Bird News Thursday 15th November

A Marsh Harrier was at Oxford Island again this morning (Noel Austin)

A Great Skua and a Jack Snipe were at Ballyquinton Point. 2 adult Med Gulls were at Kircubbin (Richard Weyl)

Great Northern Diver, Ian Jackson:

Copeland Bird Observatory Winter Talk

Find out why Anthony McGeehan reckons Inishbofin is a ‘Last chance saloon’ for Irish birds when he presents the first of our new season CBO Winter Talks at the MBC on Tuesday 20th November.

Anthony can be credited as a true expert in Irish birds and has just released his most recent book ‘To the Ends of the Earth: Ireland's Place in Bird Migration’.

 Anthony notes that for species that breed there, ‘Inishbofin’s habitats have largely escaped 'farmageddon'. Hence populations of Skylarks, Corncrakes and Lapwings are still intact. For migrant birds, it can be either the first or last part of Europe... Anything can turn up’.

 Also planning a book is photographer Lawrence Eagling, who will bring the meeting up to date on an exciting project he has conceived, documenting the wildlife and changing landscape of the Copeland Islands throughout the seasons. Lawrence will present a sneak preview of some of his stunning CBO photos.

 This meeting is well worth reserving a slot for in your diary, and PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!

The talks commence at 7:30pm and everyone is welcome *** (Tea/Coffee & Biscuits provided: £2 admission).

 South Lecture Theatre
 Medical Biology Centre (MBC)
97 Lisburn Road,
 Belfast.

Bird News Wednesday 14th November

At Portmore Lough, the 2 Marsh Harriers were showing well over the reeds on the right side of the hide. (Terry Paton)

A Ruff was at RSPB WoW (Gerard McGeehan).

Thanks to Lindsay Hodges for the picture of the Siskin:

Bird News Tuesday 13th November

The Great White Egret, Little Stint & 4 Ruff were still present at Lough Beg this afternoon (Richard Hunter).

A male Hen Harrier flew across the road near the top of Shane's Hill at Ballyboley Forest this morning. (David Gillespie).

Thanks to Richard Caves for the pictures of the Great Norther Diver from Newcastle:

Bird News Monday 12th November

The Marsh Harrier was still at Oxford Island this morning, it was hunting over the small island behind the Discovery Centre. There was no sign of the Marsh Harriers at Portmore up to 12 o'clock. (Garry Armstrong).

The Great White Egret, Little Stint, 12 Ruff, 2 ringtail Hen Harrier and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were at Lough beg today. (Gareth Bareham, Matthew Tickner).

In Newcastle 5 Great Northern Divers, 2 Great Crested Grebe and 1 Black Guillemot were seen from the pier at high tide today. (Richard Cave).

Bird News Sunday 11th November

The two Marsh Harriers were showing well at Portmore Lough this morning (Michael Latham). One of these birds was presumably seen at Kinnego Hide, Oxford Island at lunchtime (Noel Austin) The 2 Marsh Harriers were then back at Portmore this afternoon showing well between about 3pm and 4pm. (Paul & Niall Mulvenna)

Lough Beg this afternoon had a Great White Egret (presumably the same bird as seen in mid-October), also a Little Stint, 26 Ruff and a Goosander (David Steele)

A Ruff was at Portavogie and 110 Black-tailed Godwits were at Kirkiston (Richard Weyl)

Marsh Harrier, Michael Latham:

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

Bird News Saturday 10th November

4 Great Northern Diver, 1 Black-throated Diver & 1 Red-throated Diver were at Carnlough Bay this morning (Richard Hunter)

A Dark-bellied Brent Goose was at the Floodgates. A Spotted Redshank and a Ruff were at the Comber Estuary (Wilton Farrelly)

7 Great Northern Divers were close to the back of Newcastle pier. Also a flock of about 30 Purple Sandpipers were present (Michael Latham)

2 Red Grouse were at Llendrum Wind Farm Fivemiletown County Tyrone this afternoon. (Colin Bell)

At least one of the Marsh Harriers was at Portmore Lough today (Stephen Dunbar / Linda Thompson)

Great Northern Diver and Purple Sandpiper, Michael Latham:

Marsh Harrier, Linda Thompson:

Bird News Friday 9th November

A Little Gull was on the weir in Newcastle Boating lake this morning. (Leonard Charles).

A pair of Pintail were at Inch in Donegal. (David Hill)

Thanks to Michael Henderson for the picture of the Red-breasted Merganser and to David Hill for the picture of the Pintail:

Bird News Thursday 8th November

There are two Marsh Harriers showing well at Portmore Lough this morning (Laura Smith).

The return of water at WOW has brought back the birds including 1 Snipe, 500 Teal, 60 Wigeon, 200 Curlew, 80 Knot, 200 Lapwing, 150 Black-tailed Godwit and 20 Dunlin. Three of the Godwits were ringed including a bird first ringed in Iceland in 2007 so now 11 years old. (Derek Polley).

Yesterday 2 Crossbills were at Springfield, Co Fermanagh. And today one flew over a garden in Fivemiletown. (Colin Bell).

A Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper and Carrion Crow were at Donaghadee today. (Stephen Foster).

A Pintail was at Portmore this evening. (Suzanne Belshaw),

Thanks to Stephen Foster for te pictures of the Whimbrel and the Carrion Crow and to Philip McErlean for the picture of the Marsh Harrier:

 

Bird News Wednesday 7th November

16 Sandwich Terns were in Portaferry (John Foster Wilson)

A report has come in, presumed to be of the escaped Turkey Vulture at Altikeeragh Rd Castlerock. (Andy Doherty).

Bird News Tuesday 6th November

A single Sabine's Gull, Great Skua and Arctic Skua all passed north at St John's Point early this afternoon (Brian Sutton).

At least 100 Whooper Swans were on stubble field near Ballyrashane just outside Coleraine at 8am this morning. (Ginny McKee).

Montgomery "Hide" at Castle Espie had a Kingfisher, 5 Grey Plover, 4 Greenshank, 20+ Linnet flock  and 40 Eider. Islandhill had 4 Skylark,46 Whooper Swans and 400+ Golden Plover. (Derek Polley).

Circa 120 Twite were at Portrush today, feeding and bathing along the shore between Ramore Head and Portandoo. (Matthew Tickner)

Bird News Monday 5th November

33 Pink-footed Geese and 5 Scaup were at Inch, Co Donegal (Brian Murphy) 

2 Sandwich Tern were at Killyleagh (Dave Peers)

Redwing, David Hill:

Ringed Gulls in Millquarter Bay

Two foreign ringed Mediterranean Gulls were at Millquarter Bay, Co Down today.

Red PLY1, from Poland, was first sighted on the 1st November, by Graham McElwaine and still present today.

White 3NNT, is believed to be of Dutch origin.

7 other colour-ringed gulls were also spotted on the same beach.

Herring Gull - White 4K8:C - from Ayrshire
Herring Gull - Red 278:D - from Dublin
Herring Gull - Orange Z15:M - from Isle of Man

Black-headed Gull - Orange 2AXT - from Adam McClure's NI Study
Black-headed Gull - Orange 2ALC - from Adam McClure's NI Study
Black-headed Gull - Yellow 2BT3 - from Aberdeenshire

Common Gull - Blue 2ATK (about 100% sure) from Shane Wolsey's former NI Study.

Gareth Platt.

Thanks to Gareth for the pictures of the Mediterranean Gulls:

Bird News Sunday 4th November

At Carnlough were 2 Black-throated Divers and 2 Great Northern Divers (Gerard McGeehan/Shirley Dunlop/Carol Gillespie/Ray Bennett)

Sandy Bay Larne had a Brambling and 2 Twite. A Slavonian Grebe was also close to Swan Island in Larne Lough (Neal Warnock)

A Brambling was visiting a garden in Richhill, Co Armagh (Andrew Poots)

Two late Manx Shearwater were in Rathlin sound this morning (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

Fieldfare and Redwing are being widely reported.

Two White-fronted Geese were with a flock of 20 Whooper Swans at Cullyhanna, Co. Armagh. (Joe Devlin).

The Cooley Peninsula coast road, Ballytrasna to Cooley Point, had 5 Great Northern Divers, 4 Brent Geese and 4 Little Egret. (Fulton & Janet Somerville).

8 Twite were at Briggs Rocks, Co Down (Richard Hunter).

A flock of 20 Twite were at Millquarter Bay. (Gareth Platt).

Thanks to Andrew Poots for the picture of the Brambling, to Neal Warnock for the picture of the Twite, to Lindsay Hodges for the picture of the Redwing, to Thomas Campbell for the picture of the Eider and the Red-breasted Merganser, to Linda Thompson for the picture of the Kestrel and to Fulton Somerville for the picture of the Great Northern Divers: