstewart. (John Spottiswood).

An adult Iceland Gull was seen in Belfast harbour from the Belfast to Cairnryan ferry. (Andrew Kelly).

There was no sign of the female Ring-necked Duck on Rathlin this morning but at least 12 Purple Sandpipers were in Church Bay. (Hazel Watson).

2 Wheatears were on Rathlin this morning. (James McDowell).

The Iceland Gull was seen briefly at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve, a Whimbrel was also present. (Derek Polley).

A Whimbrel was at Donaghadee. (Stephen Foster).

The adult Ring-billed Gull was at the Round O in Enniskillen. (Ronan Owens).

Fieldfare, James McDowell.

Bird News Wednesday 12th March 2025

No sign of Ring-necked Duck at Craigavon Balancing Lakes but 5 Sand Martin over south lake (Ed O’Hara / Clifford Sharpe).

12+ Yellowhammer in stubble field adjacent to Giants Ring best viewed from bank (Dave Allen).

Female Ring-necked Duck still at Craigmacagan Loch on Rathlin also 7 Twite the first of the year (Ric Else /Hazel Watson).

Adult Iceland Gull again at Belfast WoW this evening (Daniel Newton).

Golden Eagle again in the Antrim Hills (Enda McAuley).

Glaucous Gull at the Bann Estuary this evening but no sign of Iceland Gull (John Clarke).

Booted Eagle (1999)

*Joint IRBC and NIRBC announcement:* 

Both committees have independently reviewed the record of Booted Eagle seen at various locations in ROI and NI and subsequently in the UK in 1999/2000. 

The record was placed in Category D at the time, however in light of recent new information, both committees have independently determined that the record should be upgraded to *Category A* . The BOURC is currently reviewing the category of this individual and other records of Booted Eagle in Britain. 

For Northern Ireland this means that the records from Rathlin (22-24th August 1999) and Bangor (9th April 1999) accepted.

Glaucous Gull, John Clarke:

Red-throated Diver, Richard Caves: