Bird News Thursday 12th December

The Spoonbill was seen around the main lake at Castle Espie this morning.

The visitor centre at RSPB Belfast Harbour reserve has reopened, the roadside hide shall reopen towards the end of the week.

A small flock of Fieldfare were in a field along Lylehill Road near Belfast. (Ivan Daglish)

Thanks to Dick Glasgow for this pic of a Fieldfare taken near Armoy.

Bird News Wednesday 11th December

An adult Iceland Gull and a first winter Glaucous Gull were on Lough Foyle at Timber Quay, Derry. (Wilton Farrelly).

A mixed flock of c40 Fieldfare & Redwing were at the old steamboat quay on the Quoile. A Peregrine was also seen. (Chris Henry).

50 Whooper Swan were near the car park at Islandhill in Strangford Lough (Francis Duffin).  

A female Scaup, 500 Pochard and 150 Tufted Duck were at Kinnegoe Bay, Oxford Island (Dot Blakely).

5 Jack Snipe and 10 Crossbill were around Fews Forest, Armagh today. Yesterday a Little Egret flew west across farmland near Newtownhamilton. (Dermot Hughes).

Our thanks to Dick Glasgow for the pictures of the Red Squirrels taken near Cushendall and the pictures of the Fieldfare and Redwing.

 

 

Bird News Tuesday 10th December.

The Spoonbill has been seen again at Castle Espie and also a very late Sand Martin.(Birdguides)

A Water Rail was on the Deerfin Burn at the Ecos Park in Ballymena .(Jeff Larkin)

A 1st winter Med. Gull was at the waterworks in Belfast.(David Knight)

The 2 Long-tailed Duck were still along the River Quoile near the visitors centre. Also present were 18 Goldeneye, 11 Whooper Swan in flight, a Little Egret, 15 Teal and 40 Wigeon. 5 Little Egret, 100 Teal, 80 Wigeon and 16 Goldeneye were at Quoile Pondage (Tim Murphy).

Yesterday a Kingfisher was in flight at Glas-na-braden near Whitehouse in Belfast (Andy Elliott).


Our sincere thanks to David Knight for the picture of the Med.Gull  and also toTony Donaldson who sent in this picture of the two Long-tailed Duck which are currently on the Quoile river, this pic. was taken yesterday.

 

Bird News Monday 9th December

A single Greenland White-fronted Goose flew southwest over Portmore Lough at lunchtime today. (Amy Burns).

Bird News Sunday 8th December

At Whitehead, Co Antrim, a watch early morning produced 27 Red-throated Diver and 2 Great northern Diver - all flew into Belfast Lough. (Ian Enlander)

At Ballywalter there was an adult Mediterranean Gull, at Portavogie a Jack Snipe, at Ballyhalbert a Merlin and the hybrid ring-billed gull still at Millisle. A Whimbrel was at Orlock Point yesterday. (Richard Weyl)

Two Little Egrets were seen beside the River Bann in a field of 34 Grey Herons, Toome. A Kestrel was seen hunting over Ballyscullion Moss, Lough Beg. (Ciarán Burns)

Circa 40 Sisken were in a garden at Derriaghy and a Water Rail on the towpath. Also a male Blackcap in the garden. (Garry Wilkinson)

Thanks to Cameron Moore for these pics of a drake and female Goldeneye:

Bird News Saturday 7th December

Approx 25 Scoter flew south past Portmuck, Islandmagee. (Ian Enlander).

The American Wigeon was seen again at Reedy Flats, Lough Neagh, 8 Goosander, 7 females and 1 male, were at Lough Island Reavey, 15 Buzzards were seen between Dublin and Oxford Island. (Jim Bowman/Ian Stevenson).

A Water Rail and 2 Kingfisher were in Kinnegoe Bay reed bed at Oxford Island, unusually a bat was also seen in flight. (Ed O'Hara).

A Peregrine and 5 Raven were at Benderg Bay, Killard. (Angus Kennedy).

A Green Sandpiper was at Ballykeel Reservoir along Upper Church Road above Holywood (Julian Greenwood).  

The juvenile Spoonbill was at the lime kiln at Castle Espie before flying back out to Strangford Lough. 3 Little Egret, 100 Pale-bellied Brent, 40 Whooper Swan and a Kingfisher were also noted (David Gillespie).  

In south Down a Peregrine was at Minerstown, a Kestrel and Great Northern Diver at Tyrella, 1,500 Golden Plover at Killough Harbour and a Jack Snipe at Kilclief. The 2 Long-tailed Duck were along the River Quoile near the visitors centre (Chris and Tim Murphy).   

2 adult Mediterranean Gull was at Loughshore in Belfast Lough (Stuart McKee).  

A fem/imm Goosander was along the River Main at Slaght near Ballymena (David Steele).  

A Little Egret was at Portmore Lough (Amy Burns).

Thanksto today's photographers, to Dick Glasgow for the picture of Tree Sparrows, to Angus Kennedy for the pictures of the Peregrine, the Little Egret and the Purple Sandpiper and to Ed O'Hara for the pictures of the Grey Heron and the day flying bat at Oxford Island. You can see more bird pics at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

Bird News Friday 6th December.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was seen again at Ardmore Point. Lough Neagh.(Birdguides)

A wing tagged White tailed Eagle was at Lower Lough Macnean, Co Fermanagh (David Scott)

A Little Egret was on the beach at Millisle (Margaret Martin).

 

Our thanks to Dick Glasgow for kindly sending in these two photo's of a Rock Pipit(top) and also for the rather bedraggled Stonechat.

Bird News Thursday 5th December.

A Grey Phalarope was at Portmuck, Islandmagee.(Cameron Moore)

The RSPB Belfast Harbour Reserve will be closed for the foreseeable future due to safety issues caused by wind damage. We will let you know when we are able to open again.(Chris Sturgeon, RSPB warden)

Our thanks to Dick Glasgow for the pic of a Buzzard and Cameron Moore for the Grey Phalarope pics:

Bird News Wednesday 4th December

Yesterday the drake American Wigeon was still at Reedy Flats, Lough Neagh. (Stefan Grief).

300 Dunlin, 95 Ringed Plover and 88 Turnstone were at Fisherman's Pier in Carrickfergus (Dot Blakely).

The adult Ring-billed Gull was at Carrickfergus harbour this afternoon. (Stephen Drake).

Thanks to today's photographers, to Dick Glasgow for the picture of the Wren from his garden, to Noeni Bryars for the picture of Turnstones from Carrickfergus, to Colin Davies for the picture of  a mixed flock of Brent Geese and Wigeon from Dundrum and to Christine Cunningham for the picture of the Whooper in flight. You can see more NI bird pictures at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

Bird News Tuesday 3rd December

2 Jack Snipe and 54 Snipe were at Lower Lough Erne, Co Fermanagh yesterday (Brad Robson)

The Spoonbill was looked for but not seen although staff at WWT Castle Espie had it earlier when tide was lower. Inner Dundrum Bay had one adult Grey-bellied Brent. Lough Island Reavey had a male Goosander only - no sign of others. (Tom Ennis)

An adult Mediterranean Gull was at Loughshore (Gerard McGeehan)

The Dark-bellied Brent was seen at Dundrum. 300 Common Scoter were on the sea with two Red-throated divers. Two Little Egrets were also on the Inner bay. (Colin Davies)

Thanks to Ed O'Hara for this pic of a Little Egret at Kinnegar and Colin Davies for the Dark-bellied Brent;

Bird News Monday 2nd December

At Crawfordsburn an adult and a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull were on the shore at the mouth of the river and a different 1st winter Mediterranean Gull in the next bay on the coastal walk towards Bangor. There were 10 Red-throated Divers and a juvenile Great Northern Diver offshore. Yesterday the adult Mediterranean Gull was still off Lough Shore Park. (Stuart McKee).

100+ Lapwing in three groups flew southeast over Antrim Boat Club at lunchtime. (John Loughlin).

A male Sparrowhawk was being mobbed by 2 Jay on the woodland path beside the golf course in Ormeau Park in Belfast. (Andrew Johnston).

The adult Ring-billed Gull was at Carrickfergus harbour this afternoon. (Colin Davies).

A Barn Owl was seen at Killinchy (Adam McClure)

Thanks to Stuart McKee for the pictures of the Great Northern Diver and Mediterranean Gulls from Crawfordsburn and to Ian Jackson for the pictures of the adult and 1st year Kittiwakes.

 

 

 

 

 

Bird News Sunday 1st December.

The Spoonbill was still on show off Castle Espie this afternoon.(Chris Henry)

 

A Ring-necked Duck was on Temple Water, Castle Ward this afternoon (Craig Nash)

Six Slavonian Grebe and three Red-throated Diver were off Blanketnook, Co. Donegal. Three Ruff were at Inch. (Wilton Farrelly)

 

About 1,000 Whooper Swan were at Myroe Levels and 6 Little Egret off the Roe Estuary.(Mervyn Guthrie)

 

54 Grey lag,  26 Whoopers and huge numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing were at Caledon.(Norma Perceval - Price)

The Cattle Egret was seen again at the Island at Hillsborough Lake and a Grey-bellied Brent Goose was reported from inner Dundrum Bay (Birdguides)

4 Waxwing were seen on the Dromore Road, Omagh (Irish Birding)

Our thanks to Ed O'Hara who kindly sent in this photo of a Chiffchaff, small numbers do over-winter, this was taken at Oxford Island this morning. Also to Kay Wheeler for the photo of a Redshank.

 

 

Castle Espie Spoonbill

Thanks to Angus Kennedy for these Spoonbill pics taken today (30th November) at Castle Espie. This bird is a juvenile!

Bird News Saturday 30th November

The juvenile Spoonbill was at Castle Espie. See separate blog post with pics.  (Angus Kennedy / James O'Neil)

The two Long tailed Ducks were still on the Quoile River (Tony Donaldson)

4 Goosander (1M, 3F) were at Lough Island Reevy, Co Down (Keith Bennett)

A Red Kite was over Castlewellan road, Banbridge. Two more Red Kites were at the horse shoe bend near Castlewellan. In Tollymore Forest park there was a Great spotted Woodpecker, lots of jays, siskins, a dipper & good views of a red squirrel (Mark Elliott)

The drake American Wigeon was still at Reedy Flats, Co Armagh (Birdguides)

 

The Portmore Area had 200+ Whoopers. At Derrymacash there were 70+ birds abd at Derrytrasna 100+ birds [also in Trasna 150 Greylag Geese] (Ed O'Hara)

The Pectoral Sandpiper was at Ardmore Point, Lough Neagh (Birdguides)

An adult Mediteranean Gull was at Ballyholme Beach, Co Down (W Farrelly)

Thanks to Tony Donaldson for the pic of the Long tailed Ducks, Dick Glasgow for a female Merlin and Ed O'Hara for the Whooper family:

Bird News Friday 29th November

The adult Spoonbill was seen again of Castle Espie this afternoon. (Birdguides).

Yesterday at Warrenpoint 9 Great Northern Divers were off shore and c400 Pied Wagtails roosted in Main Street. Today a Long-tailed Duck was close inshore. (Stephan Dunstan).

30 Pale-Bellied Brent, 50 Lapwings and 2 Curlew were at Ballyvester Beach, Millisle this afternoon. (David McCormick).

The Ring-billed Gull was still in Portrush today. (David Hill).

An adult Mediterranean Gull (a new bird with a green ring) was at Loughshore on the Antrim side of Belfast Lough (Gerard McGeehan).

Thanks to David Hill for the pictures of the Ring-billed Gull and the Purple Sandpiper.