Bird News Thursday 30th July

Throughout the day, St. John’s Point Co. Down experienced a very strong passage of  Manx Shearwaters. Also present were 3 Arctic Skua (1 pale, 2 dark morph) and a small passage of Common Scoter and Whimbrel (Warren Fowles)

Manx Shearwaters were passing St John's Point at c.3,000 an hour mid-morning. Also seen were 148 Puffins a Storm Petrel, 5 Scoter, 2 Roseate Terns and 7 Arctic Terns. Kelly’s Wood had a Spotted Flycatcher and 10 Tree Sparrows (Chris Murphy)  

Yesterday a Red Kite was at Raffrey, Co Down; Dargan Bay, Belfast Lough had a Common; Sandpiper; 32 Red-breasted Mergansers and c.2,500 Eider were off the Giant’s Park. In addition to the Osprey, from the Mullagh at the south end of Lough Beg there were 20 Whoopers, 2 Garganey in flight, 5 Greenshank and 4 Ruff (Chris Murphy)

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dromore, Dennis Adams:

Sandwich Tern feed a juvenile on the water, Michael Latham: