Heinei Common Gull
Stephen Foster has been studying a Common Gull at Lurgan Park Lake that is different to the other Common Gull. Whilst not definite, the bird does show characteristics of the heinei race. Stephen has kindly provided the photo below:
Fair play to Stephen for taking the time to pay attention to subtle differences in this Common Gull flock!
Whitefronted Geese
March 2012: If you have not yet seen them, you may want to make the effort to catch up with the visiting Russian \ European Whitefronts (albifrons). This subspecies is extremely rare in NI, with perhaps only two previous records.
The harsh winter on the continent has seen dispersion into the UK and Ireland. There are presently 4 with the Greylag flock at Annes Point, County Down and circa 30 at Reedy Flats Lough Neagh. The usual Whitefronts in Ireland are of the Greeland form (flavirostris) with these birds normally wintering at Lough Macnean, Co.Fermanagh and occassionally Myroe Levels. (The Wexford Slobs hold virtually the whole wintering population).
Below are pictures of individuals of both forms, along with a flock of the Russian Whitefronts. Below we have also summarised the main differences and thanks to Paul Kelly for contributing comments about the ID of the Russian form:
Russian White-fronts show the Pink-footed warm wash to upper breast and lower neck and the head is pale and not dark like Greenland. The fact one can see the tram lines or furrows to the area above ear-coverts as being darker, out lining the facial features is very good, Greenland fails to show this as the head is a tad darker. Wider white barring to bigger coverts is also strong as is the broad white bars to scapulars on an adult based on a grayish background.
The Montiaghs Hobby
Stephen Foster has been studying a Common Gull at Lurgan Park Lake that is different to the other Common Gull. Whilst not definite, the bird does show characteristics of the heinei race. Stephen has kindly provided the photo below:
Fair play to Stephen for taking the time to pay attention to subtle differences in this Common Gull flock!
Whitefronted Geese
March 2012: If you have not yet seen them, you may want to make the effort to catch up with the visiting Russian \ European Whitefronts (albifrons). This subspecies is extremely rare in NI, with perhaps only two previous records.
The harsh winter on the continent has seen dispersion into the UK and Ireland. There are presently 4 with the Greylag flock at Annes Point, County Down and circa 30 at Reedy Flats Lough Neagh. The usual Whitefronts in Ireland are of the Greeland form (flavirostris) with these birds normally wintering at Lough Macnean, Co.Fermanagh and occassionally Myroe Levels. (The Wexford Slobs hold virtually the whole wintering population).
Below are pictures of individuals of both forms, along with a flock of the Russian Whitefronts. Below we have also summarised the main differences and thanks to Paul Kelly for contributing comments about the ID of the Russian form:
Russian White-fronts show the Pink-footed warm wash to upper breast and lower neck and the head is pale and not dark like Greenland. The fact one can see the tram lines or furrows to the area above ear-coverts as being darker, out lining the facial features is very good, Greenland fails to show this as the head is a tad darker. Wider white barring to bigger coverts is also strong as is the broad white bars to scapulars on an adult based on a grayish background.
The necks appear stocky, like Pink-foot and the pinkish, smaller bill also add to the bigger picture.
In Russian, on the tail, the amount of white shown and rather uneven pattern is strong. Greenland is always evenly squared-off and dark tail band extending closer to tip.
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| Russian Whitefronts - Ed O'Hara |
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| Greenland Whitefront - Christine Cassidy |
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Rarely has a raptor in Northern Ireland given such excellent opportunities for photography as the Hobby that turned up on the 4th August at the Montiaghs, south west Co Antrim. Hobby is a prospective summer breeder for the future as it is now widespread in England and also breeds in Scotland. Hopefully we will have a breeding pair in the near future. Below are some of the excellent photos we have received:
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| Hobby - James O'Neill |
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| Hobby - Mark Killops |
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| Hobby - Mark Killops |
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| Hobby - Mark Killops |
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| Hobby - Stephen Maxwell |
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| Hobby - Jeff Larkin |
Grasshopper Warblers
Grasshopper Warblers are now back at their usual haunts across Northern Ireland. They are a widespread but scarce summer visitor. They favour overgrown areas, the edge of marshlands and young forestry plantations. They are also skulking and can be difficult to see, but at this time of year they are best located by their song - a high pitched reel, which some have said is similar to an anglers fishing reel. The song is largely heard at night and can occassionaly be mistaken by some for Nightjar.
You can hear the song at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEciLp2SaxM&NR=1
Because of its habits, it is an extremely difficult bird to photograph. However, credit must go to Craig Nash for his patientce in getting these superb shots:
Snipe
Grasshopper Warblers are now back at their usual haunts across Northern Ireland. They are a widespread but scarce summer visitor. They favour overgrown areas, the edge of marshlands and young forestry plantations. They are also skulking and can be difficult to see, but at this time of year they are best located by their song - a high pitched reel, which some have said is similar to an anglers fishing reel. The song is largely heard at night and can occassionaly be mistaken by some for Nightjar.
You can hear the song at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEciLp2SaxM&NR=1
Because of its habits, it is an extremely difficult bird to photograph. However, credit must go to Craig Nash for his patientce in getting these superb shots:
Snipe
Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) is a localised breeding redsident in NI and also a common winter visitor. The breeding population is however only estimated to be about 4000 pairs. The race G.g. faroeensi breeds in Iceland, the Faroes and Shetland and is assumed to be a regular winter visitor - there is a historic ringing recovery of a bird from Iceland. Local birder Stephen Foster has kindly sent in some notes and a photograph of a bird that he has observed in NI:
During a wildfowl count on Lough Neagh on 17 November 2003, I encountered some Common Snipe in a wet, heavily poached field by Curran Quay near Kinturk, County Tyrone. Three birds were standing together; one individual was strikingly darker than the other two. The light was not good but I managed to get some digiscope record shots of the dark bird and its companions. A look through my bird books at home led me to conclude that the dark one was possibly an individual of the race faeroeensis from Iceland/Faeroes/Shetland. Recently I studied the photos again and after a search on the internet I have found a photo that matches quite well with my bird http://bitterbonxie.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/do-you-come-here-often/. In theory there are probably quite a few birds of this race around in winter but it’s not often you get the chance to pick them out.
During a wildfowl count on Lough Neagh on 17 November 2003, I encountered some Common Snipe in a wet, heavily poached field by Curran Quay near Kinturk, County Tyrone. Three birds were standing together; one individual was strikingly darker than the other two. The light was not good but I managed to get some digiscope record shots of the dark bird and its companions. A look through my bird books at home led me to conclude that the dark one was possibly an individual of the race faeroeensis from Iceland/Faeroes/Shetland. Recently I studied the photos again and after a search on the internet I have found a photo that matches quite well with my bird http://bitterbonxie.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/do-you-come-here-often/. In theory there are probably quite a few birds of this race around in winter but it’s not often you get the chance to pick them out.
