Bird News for Sunday 8th January

The ad Iceland Gull at Ardglass Harbour..G.Armstrong

8 Iceland Gull(1 ad,2 1st winter,4 2nd winter and a kumliens type) 4 Glaucous Gull (1 ad, 2 2nd winter and a 1st winter)were at Ardglass harbour(P.West/G.Armstrong/K.Bennett)

An adult male Black Redstart was also at Ardglass, a male Ring necked Duck was at Templewater(Castle ward) The 3 Long tailed Duck still at Greyabbey bay South along with 4 Slav. Grebes. A Stock Dove was at Kircubbin. 15 Yellowhammer were at Marlfield.(K.Bennett)

Knockenlder Bay had a female Black Redstart and a 1st winter Iceland gull. At Ballyquintin Point a Short-eared Owl and a female Merlin. At Portaferry 2 Sandwich Tern.(R.Weyl),

The ad Bonaparte's Gull was at Ballygally. A 1st winter Glaucous Gull, Ballycastle Harbour.4 GN diver and unusually 12 Cm Scoter at Carnlough. 2nd W Iceland Gull flying north along the Antrim coast at Drumnagreagh. A Carrion Crow at Magheramorne. Adult Iceland Gull and 2nd W Med gull at Glynn Lagoon(N.Warnock)

The Marsh Harrier was seen again at the RSPB Portmore Lough Reserve(J.O'Neill)

The Goosander remains to be seen on Begney Lake Co.Down(D.Nixon)

Two first year Iceland Gulls were at Donnybrewer (Davy Hunter / Rick Hoy)
700 Common Scoter were in Dundrum Bay best viewed from Murlough Nature Reserve.(I.Enlander)
At Strangford Lough 3 Greenland White-fronted Geese were at Anne's Point (Dot Blakely).

The 20 Snow Bunting were still at the old landfill site at Hightown Road above Glengormley - flighty but landing on the grass at the entrance (William Smyton).

As well as the Iceland and Glaucous Gulls at Ardglass there were 600 Herring, 350 Black-headed, 100 Greater Black-backed, 45 Common Gull, 15 Kittiwake. a Razorbill, Guillemot and a Black Guillemot. A Sandwich Tern was at Killough (Chris and Tim Murphy).

Around Belfast a new adult Mediterranean Gull and a Whooper Swan were on the sea off the North Foreshore (Stuart McKee). The second winter Ring-billed Gull was at Groomsport.

Around the Ards a Tree Sparrow, 2 Bullfinch, 4 Reed Bunting and 7 Yellowhammer were at Ardkeen. A Great Northern Diver was at Ballyhalbert and a Sandwich Tern at Ballywalter (Jim Whitla). A Sandwich Tern was south of Cloghy Rocks and 2 Carrion Crow at the Floodgates (Dave Allen).

3 Jack Snipe were at Clay Lake in Armagh (David Knight).

3 Red-throated Diver and 3 Great Northern Diver were at Glenarm and a Dipper in the river there (Gerard McGeehan, Shirley Dunlop).

A Short-eared Owl was at Craigantlet (Aaron Devlin).

A first winter Iceland Gull was at Lough Beg (David Steele).

In Donegal 5 Tundra Bean Geese and a Snow Goose were at Inch. A second winter Kumlien's Gull, 7 Iceland and 3 Glaucous Gull were at Blanket Nook and an Arctic Skua at Rathmullan on the Fanad (Wilton Farrelly, Walter Veale). Also at Inch Lake were a female Long-tailed Duck and male Smew with a Pink-footed Goose and 50 Greenland White-fronted Geese. 200 Pale-bellied Brent, 100 Greylag and 50 Greenland White-fronted were at Big Isle (Richard Gray NIOC).

2 Glaucous and an Iceland Gull were off Marconi's Cottage at Ballycastle (Colin Guy).

Our sincere thanks to everyone who takes the time to send us information.