Bird News Friday 22nd March

The Kumliens Gull was at Kinnegar Shore at 3:50pm. (Daniel Newton)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the Stormont Estate, Belfast (Paul McCullough)

A Glaucous Gull was at Ramore Head this evening. (John Clarke).

The Newry Canal this morning 7:30 - 9:00 from Poyntzpass to Scarva produced 3 Redwing, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Treecreeper, 2 Sand Martin, 5 Buzzard and 6 Grey Heron. (Fulton Somerville).

Thanks to Fulton Somerville for the picture of the Redwing and to Kenny Moore for the picture of the Dippers:

Bird News Thursday 21st March

Yesterday a Woodcock was at the east end of Ballymacormick Point on Wednesday (George Henderson)

A Cuckoo was calling in Inishowen this morning. (Christine Cassidy & Lindsay Hodges)

Long-tailed Tit - Wilf Swain

Cuckoo, 2019 Records

Submit Cuckoo Records Online. 

 Mark the return of Spring by listening out for the cuckoo!

 Help in recording what is for many the distinctive sound of Spring – the call of the cuckoo.
 If you see or hear a cuckoo please submit your record online.

The Cuckoo is a rapidly declining species Red Listed as a bird of conservation concern in the UK. They arrive from Africa in April and May and sing throughout the Spring. They are much more likely to heard than seen. Their calls are distinctive but can be mistaken for Collared Dove and Woodpigeon.

More information on the Cuckoo can be found on the Priority Species of Northern Ireland website.

 If you see or hear a Cuckoo then please visit https://www2.habitas.org.uk/records/submit-cuckoo-record/ and submit your record.

 CEDaR Online Recording – [www.habitas.org.uk/records]www.habitas.org.uk/records 
 CEDaR – [www.nmni.com/cedar]www.nmni.com/cedar 
 Habitas – [www.habitas.org.uk]www.habitas.org.uk

Damian McFerran
Record Centre Manager, CEDaR

National Museums Northern Ireland
Cultra, Holywood, Co. Down, BT18 0EU
T - 028 9039 5256
E - Damian.McFerran@nmni.com

Bird News Wednesday 20th March

This morning the Newry Canal between Jerrettspass and Poyntzpass had a calling Water Rail, 1 Raven, 1 Dipper, 3 Tree Sparrow & 2 Grey Wagtail. This afternoon at Oxford Island there was 1 Jay, 1 Chiffchaff, and a mixed flock of 150+ Whooper & Mute Swans. (Fulton Somerville).

A Chiffchaff was calling at Bloody Bridge, Newcastle this morning. (Roger Woodward).

2 Kestrel (displaying) 2 Peregrine (displaying ) 16 Chough, 2 Ravens & 2 Buzzards were at Malin Head, Inishowen, Donegal. (Christine Cassidy & Lindsay Hodges).

Rathlin today had its first Wheatear of the year plus Chiffchaff, Brambling and Twite. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson).

Thanks to Christine Cassidy for the picture of the Kestrel, to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Meadow Pipit, to Fulton Somerville for the picture of the Whooper Swans and to Ric Else for the picture of the Wheatear:

Bird News Tuesday 19th March

The presumed Kumliens Gull was still at Kinnegar Shore this evening (Daniel Newton)

This morning a male Wheatear was on Newcastle promenade, near the Shimna footbridge (Dan Bailie)

Two Brambling were in Whitehead (Cameron Moore)

A flock of over 30 Twite were at Ramore head this morning. (John Clarke)

A Red Kite was seen circling over the River Lagan weir area, Belfast. It then flew off south (Rob McAllister)

A Great Skua and Chiffchaff were on Rathlin Island. A Brambling and Twite were also present (Ric Else and Hazel Watson)

Twite - John Clarke

Male Brambling - Cameron Moore

Bird News Monday 18th March

A probable Kumliens Gull was at Kinnegar later this afternoon (Michael Latham). See picture below.

The Spoonbill was off the Limekiln, Castle Espie (Michael Latham)

A singing Chiffchaff was near the Tannaghmore West Road car-park at Craigavon Lakes (Daniel Newton)

A littoralis Rock Pipit was at Sandy Bay, Larne today (Neal Warnock)

On the east side of Strangford Lough there were 66 Slavonian Grebe (56 between Greyabbey and Kircubbin and 10 off Newtownards Sailing Club) (Richard Weyl)

Yellowhammers continue to be reported from Gardens with two in Newtownards (Ian McKee) and one in Banbridge (Mike McLaughlin)

Unusually a Water Rail was in Stricklands Glen, Bangor around a puddle (Derek Polley)

Ring-Billed Gull still at Carrickfergus Marina, Co Antrim, this morning. (Kevin Kirkham)

A Chiffchaff was calling at Belfast Waterworks (Dot Blakely)

A male Brambling was in a garden at Marlborough Drive, Bangor (David Miller)

A Manx Shearwater was off Copeland (CBO)

Presumed Kumliens Gull - Michael Latham

Presumed Kumliens Gull - Michael Latham

Scandanavian Rock Pipit - Neal Warnock

Spoonbill - Michael Latham

Bird News Sunday 17th March

The adult Iceland Gull was again at RSPB WoW this evening (Daniel Newton)

4 Pink-footed Geese were with Greylags at Reedy Flats, Lough Neagh (Ed O’Hara)

The Spoonbill was feeding near the Limekiln at Castle Espie. (Paul & Niall Mulvenna)

A Chiffchaff was calling this morning montalto estate Ballynahinch (Marty Rooney) Another Chiffchaff was singing at Rathgael road in Bangor this morning. (Kerry Leonard)

8 Ruff were at Lough Beg this morning (Richard Hunter)

The Ring-billed Gull was showing again at Carrickfergus Harbour (Michael Latham)

15 Purple Sandpipers were at Kilhorne Bay, Annalong this afternoon. (Richard Gray)

Donegal Bay WeBS count today had 47 Greenland Whitefronts & a Chiffchaff on the south shore. Mountcharles had 4 Long-tailed Duck, 25 Great Northern Diver, 2 Red-throated Diver but only a few Scoter (Brad Robson)

Pink-footed Geese - Ed O'Hara

Ring-billed Gull - Michael Latham

Bird News Saturday 16th March

There is a  boat trip from Ballycastle to Islay this Monday (18th). Contact Jim Wells on 07856235144 for full details.

A Brambling and a female Blackcap were still visiting a private garden in Whitehead, see pictures below. (Cameron Moore).

A Merlin was along the M1 at Moira and an unusual Herring Gull with yellow legs was at Belfast WOW, see picture below. (Ed O'Hara).

5 Yellowhammer were at Inch in Donegal. (Christine Cassidy).

Thanks to Cameron Moore for the pictures of the Brambling and the female Blackcap, to Ed O'Hara for the picture of the unusual Herring Gull, to Thomas Campbell for the picture of the Treecreeper and to Christine Cassidy for the picture of the Yellowhammer:

Bird News Friday 15th March

3 Long-tailed Duck were off Carrickfergus harbour (Gerard McGeehan)

2 Sand Martins were in Kinnegoe Bay at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara).

Thanks to Cameron Moore for the picture of the Slavonian Grebe, to Mark Elliott for the first Great Spotted Woodpecker picture, to David Cassells for the second Great Spotted Woodpecker picture and to Wilf Swain for the Buzzards picture:

Bird News Thursday 14th March

The adult Iceland Gull was at RSPB WoW this evening (Daniel Newton)

RSPB WoW has a Ruff, 5 Med gulls and high counts of 70 Lesser-blackBacked Gulls and 120 Shelduck (Derek Polley)

A Slavonian Grebe was at Whitehead seafront this afternoon. (Cameron Moore and Daniel Craig)

A Raven was at Belfast City Hall (Paul McCullough)

3 Jack Snipe were at Lower Lough Erne Islands RSPB reserve, Co Fermanagh (Brad Robson)

A Woodcock was seen this evening at A4 dual carriageway near Parkanaur Co Tyrone. (Colin Bell)

Clogher Head Co Louth had a Red-throated Diver, a Black-throated Diver and 30 Common Scoter. Castletown River Dundalk had a Ring-billed Gull. (Fulton Somerville, Robert Hart and Michael Richardson)

Ring-billed Gull, Fulton Sommerville

Slavonian Grebe - Cameron Moore

Bird News Wednesday 13th March

Yesterday a littoralis type Rock Pipit was at Whitehead sea-front, see pictures below. (Cameron Moore).

Two Brambling were in a garden in Whitehead today. (Cameron Moore).

An adult Iceland Gull was at Belfast WOW this afternoon. (Daniel Newton).

A Yellowhammer was in a garden in Newtownards. (Ian McKee).

Thanks to Cameron Moore for the pictures of the littoralis type Rock Pipit, to Philip McErlean for the picture of the Kingfisher and to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Greenfinch:

Bird News Monday 11th March

A Brambling and a Blackcap were in a private garden in Whitehead,see pictures below. (Cameron Moore).

The Newry Canal between Poyntzpass and Scarva, this morning had a pair of Grey Wagtails, 5 Mistle Thrush, 21 Redwing, 1 Tree Sparrow, 2 Buzzard, 2 Reed Bunting, 3 Snipe and 1 Jay. (Fulton Somerville).

Thanks to Cameron Moore for the pictures of the Brambling and the Blackcap and to Fulton Somerville for the picture of the Grey Wagtail:

Bird News Sunday 10th March

A male Brambling was in a garden at Richhill (Andrew Poots)

Brambling - Andrew Poots

A Dark-bellied Brent Goose was off the Floodgates at Newtownards (Brian Murphy)

An adult Med Gull in full summer plumage was at Ardglass Harbour among Common & Black-headed Gulls. 2 Carrion Crows, were on the pier at Strangford Village. (Gareth Platt)

Thanks to Mervyn Campbell for this image of a Sparrowhawk seemingly drowning a Jackdaw: