Mervyn Campbell - Swallow, Jay, Sedge Warbler, Pochard, Great Crested Grebe & Little Grebe

Alex Coroliu - Reed Bunting & Great Crested Grebe

Bird News Saturday 8th June

The Tawny Owl was still present yesterday evening at Castle Ward (Tony and Joe Donaldson)

Yesterday a Short Eared Owl was on Copeland (per Adam McClure)

An adult Med Gull, Bar-tailed Godwit and Spotted Flycatcher were at Glynn (Neal Warnock)

Unusually, a Whitethroat was singing on Hillsborough Old Road, Lisburn (Eric Randall)

A Brent Goose with a damaged wing was at Ballygally (Wilton Farrelly)

Yesterday two Black Tern were reported from the Devenish Island ferry, Co Fermanagh, by Dutch visitors. (Brad Robson).

 A first-summer Little Gull was at Kinnegar Pool (Stuart McKee).   

At Oxford Island a Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler were singing close to the Discovery Centre (Dot Blakely).

Thanks to today's photographers, to Craig Nash for the picture of a Red Kite, to Alex Coroliu for the picture of the Reed Bunting, to Mervyn Campbell for the pictures of the Jay and the Swallow, to Angus Kennedy for the pictures of the Sanderling and the Ringed Ploverand to young Zach McCreery for the picture of the Whitethroat. You can see more NI bird photographs at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

 

Bird News Friday 7th June

5 Garden Warbler were at Lower Lough Erne islands RSPB reserve Co Fermanagh. (Brad Robson).

A Purple Sandpiper, 10 Turnstone, 16 Redshank and 2 Stonechat were at Camphill Community at Craigavad (Warren Rainey).

Thanks to Stefan Greif for the pic of the Sanderling, Alistair Prentice for the Willow Warbler, Colin Guy for the Raven, Ian Jackson for the Swift, Lindsay Hodges for the Kestrel and Tony Donaldson for the Common Tern picture. You can see more pics at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Bird News Thursday 6th June.

A Garden Warbler was at Inishmakill, Lower Lough Erne.(Brad Robson)

The Ring-billed Gull still at Kinegar shoreline, Belfast Harbour Estate.(Birdguides)

Apologies if you received spam email gem us today!

Our thanks for to-days photographs from Lindsay Hodges for the Cattle Egret currently at Hillsborough Lake. Stuart McKee for the Little Terns and to Ian Morris a farmer who sent this photograph to the National Trust and passed on to ourselves by Brad Robson of the Common Crane at Derryvore Co. Fermanagh reported on the 29th May, but not seen again in spite off it been searched for by Brad. 

 

 

 

Bird News Wednesday 5th June

Two little terns, four sanderling in summer plumage and five turnstone were at RSPB Belfast Harbour this morning. (Chris Sturgeon / Stewart McKee)

The Cattle Egret is still at Hillsborough Park Lake. (Birdguides)

A female Ruff was in the scrape at Portmore Lough (Amy Burns)

Thanks to Ian Jackson for the Turnstone, Christine Cassidy for the drake Tufted Duck and Alistair Prentice for the Sedge Warbler:

Bird News Tuesday 4th June

The Cattle Egret was in the trees on the island in the middle of Hillsborough Lake before flying off. (Lindsay Hodges).

A Garden Warbler and 2 Spotted Flycatcher were at the east end of Rathlin Island (seen near the last house garden before East Lighthouse). A Chiffchaff was calling at the south end (Colin Guy).

Late news from yesterday was of a summer plummaged Great Northern Diver at Dunree in Lough Swilly. (Boyd Bryce).

Also yesterday a late female Wheatear spent the day in a garden in Brookborough, Co. Fermanagh. (John Young).

Thanks to today's photographers, to Ian Jackson for the picture of the Rock Pipit, to Alex Coroliu for the pictures of the Great Crested Grebe and the Gadwall, to Margaret Adamson for the picture of the Common Tern and to Alistair Prentice for the picture of the Goldfinch. You can see more NI bird pictures at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

Bird News Monday 3rd June.

The Tawny Owl was at Castle Ward last night and was calling at 8:45 (Ciaran Crozier)

An adult, female White Wagtail was on the shore at Coney Island this morning. Also present were 4 Sanderling and 6 Dunlin (C.Murphy)

A Little Gull was at Ballyronan beach (David Morrow)

Portmuck this evening had 1 Whimbrel. A number of Razorbill have started nesting on the landward side of the Isle of Muck giving great views. 2 Harbour Porpoise were also present - female with very small calf (Ian Enlander)

A cuckoo was calling at peatlands park tonight (Trevor Simpson)

Our thanks for to-days photographs to Helen Kerr for the Jay at Randalstown forest. Alistair Prentice for the Meadow Pipit with nest material. 

 

 

Facebook - Bird Photographers of NI

If you are on Facebook, there is a group dedicated to bird photographs in NI which you may be interested in following. You can see further detail at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/117561115067930/?hc_location=stream

Half a million thanks

We have reached over half a million visitors to this Blog. Thanks to everyone for this ongoing support, whether viewing, reporting sightings or sending in pics. We have been going for just over last three years so it is much appreciated.
As always, if you want to contribute news about rare or scarce birds, interesting sightings or provide photographs about our local bird life, please email us at nibirds@live.co.uk

Bird News Sunday 2nd June

At Marlfield on Strangford Lough were an Arctic skua and a Puffin (Richard Weyl)

A site in south County Down has three breeding pairs of Little Egret (Chris Murphy)

A Cuckoo and a pair of Kestrel were at Fardross Mountain, nr Clogher Co Tyrone this afternoon. (Colin Bell)

Two Cuckoo were calling at Carrigatuke near Newtownhamilton, Co Armagh this afternoon (Adam McClure)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard today in the northern area of Castlewellan Forest (John and Celine Loughlin)

Thanks to Alistair Prentice for this pic of a Long-tailed Tit fledged 24hrs ago and to Robert Scott for this Jay visiting a garden on the Ormeau Road, Belfast:

Bird News Saturday 1st June

Two adult Mediterranean Gulls were over south over Donaghadee this morning (James Robinson)

At Burial Island, Strangford Lough, a Storm Petrel and 4 Red-throated Diver were present (Richard Weyl)

Two Reed Warbler and a Little Egret were seen at Lough Cowey, Co Down (Paul Scott)

Thanks to Alistair Prentice for this pic of a male Reed Bunting, Adam Middleton for the pic of the Tawny Owl from Wednesday night, and Tom McCreery for the Kingfisher:

Bird News Friday 31st May

A Reed Warbler was singing early this morning at Kinnegar Pond beside the Holywood entrance to Belfast Harbour Estate. Sedge Warblers and a single Whitethroat were giving excellent views at the RSPB Conseravtion Area in the estate. (Gilly Irwin).

A Corncrake was calling in a field close to the La Mon House hotel in Castlereagh last night. (Jim Wells).

4 Yellowhammer, 2 Stonechat and 2 Whitethroat were at Camphill Community, Glencraig at Craigavad (Warren Rooney).

Thanks to today's photographers, to Mervyn Campbell for the picture of the Rock Pipit, to David Hill for the picture of the Shelduck ducklings, to Alitair Prentice for the picture of the Great Tit and to Tom McCreery for the picture of the Kingfisher. You can see more NI bird pictures at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

Bird News Thursday 30th May

An ad Golden Eagle was seen at the back of Capanagh to-day, it had no apparent wing tags.(Dermot Hudges)

The Tawny Owl at Castleward was calling on and off between 5 and 5:30pm (Derek Polley).

A Great-spotted Woodpecker was seen in Castlewellan forest park.(Adam McClure)

An Osprey was seen in Lisnaskea Co. Fermanagh. (Irish Birding)

At least two Reed Warblers were seen from the Kinegoe Hide, Oxford Island (Noel Austin)

A Greater Scaup and a Little Gull were at the Quoile Pondage (Tony Donaldson)

Our thanks to Christine Cassidy for this pic of a pair of Black Guillemots, Alistair Prentice for the Curlew in flight also to Stephen Maxwell for the male Blackcap and finally to Ed O'Hara for the Spotted Flycatcher, a bird that is sadly decreasing at an alarming rate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reed Warblers

Reed Warbler has been slowly expanding its range in NI. If you wish to see the birds locally, some of the best sites are Oxford Island, Lough Cowey and Kinnegar.

For photographic opportunities, Oxford Island is best. Many thanks to Ed O'Hara for the top pic and Noel Austin for the pic of the birds seeking nesting material. Both of these pics were taken at Oxford Island.

Bird News Wednesday 29th May

A Crane was reported from Derryvore, on the west side of the Lough, opposite Crom, Co Fermanagh last night. It was looked for this morning without success although it could still be present (Brad Robson)

A Pink-footed Goose was at Glynn. (William Smiton)

Two Spotted Flycatchers were at Tempo Park, Main Street, Tempo (Colin Bell)

The Snowy Owl is back on Aranmore Island, Co Donegal.

Thanks to William Smiton for this picture of the Pink-footed Goose and Alistair Prentice for the pair of Dunlin: