nibirds
Report sightings to: Email nibirds@live.co.uk, Text: 07973 403 146 or 07870 863 782 or Twitter: @nibirds See local bird pics at: www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk
Bird News Friday 16th January 2026
Bird News Thursday 15th January 2026
A Barn Owl at Tullywest Road, Crumlin this morning (Gayle & Garry Wilkinson).
Great Northern Diver at Portrush Harbour (Tim Davis).
Red Kite close to Loughbrickland Lough (Juliet Fleming).
Male Black Redstart still at Portavogie (Ian Young).
3 Slavonian Grebes off Macedon Point in Belfast Lough this morning (Philip McHaffie).
1st winter drake Harlequin still at Tra na gCloch, near Curranport, Co Donegal (Peter Doyle / Hugh Delaney).
Lapland Bunting at Blanket Nook. Donegal (Theo Campbell / Martin Deehan). Also a single Pinkfoot (Garry Wilkinson et al).
Female Black Redstart also continues at Rangers Club Whitehead (David Bowman / Ian Young).
2 Drake Goosander at Glassdrumman Lough, Co Armagh (Joe Devlin).
Bittern at Inch, Donegal from platform (Theo Campbell / Martin Deehan). Also 4 Greenland Whitefronts and a Merlin Garry Wilkinson et al).
A Great White Egret at Inishlught, Upper Lough Erne (Ronan Owens).
Black Redstarts at Portavogie & Whitehead, Ian Young:
Bird News Wednesday 14th January 2026
20 Purple Sandpipers were at Donaghadee. Grey Plover were seen at Ballyhalbert and Portavogie (David Clarke)
A Barn Owl was seen at Ballyblack Road East \ Moss Road, Donaghadee on the 8th January (J Adams)
The Lesser Yellowlegs was still on Rathlin (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)
A Sandwich Tern was at Groomsport today (Denis Chambers)
Purple Sandpiper, David Clarke:
Bird News Tuesday 13th January 2026
The male Black Redstart is still at Portavogie. A Grey Plover and a Purple Sandpiper were also present. (Bob Watts).
The hybrid Ring-billed x Common Gull is still at Millisle and 15 Purple Sandpipers are at Donaghadee. (Bob Watts).
A ringtail Hen Harrier was at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara).
Two Ring-necked Ducks reported again at Knockninny, Upper Lough Erne. (Birdguides).
The Black Redstart and Purple Sandpiper are still at Whitehead seafront. (Cameron Moore).
Bird News Monday 12th January 2026
Single Pinkfoot with c30 Greylag at Myroe Levels (Martin Deehan). Also 2 Snow Buntings close to a flock of Oystercatchers (Patrick Barton).
86 Pintail from the Castle Island Hill hide, Quoile this morning (Maurice McNeely).
Adult Iceland Gull still at Glynn (Rhona Bell).
24 Ruff at Church Island, Lough Beg and still 8 Great White Egrets; 5 at Annagh on the west side and 3 at the Toome end (David Steele).
Bird News Sunday 11th January 2026
Bird News Saturday 10th January 2026
The 1st winter drake Harlequin remains at Tra na gCloch, Donegal (Chris Ingram / Harry Hussey).
Carrion Crow at Audleys, Strangford (Stuart Cossey).
Male and 2 female Ring-necked Ducks and the male hybrid still at west end of New Lake Dunfanaghy, Donegal (Chris Ingram).
Black-throated Diver at Carnlough (Michael Latham).
6 Long-tailed Duck (4drake) off from the sea wall at Myroe this morning. 38 Slavonian Grebe present also (Dean Jones).
Adult Mediterranean Gull at People's Park, Ballymena (Nicky Lynn).
Redhead Goosander at Glynn. Also a Slavonian Grebe (Gerard McGeehan / Michael Latham).
2 Bittern still at Inch, Donegal also 2 Russian Whitefronts (Derek Brennan).
Brambling still at Oxford Island NNR (Aaron Long).
Long-tailed Duck and adult Mediterranean Gull from Kinnegar Shore (Jeff Higgott).
Ringtail Hen Harrier at Killard (Stuart Cossey).
Four Common Scoter (male and three females) north past Galboly and adult Little Gull offshore in Red Bay (David Steele).
Juvenile Golden Eagle still present in Antrim hills this afternoon (Stephen Dunbar).
Black Redstart still at Whithead near Rangers supporters club (Michael Latham).
Adult Iceland Gull west of Letterkenny at Anagaire, Co. Donegal (Michael O’Cleary).
Barn Owl, Ardglass Rd, mile south of Downpatrick Hospital, 6.35 this evening (Chris Murphy).
Black Redstart, Michael Latham:
Bird News Friday 9th January 2026
A juvenile Golden Eagle was in the Antrim hills. (Kenny Moore).
Two Great White Egrets were off Croagh Hide and a Great Northern Diver off Owen Roe's Flat at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara).
At least 50 Purple Sandpipers were behind the coastal zone in Portrush. A Peregrine was at the Bann Estuary. (Martin Deehan).
A male and a female Common Scoter were off Drains Bay, two Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver were off Ballygally, a Black-throated Diver was in Glenarm Bay before flying towards Carnlough. (Garry & Gayle Wilkinson).
Golden Eagle, Kenny Moore.
Bird News Thursday 8th January 2026
No sign of Waxwing flock at onslip to M2 at Broughshane (Mark Getty).
Green Sandpiper still present Corbet Lough (Martin Deehan / Theo Campbell).
Great White Egret past Croaghan Hide and female Brambling at feeding station Oxford Island (Martin Deehan / Theo Campbell).
A Bittern from the platform at Inch, Donegal at 4pm (Searlas Anderson).
Lesser Yellowlegs still at roost on Rathlin this evening also c30 Purple Sandpipers (Jon Biddle).
Male Brambling still in a Whitehead garden (Cameron Moore).
Off Macedon Point 3 Slavonian Grebe and 1 female/immature Long Tailed Duck looking roughly towards Giants Park and Kinnegar (Stuart McKee).
Brambling and Blackcap, Cameron Moore:
Bird News Wednesday 7th January 2026
A single Twite was at the Long Hole, Bangor (Adam Ringland)
Approximately 15 Waxwings were feeding on berries beside the slip road joining the M2 from the Broughshane exit, at 2pm today (Guy Hamilton). 5 Waxwings flew off East from the on-slip in direction of Ballymena livestock market at 4pm (Mark Getty)
Two Green Sandpiper were still on Corbett Lough (David McCreedy)
First winter Iceland and Glaucous Gulls were at Killybeggs today (Chris Ingram)
A female Black Redstart was at the mouth of the river in Newcastle (Rhona Bell)
The Black Redstart and Purple Sandpiper were still at Whitehead (Sarah McCann)
Three Snow Bunting were on Divis Mountain (John O’Boyle)
Bird News Tuesday 6th January 2026
3 Mediterranean Gull were at Kinnegar Shore this morning (Jeff Higgot)
The Harlequin Duck was again at Curranport, Donegal this morning (Chris Ingram)
An adult Mediterranean Gull was at Sandy Bay, Larne (Tom Garner)
65 Purple Sandpiper were at the Coastal Zone, Portrush (Juliet Fleming)
Med Gull, Tom Garner:















