Bird News for Sunday 30th January

The Snow Goose was still present in fields N.E. of Portmore Lough, it was feeding with Whooper Swans and Greylags and earlier 2 Brambling were visiting a garden on the Ballymacash Road in Lisburn.(W.Veale)

The Ring-necked Duck was back on Lough Cowey Co.Down.(K.Bennett)

The ad Bewick Swan was still with the Whoopers at Cullyhanna Co.Down and 4 Canada Geese and 150 Widgeon were also present. The 2 PF Geese were at Lough Ross.(F.Carroll)

12 RT Diver were off Maggy's Leap south of Newcastle Co.Down (S.McKee)

2 Blackcap were in a garden at Islandmagee (the numbers of Blackcap's reported from gardens this winter has been amazing) (R.McDowell)

6 Whooper Swan were on Lake Corbet Co.Down but no sign of the Ferruginious Duck.(W.Farrelly/P.West)

6 Goosanders at Cushendun, (2 male 4 female) also 1 Red Throated Diver.64no. Brent Geese at Ballygalley feeding on shoreline at low tide. (Pauline Majury)

127 Red-throated Divers flew past Whitehead this morning between 8 - 9am. Visibility wasn't great so this is a minimum with possibly another 60+ passing further out. All birds were seen to fly into Belfast Lough. (Ian Enlander)

50 Fieldfares, at Magheraveely, Co Fermanagh. (Stephen Scarlett)

A Sandwich Tern was at Sandeel Bay and a Merlin at Briggs Rocks on the Down side of Belfast Lough (Richard Weyl).

Brambling continue to visit a garden at Richill, Co. Armagh (Andrew Poots)

114 species were recorded in a day around South Down/Strangford Lough area,birds included 350 Common Scoter off Murlough and a Little Egret at Dundrum Bay South. 6 Yellowhammer and 2 Stock Dove at Ardilea. 30 Twite, 50 Linnet, 20 Reed Bunting, 6 Lesser Redpoll, 4 Tree Sparrow and a Skylark were at Tyrella and 2 Sandwich Tern and 2 Purple Sandpiper at Portavogie. 30 Tree Sparrow, 2 Stock Dove were with good numbers of Chaffinch and Reed Bunting at Lough Money. A female Scaup and 18 Whooper Swan were along the river from the Quoile Centre. Several Carrion Crow and a Common Guillemot were at Killyleagh Harbour and 20 Whooper Swan in the fields below Scarbo. 500 Golden Plover were at Comber Estuary and 350 Greylag and 1 GWF Goose in the fields north of Greyabbey. 2 GN Diver and 2 Slav.Grebe were off Monghan's Bank at Kircubbin and several Slav Grebes at Greyabbey Bay South.(C&T Murphy/K.Bennett)