Bird News Sunday 2nd January

Snow Goose, five Pink-footed Geese still at Greyabbey, Ring-necked Duck still at Lough Cowey. (Richard Weyl et al).

RN Duck (presumed 1st W male) - Philip West

 300+ Waxwings at Waterfoot, 1m on the Glenariff Road, Co. Antrim. (Pauline Majury)

Waxwings, Waterfoot, Co. Antrim - Pauline Majury

68 Pink-footed Geese were on the south side of Ballycarry Bridge in Larne Lough. 95 Greylag and 7 Greenshank were on the north side. 11 Brambling, 3 Blackcap, 5
Siskin and 2 Linnet were in a garden in Whitehead (Cameron Moore).

A fem/imm Smew was still at Lough Beg (David Steele).

The Ferruginous Duck was still at Craigavon North Balancing Lake (Birdguides)

Strangford Lough: At Gransha Point  1 Black-throated diver, 3 Slavonian grebe, 1 Sandwich tern. At Marlfield 3 Black-throated Diver, 3 Great-northern Diver, 3 Red-throated Diver, adult Little Gull, 3 Sandwich Tern, Merlin, 30 yellowhammmer, 60 tree sparrow, 150 chaffinch, 20 reed bunting, 150 skylark. At Ballyhenry Island 1 Jack Snipe. At Kircubbin 1 Black-throated diver, 1 Red-throated diver (Richard Weyl)

9 Raven at Maynooth Road, Richhill, Co. Armagh. (Andrew Poots).

Long-tailed Duck, Newtownards Sailing Club

Slavonian Grebe - 5, Greyabbey Bay.

Well done to Chris Murphy who has started his New Year bird list. He had 100 species on a day out mainly in south Down including 3 GN Diver off Tyrella, 40 Twite, 40 Skylark, a Tree Sparrow and 2 Reed Bunting at Tyrella. 6 RT Diver were off Newcastle and 1,000 Dunlin at Dundrum Inner Bay North. 12 Yellowhammer were at Ardilea and 3,000 Shelduck were at the north end of Strangford Lough. 12 Lesser Redpoll were in a garden in Killough and a Little Egret at Dundrum Inner Bay South.

Purple Sandpiper, Newcastle, Mark Killops