Bird News Saturday 13th October

A very wet Rathlin had a Snow Bunting, Merlin, Redwing and a Wheatear. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson).

A ring-tailed Hen Harrier and a Short-eared Owl were at Copeland Bird Observatory. (David Stirling).

Thanks to Thomas Campbell for the pictures of the Little Egret, Dunlin and partial albino Rook, to Michael Latham for the picture of the Snipe and to Ric Else for the picture of the Snow Bunting:

Bird News Friday 12th October

No news so far today.

Thanks to David Steele for the picture of the Yellow Wagtail from Lough Beg yesterday, to Mike Pringle for the picture of the juvenile Peregrine from Belfast WOW yesterday and to Mervyn Campbell for the picture of the Sanderling:

Bird News Thursday 11th October

Yesterday a probable Turtle Dove was near the large house at St John’s Point, Co Down (Des Loughridge)

Lough Beg late afternoon had a Yellow Wagtail at Mullagh and a Little Stint in the southwest corner. (David Steele)

A high count of at least 170 Red-breasted Mergansers were off Kinnegar (Derek Polley)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen near Hillsborough (Garry Wilkinson)

Portavoe, North Down had a group of 20+ Jays flew. Millisle between 11:30 and 12:45 - had flying south, 30+ Great Northern Divers, mostly in summer plumage, 4 Red Throated Divers (only one in winter plumage) and 2 Scoter. (Robert Hart, Michael Richardson & Fulton Somerville)

9 Pink-footed Geese were still around Larne Lough. 2 Whooper Swans flew south past Whitehead (Cameron Moore)

8 Whooper Swans flew over the Bann Estuary, also present were 2 Whimbrel (Sean Hickey)

Inch Lake,Co.Donegal had 57 Pink-footed Geese (Ken Perry/Hill Dick)

Pink-footed Goose, Cameron Moore:

Bird News Wednesday 10th October

A male Hen Harrier was in the Antrim Hills today (Cameron Moore)

Today Rathlin had 29 Crossbills, 4 Whooper Swans, a Hen Harrier and a Jackdaw (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

Three Mediterranean Gulls were at Ballykelly this afternoon (Brian Murphy)

The high tide roost today at Seacliff Road Bangor had Ringed plover 74, Turnstone 18 and Purple Sandpipers 5 (Derek Polley)

There were 12 pink footed geese briefly in a field at Myroe this evening around 6pm (Lindsay Hodges)

An Albatross species was seen heading west at lunchtime today at Malin Head (John Clarke)

Thanks to Ric and Hazel for this pic of the Crossbill:

Pink-footed Geese, Lindsay Hodges:

Bird News Tuesday 9th October

Two Crossbills and a Pink-footed Goose were on Rathlin and a Little Egret was seen flying south over the sea. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson).

Thanks to Mervyn Campbell for the pictures of the 1st year Mediterranean Gull, Sanderling and Sandwich Tern and to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Little Egret:

Bird News Monday 8th October.

16 Crossbill where on Rathlin Island to-day.(Richard Else/Hazel Watson)

Bird News Sunday 7th October

A Short-eared Owl was seen at Magheralave Road / Fairfield’s Glen, outside Lisburn, this morning (Desmond Hassett)

8 Pink-footed Geese were seen flying east at Ramore Head (Brian Murphy)

Desmond Hassett, video still of Short-eared Owl:

Bird News Saturday 6th October

A Blyth's Reed Warbler was at the east end of Tory Island (Anton Meenan)

12 Pink-footed aGeese were with with c500 Brent off Ballykelly this morning (Michael Savage)

9 Pink-footed Geese were with 40+ Greylags in Larne Lough today (Linda Thompson)

Rathlin had its first Redwings of the autumn, a couple of Merlins and Wheatear. Also 5 species of goose including 22 Barnacle Geese flying past, 11 Greenland White-fronts, a Pink-foot and a Brent (Ric Else / Hazel Watson et al)

Sightings in and around the Sperrins today included  a Hen Harrier (Male), 3 Peregrine Falcon, 3 Kestrel, 3 Buzzards and 4 Ravens (Christine Cassidy and Lindsay Hodges)

On Rathlin yesterday ( Friday) there was a Hen Harrier, 2 Peregrines, a Wheatear and a flock of 21 Twite. (Clive Mellon / Jim Wells)

Thanks to our photographers today:

Mervyn Campbell, Arctic Skua:

Mervyn Campbell, Sanderling:

Linda Thompson, Pink-footed Geese:

Chris Babes, Buzzard:

Christine Cassidy, Hen Harrier:

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: