Bird News Saturday 26th December

A 1st winter Lesser Yellowlegs was reported from Greencastle, Co, Down. (Birdguides).

An adult winter plumaged Little Gull was at Kilclief in the Strangford Narrows. (Keith Bennett).

The male Brambling was in a garden in Lisburn again, see picture below. (Kevin Kirkham-Brown).

13 Whooper Swans circled Billy Neill Playing Fields in Dundonald before flying east. (Derek Polley).

A Little Egret was on the River Foyle, it was in the bay just south of Culmore Point. (Conor Gilmore).

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the trees beside Kinnego Marina, Oxford Island, this afternoon. (Ronnie Milligan & Ron Price).

A 1st winter Iceland Gull was at the jetty between the two bridges in Coleraine this afternoon Also present were two Darvic ringed Black-headed Gulls. White J9J2 was ringed on the 09 April 2012 as an adult , at Oslo, Norway. 1,168km to Coleraine.  Red 2E18 belongs to the Clyde Ringing Group. There was a Common Gull, Yellow 2A60, at Millisle on 24th which also belongs to the Clyde Ringing Group, see pictures below. (Gareth Platt)

Thanks to Kevin Kirkham-Brown for the pictures of the Brambling and the Redpoll and to Gareth Platt for the Iceland Gull and the colour ringed Black-headed Gulls, the first two from Connswater yesterday and the last from Coleraine today.