A Quail was calling today on the Ards peninsula off the Ballyquinton Road, Portaferry (Hugh Thurgate, Jim McNair)
A dark morph Arctic Skua was off the West Light, Rathlin (James Crymble)
Bird News Tuesday 21st July 2026
Crossbills are widespread and numerous today at Jenkin Forest, Co Fermanagh. (Colin Bell).
A Common Sandpiper is at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve. (Chris Hamilton).
A family of Spotted Flycatchers were in Drumkeeragh Forest, Co.Down. (Dermot Hughes).
Bird News Monday 20th July 2026
Single Glossy Ibis again on shoreline of the small island at Long Point, Lough Beg…it’s an adult type in bright maroon breeding plumage therefore must be a new bird (flock of four seen recently were all dull 1st-summer types) (David Steele).
Clouded Yellow just south of Kearney yesterday by the rocky shore feeding on sea radish (Liam O’Hara).
Eclipse drake Pintail on the main lake at Castle Espie WWT (Jonathan Clark).
Crossbills at Gortin Glen Forest Park, Co Tyrone near the cafe/play park (Colin Bell).
Common Sandpiper and Whimbrel at Blackstaff Creek, Dundrum (Richard Caves).
Pintail, Jonathan Clark:
Bird News Sunday 19th July 2026
Two Green Sandpiper and 8 Common Sandpiper were at the Blackstaff Creek, Dundrum (Dermot Hughes)
A Whimbrel was present with 128 curlews at high tide roost at Green Island, Inner Dundrum Bay this afternoon (Maurice McNeely)
Common Sandpiper, Richard Caves:
Bird News Saturday 18th July 2026
A juvenile Mediterranean Gull and 2 Common Sandpipers were at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh. (Garry Armstrong).
190+ Mediterranean Gulls at the south end Cloghy beach and about 20 more near Portavogie. 80% adults. (Dermot Hughes).
A Red Kite was over Culcavy outside Hillsborough. (Garry Armstrong).
An eagle species, probably White-tailed, with wing tags, was at the mouth of the River Maine, Lough Neagh. (Sam Andrews).
Bird News Friday 17th July 2026
2 Knots, 2 Sanderlings, singles of both Dunlin and Turnstone, 300 Redshanks, 10 Black-tailed Godwits, Greenshank and 5 Tufted Ducks Bann Estuary (John Spottiswood).
Pale phase Arctic Skua just west of Ramore Head at 5pm (Mel O’Hagan).
Roseate Tern NW of Letterkenny at Tramore Strand at 750pm (Rare Bird Alert).
Bird News Thursday 16th July 2026
Jenkin Forest, Co Fermanagh had good numbers of Crossbill, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a juvenile Cuckoo (Colin Bell)
Spotted Flycatchers were at Kiltariff Hall, Rathfriland. (Shelagh Henry)
Ruff, 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Common Terns ringed at Dublin port, also 11 Teal ducklings (Derek Polley)
A Red Kite was in the Antrim Hills (Chris Hamilton)
A Common Sandpiper was at Lady Bay (Richard Caves)
Bird News Wednesday 15th July 2026
An Osprey was at Castle Island hide at the Quoile this morning. (Harvey Hughes).
Five Whimbrel were at Dundrum Inner Bay South with further singles at Green Island and Ardilea. (David Nixon)
Osprey, Harvey Hughes.
Bird News Tuesday 14th July 2026
5 Greenshank at the Bann Estuary (John Spottiswood).
A Spotted Flycatcher at Davagh Forest, Cookstown, Co Tyrone (Godfrey McRoberts).
Glossy Ibis and a Ruff from Long Point, Lough Beg (Ivan Quail).
Spotted Flycatcher in Annahilt garden (Garry Wilkinson).
Bird News Monday 13th July 2026
A Wood Sandpiper was atLough Beg, at 08.30 feeding in a wet muddy area but 08.45 started calling then flew high south (David Steele)
Two Common Sandpiper were at Lady Bay (Michael Latham)
A juvenile Mediterranean Gull was at RSPB WoW. A second year was at Macedonian Point (Stuart McKee)
A Great Northern Diver was calling this afternoon, offshore from the Police Station at Newcastle (Ann-Marie Smyth)
A Quail was heard singing at a sensitive site in the Sperrins (Robert Vaughan)
Quail, Sperrins, Robert Vaughan:
Bird News Sunday 12th July 2026
A Pectoral Sandpiper is at the Bann Estuary by old wooden pier, also 2 Mediterranean Gulls and a juvenile Greenshank. The Pectoral Sandpiper is still present at 2.30. (John Spottiswood).
Yellowhammer, Michael Latham.
Bird News Saturday 11th July 2026
Common Sandpiper at Lady Bay (Garry Armstrong).
Best off Magilligan Point this afternoon a single Red-throated Diver (Aaron Long).
2 Red Kites over Bryansford (Joanne Mansell).
Group of 3 Mediterranean Gulls (juvenile, adult winter and second summer) flew north past Garron Point (from Galboly). Manx Shearwaters passing north at c. 1,000 per hour (David Steele).
2 Great Northern Divers off Newcastle this evening one in breeding plumage (Mel O’Hagan).
Mull Trip
There are 3 seats available for the boat trip from Ballycastle to Mull on Friday 17th July. Great opportunity to watch Sea Eagles being fed close to the boat. Contact Jim Wells on -07856235144 for full details.
Bird News Friday 10th July 2026
A Green Sandpiper and two Common Sandpiper were at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh (Garry Armstrong)
Two Reed Warbler were at the Quoile (Ann-Marie Smyth)
2 Mediterranean Gulls (Ad & 3rd cal yr) were at the mouth of the Dundrum Channel and a high count of around 300 Sandwich Terns (Stephen Foster)
A Ring-necked Parakeet was in a garden in Lurgan (David Cassells)
It may interest observers to know that there have been sightings of two migrant dragonfly species at Craigavon Lakes in recent days - Lesser Emperor and today Red-veined Darter. (Brian Nelson)
Reed Warbler, Ann-Marie Smyth:
Ring-necked Parakeet, David Cassells:
Bird News Wednesday 8th July 2026
Whooper Swans at Traad Point, Ballyronan (Mark Smyth). A minimum of 6 successful broods at Lough Beg (Dermot Hughes).
Yellowhammer in Waringstown (Clive Higginson).
Bird News Tuesday 7th July 2026
Rathlin this year has had four calling Corncrake (per RSPB)
A Red Kite was in the Antrim Hills (Chris Hamilton)
A pair of Spotted Flycatchers were close to Antrim town centre (Mark Smyth)
Bird News Monday 6th July 2026
The Temminck's Stint was not seen today, previous report was an error.
Red Kites were seen over the A1 at both Banbridge and Dromore this afternoon.
The Quoile had the Spoonbill, 2 Common Sandpipers, and a Reed Warbler. (Dermot Hughes).
Bird News Sunday 5th July 2026
The drake Ring-necked Duck is still in Kinnegoe Bay at Oxford Island. (Garry Armstrong) The bird was still present at 11:15 (Shane Brighton)
A Temmincks Stint was at Portmore. (Shane Brighton).
Temminck's Stint, Shane Brighton.
Bird News Saturday 4th July 2026
Drake Ring-necked Duck at Kinnegoe Bay, Oxford Island NNR (Garry Armstrong).
4 fledged Mediterranean Gulls at Belfast Lough WoW (Stuart McKee).
19 Mediterranean Gulls at Kerrykeel, Co Donegal (Wilton Farrelly).
Ring-necked Duck, Daniel Newton:
Mediterranean Gull, Stuart McKee:
Bird News Friday 3rd July 2026
A Turtle Dove has been reported from a garden in Ballyclare.
Bird News Thursday 2nd July 2026
Yesterday a 2nd year Mediterranean Gull was at Church Bay, Rathlin (Ric Else)
Two Great Skua and the 2y Mediterranean Gull were on Rathlin today (Ric Else)
Three Stock Doves, 2 adults and a young bird, were feeding with Wood Pigeons, in a field off Ardilea Road, near Clough (David Nixon)
Bird News Wednesday 1st July 2026
Ruff in nearly full summer plumage, 2 Common Sandpipers at Belfast Lough WoW (Gerard McGeehan). Also 15 Mediterranean Gulls including 2 2nd calendar year (Bob Watts).
A group of Crossbill over Mullaphad Forest, Co Fermanagh (Colin Bell).
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