Bird News Wednesday 23rd December

One of the 1st winter Iceland Gulls was still in Ardglass harbour, see pictures below, A Merlin was hunting a mixed flock of Linnets and Twite at St John's Point. (Garry Armstrong).

5 Yellowhammers, a Reed Bunting and 40 Tree Sparrows were visiting a garden today at Richhill. (Andrew Poots).

A 1st winter Iceland Gull was at the Round O jetty in Enniskillen. (Brad Robson).

In Donegal a hybrid Cackling x Barnacle Goose was at Inch (Chris Ingram).

The first 3 pictures are of the Iceland Gull in Ardglass, thanks to Andrew Poots for the picture of the Reed Bunting and to Gareth Platt for the pictures of the Black-headed Gull, taken at Antrim Marina and the Common Gull taken at Carrickfergus. The Black-headed Gull was ringed on 3rd June 2015 at Coquet Island, just off the Northumbrian coast, the Common Gull was ringed as a breeding adult at Westhill Industrial Estate, just West of Aberdeen, on 2nd July this summer.