Bird News Friday 15th February

A Snowy Owl, probably an imm male was on the Pettigo Plateau, near lough Awaddy, Co Fermanagh. 3 Goosander were also on Pettigo Plateau on Rath Lough Donegal, 2 redheads and 1 drake (Brad Robson)

Ten Waxwings were in a car park near St Marks Church, Armagh. (Alistair Prentice)

40 Waxwings were giving good close views at the Portadown Road Lurgan at 11.45am today. They were still there at 4pm and there should be enough berries for them for the weekend (D. Cassells & J Crozier, N Austin)

1 Snow Bunting, 7 Brent Geese, 3 Carrion Crows and a Ring-billed Gull were in the vicinity of the Groomsport car park at 14:00 this afternoon (Ivan Dalglish)

Between Gransha Point and Greyabbey were 33 Slavonian Grebe (29 in Greyabbey Bay and 4 at Horse Island). Also a black-throated diver in Greyabbey Bay (Richard Wyle)

A Sandwich Tern was in Killough Harbour (Chris Murphy)

A Little Gull, Black Redstart, Moorhen and and Black Guillemot were at Queen Elizabeth 2 Bridge in Belfast and a Peregrine Falcon, 26 Shoveler and 30 Black-tailed Godwit at the Harbour Lagoon (Andy Elliott).

In Donegal the Bittern, a juvenile Peregrine, a Smew and a diver (possibly Great Northern) were at Inch Lake (Mark Smyth et al).

The Cattle Egret was also still at St Johnstone at the piggery.

Thanks to David Cassells for the pic below of one of the Lurgan Waxwings, and to Alistair Prentice for the male Chaffinch. Also to Stephen Maxwell for the picture of the Med. Gull which was on Belfast Lough.