Bird News Friday 5th October

55 Pink-feet and a Barnacle Goose were in the Roe estuary area, 18 more Pink-feet, a Mediterranean Gull, Merlin and 2 Twite were at Ballykelly. (Matthew Tickner).

Lough Beg late this afternoon had a female Goosander, a juvenile Hen Harrier, juvenile Merlin and 2 Ruff. (David Steele).

Thanks to Dick Glasgow for the portrait of the Hooded Crow and to Mervyn Guthrie for the picture of the skein of Pink-footed Geese over the Roe estuary:

Bird News Thursday 4th October

A Spotted Redshank and a Carrion Crow were on the Portstewart side of the Bann Estuary this morning. (John Clarke)

RSPB WoW was still dry but had 3 Raven, a pair of Stonechat and a Jay. Kinnegar shore had a Sanderling and 20+ Knot with 60+ Red-breasted Merganser offshore (Derek Polley)

7 Crossbill were in a garden at Monea, Co Fermanagh (Brad Robson)

Rathlin had a Crossbill and single Barnacle, Pink Foot and Brent Geese on Keeble lake (Jim Wells et al)

19 Pink-footed Geese were with c250 Brent Geese at Ballykelly; 220 Whooper Swans at Myroe; and 2 Curlew Sandpipers at Bann Estuary (Hill Dick/Peter Robinson)

Thanks to Hill Dick for this pic of the Pink-footed Geese:

Bird News Wednesday 3rd October

No news so far today.

Thanks to Linda Thompson for the picture of the Merlin, to Jonathan Clark for the picture of of the juvenile Greenland Wheatear, to Mervyn Campbell for the picture of the Red-throated Diver and to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Buzzard:

Rathlin Bird Week

REMINDER

We're looking for any birders who would like to stay on Rathlin during the first week or so of October to help us find and record birds on the island. Cheap accommodation is available for up to eight birders each night in return for birding the island and contributing sightings.

Further information and the relevant contact details can be found here:

https://rathlinstickybeak.wordpress.com/2018/09/21/rathlin-birding-week-2018-coming-soon/

Ric & Hazel

Bird News Tuesday 2nd October

A Purple Sandpiper was at Seacliff Road, Bangor (Derek Polley)

Ramore Head for a few hours this morning had Great Skua 33, Arctic Skua 6, Pomarine Skua 3, Sabine’s Gull 1 juv, Little Gull 1 juv, Sooty Shearwater 6, Arctic Tern 7, Leach’s Petrel 3, Storm Petrel 2 and Whooper Swan 21 (Neal Warnock)

The Eastern type Jackdaw was still at Groomsport on the grass in front of the Schomberg memorial. (George Gordon)

Swallows continue to be widely reported.

Thanks to Linda Thompson for this pic of the Pink-footed Geese at Larne yesterday:

Arctic Skua, Mervyn Campbell:

Bird News Monday 1st October

The Baird's Sandpiper and the White-rumped Sandpiper where seen at Balls Point, Lough Foyle this morning, 9 Pink footed Geese were also seen. (Neal Warnock)

Fifteen plus Pink-footed Geese were in a field along Larne Lough near Magheramorne (Linda Thompson)

Sanderling - David Hill.

Pink-footed Geese - Neal Warnock

Stonechat - Thomas Campbell.

Bird News Sunday 30th September

Highlights from Ramore Head from 07:15-14:00 were Great Northern Diver 8, Sooty Shearwater 45, Barnacle Goose 52, Leach’s Petrel 1, Grey Phalarope 1, Pomarine Skua 1, Arctic Skua 4, Great Skua 23, Pintail 18 and Scaup 4 (Neal Warnock).

Also seen at Ramore this morning were ten Puffin and a single Storm Petrel that was taken by a Peregrine. (Stuart McKee).

Fanad Head from 7:30 to 10am had 3 Leaches Petrels, 150+ Sooties, 6 Bonxie, 3 Arctic Skua, 3 Arctic Tern, 16 Great Northern Divers and 2 Red-throated Divers. Small flocks of Barnacles were also seen heading west. (Robert Vaughan / Wilton Farrelly)

A Dark-bellied Brent Goose was at the north end of Strangford Lough (Richard Weyl)

2 Med Gulls were in the car park at Antrim KFC (Gareth Platt)

Ramore Head this evening had 19 Sooty Shearwater, 5 Leach's Petrel, 6 Bonxie, 3 Arctic Skua, 6 Barnacle Geese, 4 Red-throated Divers and circa 150 Kittiwake. (Matthew Tickner)

Yesterday a Hen Harrier was seen near Pontzpass (Alan McDonnell)

Thanks to Thomas Campbell for this pic of a Dunlin with a flock of Sanderling:

Med Gull, Gareth Platt:

Great Northern Diver, Thomas Campbell: 

Bird News Saturday 29th September

The Bairds Sandpiper was still at Myroe (Richard Donaghey)

The second year Little Gull was at Whitehead (Cameron Moore).

A White Wagtail was at Portavogie. (Richard Weyl).

An "Eastern" Jackdaw was in the harbour area of Groomsport. (John Edwards).

For anyone interested the escaped Mandarin Duck remains around Shaw's Bridge in Belfast. (Alan Godfrey).

Thanks to Thomas Campbell for the pictures of the Peregrine, Ringed Plover & Greenshank and to Ian Jackson for the pictures of the Sanderling and the Turnstone:

Bird News Friday 28th September

The Bairds Sandpiper was giving excellent views at Myroe tonight (as you can see with Neal's photo below) The ad White-rumped Sandpiper was still showing, there was also a dark-bellied Brent Goose.(Neal Warnock)

A Short-eared Owl was at Cockle Island this evening.(Richard Weyl)

Yesterday a Merlin was in Ward Park in Bangor, it was attacking the caged birds there. (Margaret Adamson).

Bird News Thursday 27th September

An adult Stilt Sandpiper was off the viewing platform at Inch Island, Donegal. The bird was there to at least 3pm. (Theo Campbell)

The White-rumped Sandpiper was still at Myroe (Robert Vaughan) The bird was still present this afternoon. (Hill Dick/Peter Robinson)

A juvenile Bairds Sandpiper was at Myroe this afternoon (Hill Dick / Stuart McKee).

A 1st winter Mediterranean Gull was at Belfast Water Works. (Paul McCullough).

A Wheatear was at Belfast WOW which still has no water. (Derek Polley).

Thanks to Stuart McKee for the pictures of the Bairds Sandpiper, to Paul McCullough for the picture of the Mediterranean  Gull, to David Hill for the picture of the Knot and to Olivier Bernard for the picture of the Kingfisher:

Bird News Wednesday 26th September

Three Pink Footed Geese were seen from Ramore Head this morning.(Brian Murphy)

This afternoon on Larne Lough, Glynn lagoon (north) had 22 Greenshank and a Whimbrel. Glynn Station had a high count of 167 Red-breasted Merganser (Ian Enlander)

Yesterday a Whimbrel was at Glynn (Brenda Campbell)

Thanks to Brenda Campbell for this pic of the Whimbrel:

Bird News Tuesday 25th September.

A Kingfisher was seen in Victoria Park, Belfast.(Stuart Cahoon)

Black tailed Godwits - Wilfred Swain.

Bird News Monday 24th September

The White-rumped Sandpiper and one of the Buff-breasted Sandpipers were reported again from Myroe. (Birdguides).

20 Pintail were at the Maltings, Newtownards (Gerard McGeehan)

Thanks to Cameron Moore for the pictures of the Little Gull and the Wheatear from Whitehead at the weekend:

Bird News Sunday 23rd September

The adult White-rumped Sandpiper was still at Myroe this morning (Brian McCloskey). There was no sign of the Buff Breasted Sandpipers nor the American Golden Plover.

At Lough Beg this morning a juvenile Marsh Harrier was hunting around Paddy's Dub and three Pinkfeet flew high west. (David Steele)

Ramore Head this morning had 13 Leach’s Petrel, 44 Sooty Shearwater, 11 Arctic Skua, 7 Bonxie, 25 Common Scoter (Neal Warnock)

Whitehead had a Wheatear and 15 Whooper Swans which flew over up the Lough (Gerard McGeehan)

A Black Brant was reported from the northern end of Strangford Lough (BirdGuides)

Three Whooper Swans were at Ballykelly (Michael Savage)

Greenland Wheatear, Lindsay Hodges:

Bird News Saturday 22nd September

An adult White-rumped Sandpiper and the Buff-breasted Sandpiper were at Myroe to 2pm at least (Neal Warnock)

An adult American Golden Plover was at the west end of Myroe along with a second Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Garry Armstrong)

19 Whooper Swans were at Bridgend, heading towards Inch Wildfowl Reserve (Christine Cassidy)

A 2nd yr Little Gull was at Whitehead Promenade at 11am (Cameron Moore)

A Pomarine Skua was at Ramore Head this morning (Richard Hunter)

A White Rumped Sandpiper was seen this morning at the Barmouth but flew off high. There was no sign of the American Black Tern (Theo Campbell)

3 Carrion Crows, along with a Hooded Crow, were on the shore just north of Ballygally (Halfway House Hotel). May Possibly be a hybrid pairing, with two juveniles.
 An Iceland Gull, was on the shore of Larne Lough, at Glynn.(Gareth Platt)

5Arctic Skua and a Great Skua were off Groomsport.(Richard Weyl)

Rathlin Bird Week...

Were looking for any birders who would like to stay on Rathlin during the first week or so of October to help us find and record birds on the island. Cheap accommodation is available for up to eight birders each night in return for birding the island and contributing sightings. Further information and the relevant contact details can be found here: https://rathlinstickybeak.wordpress.com/2018/09/21/rathlin-birding-week-2018-coming-soon/ Ric and Hazel)

Iceland Gull - Gareth Platt.

Red throated Diver - Thomas Campbell

Adult American Golden Plover - Neal Warnock.

Bird News Friday 21st September

A Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper were at the east end of Myroe this morning (Jeff Larkin).

A sea-watch at Ramore Head, Portrush this morning produced 14 Leach's Petrel, 3 Sabine's Gulls, 2 Sooty Shearwaters, 7 Bonxie's and 3 Arctic Skua's. (Stuart McKee).

Further sea-watching at Ramore this afternoon and this evening produced 29 Bonxie's, 28 Arctic Skua's, 3 Leach's Petrel, a single Storm Petrel, 2 Sooty Shearwaters, 21 Arctic Tern, 2 Red-throated and a Great Northern Diver, a Whimbrel, 6 Red-breasted Merganser, 15 Brent Geese and 16 Wigeon. (Matthew Tickner).

Also recorded at Ramore this evening were 4 Leach's Petrel, 32 Arctic Skua, 30 Bonxie's 2 Grey Phalarope, 120+ Brent Geese, 2 Sooty Shearwaters, 18 Arctic Terns, 3 Great Northern and 2 Red-throated Divers, a juvenile Mediterranean Gull, 3 Red-breasted Merganser and 12 Wigeon. (Neal Warnock).

A skein of 70 Pink-footed Geese flew high south over Rathlin this morning. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson).

Thanks to Mervyn Guthrie for the picture of the Pectoral Sandpiper from Myroe:

Bird News Thursday 20th September

A Pectoral Sandpiper was still at the east end of Myroe (Brian Murphy)

Belfast WOW this afternoon had a Greenland Wheatear, 20+ Pied Wagtail and 40+ Meadow Pipit (Ian Enlander)

27 Red-breasted Merganser were off Kinnegar (Derek Polley)

At least two Curlew Sandpiper were at the Barmouth (Thomas Campbell)

Thanks to Thomas Campbell for the pics of Curlew Sandpipers with Dunlin and a Snipe:

Bird News Wednesday 19th September

A Pomarine Skua was seen off Copeland Bird Observatory (CBO).

Several Sooty Shearwaters and a Little Gull were off Rue Point in Rathlin during the stormy weather. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson).

Bird News Tuesday 18th September

The American Black Tern was giving good views perched on posts to the left of the hide at the Barmouth between 9.00 and 9.30 this morning. (Clifford Sharpe & David Nixon).

Around Lough Foyle today were a single Pectoral Sandpiper, a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and a Curlew Sandpiper at Myroe. Also present were a Pink-footed Goose, 4 Ruff, 11 Med Gull and a high count of 56 Little Egret. (Brad Robson and Matthew Tickner).

A Greenland Wheatear was at Lough Mourne (Stuart McKee) and another there Wheatear was at Rockport (Derek Polley)

Greenland Wheatear, Stuart McKee:

Bird News Monday 17th September.

No news in so far of the American Black Tern at the Bann Estuary.

 Late news from Saturday,,an adult Stock Dove was at Carmean between Moneymore and Magherafelt. I have not seen a Stock Dove in my local area for years. (Godfrey Mc Roberts)

Dunlin - Christine Cassidy/Lindsay Hodges.