Bird News Thursday 21st May

A Black Redstart was on Rathlin this morning. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson).

RSPB WoW had a first summer Little Gull and 4 Sanderling were at Kinnegar (Gerard McGeehan).

A Lesser Whitethroat was at Strand Lough and 16 Whimbrel in Killough Harbour; 160 Sanderling, 45 Dunlin, 33 Ringed Plover and 5 Whimbrel were at Rossglass (Chris Murphy).

Thanks to Alastair McLean for the picture of the Whitethroat, to Fulton Somerville for the picture of the Sedge Warbler, to Mark Magee for the picture of the Wheatear, to Thomas Campbell for the picture of the Dipper and to Mike McLaughlin for the picture of the Yellowhammers:

Bird News Wednesday 20th May

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was at Stewartstown, Co Tyrone (Liam McKillion)

A Red Kite was at Castlewellan Forest Park (Daniel Moore)

Bird News Tuesday 19th May

A Hobby was at Lower Lough Erne Fermanagh this evening hunting insects (Brad Robson)

Two Stock Dove and a Cuckoo where at Giants Park.(Stuart McKee)

Our thanks to Thomas Campbell for the photo of the House Sparrows.

Bird News Monday 18th May

Two Garganey are at RSPB WoW, Belfast Harbour Estate. (Sam Thomas).

An escaped Ring-necked Parakeet was in a garden in Holywood. (William Smiton).

Thanks to Ed O'Hara for the picture of a Wheatear and to William Smiton for the picture of the Parakeet:

Bird News Sunday 17th May

Yesterday an adult Little Gull was at Kinnegar Shore (Dermot Hughes)

A Greenland Wheatear was at Groomsport (Jeff Silvers)

A Cuckoo was at Giants Park, Belfast (Stuart McKee)

Little Gull, Dermot Hughes:

Greenland Wheatear, Groomsport:

Bird News Saturday 16th May

3 Great Northern Divers, 1 Red-throated Diver were at St John’s Pt; 26 Ringed Plover, 21 Dunlin were at Rossglass; 11 Whimbrel were in Killough Harbour. ( Chris Murphy).

A pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers are visiting a garden outside Keady in Co. Armagh. (John Merry).

A Cuckoo is calling in Woodburn forest near Carrickfergus. (George Stewart).

Three Whimbrel were at Loughmourne, Carrickfergus (Charles Carson)

Thanks to Michael Latham for the pictures of the Dipper and the Skylark and to Terry Hanna for the picture of the Song Thrush:

Bird News Friday 15th May

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was visiting a garden between Hillsborough and Moira. (Juliet Fleming).

Thanks to Juliet for the picture of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, to Robert McDowell for the picture of the Redpoll and to Michael Latham for the picture of the Crossbill:

Bird News Thursday 14th May.

A Common Sandpiper was at Orlock.(Shane Wolsey)

550 Dunlin where at Ballymacormick Point this morning.(Richard Weyl)



Our thanks to Alastair McLean for the photo of the Ringed Plover and to Martin McClenaghan for the Spotted Flycatcher.

Bird News Wednesday 13th May

21 Whimbrel were at Reedy Flats on the south shore of Lough Neagh. (Ed O'Hara).

Thanks to Brian Redpath for the picture of the Gannet, to Ed O'Hara for the picture of the Whimbrel and to John Bamford for the picture of the Cuckoo:

Bird News Tuesday 12th May

Circa 40 Whimbrel were at Orlock Point, Co Down (Brian Murphy)

Little Egret, Wilf Swain:

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Brian Redpath:

Bird News Monday 11th May

A Spotted Flycatcher was along the Newry Canal this morning. (Frank Carroll).

An Osprey and a female Whinchat were at the Bann estuary. (Richard Donaghey).

A Red Kite was soaring over the Ballynahinch Road outside Lisburn. (Garry Armstrong).

A Golden Plover, 6 Whimbrel and a Curlew were in Killough Harbour this evening (Chris Murphy)

Thanks to Jason Bain for the picture of the Willow Warbler, to Brian Redpath for the pictures of the Sparrowhawk and Hooded Crow and the Great Spotted Woodpecker and to Lindsay Hodges for the picture of the Spotted Flycatcher:

Bird News Sunday 10th May

An adult Mediterranean Gull was at Kinegar Shore this morning (Brian Murphy)

A male Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen well at a site in Co Down (Brian Redpath). Another Great Spitted Woodpecker was at Banbridge (Caroline de Lacy)

Two Cuckoo were at Glenoo near Fivemiletown (Colin Bell)

A high count of 500+ Dunlin were in the channel at Myroe (Mervyn and Susanne Guthrie). 3000+ Dunlin were also at Blanketnook today (Derek Brennan)

Swifts, Whitethroats, Grasshopper Warblers and Reed Warblers are now widely reported.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Brian Redpath:

Dunlin, Mervyn Guthrie:

Bird News Saturday 9th May

A Garden Warbler was seen along the Newry canal.(Frank Carroll)

Crossbills and a Cuckoo where seen at Ballyboley forest.(Jason Bain)

Spotted Flycatcher - Jason Bain.

Bird News Friday 8th May

A male Hen Harrier and a Cuckoo were seen near Fivemiletown. (Colin Bell).

A Cuckoo was in St Columb's Park in Derry. (Michael Savage).

A Cuckoo, possibly the St Columb's Park bird, flew over the Caw area of the Waterside in Londonderry this afternoon. (Theo Campbell).

A Long-tailed Duck was in Ballyholme Bay, Bangor today. (Shane Wolsey).

A Cuckoo and a Crossbill were near Loughguile this afternoon. (Alex McCooke).

This afternoon Cloghfin Port, Islandmagee had 11 Whimbrel and 2 Mediterranean Gull (1 adult + 1 2nd year). (Ian Enlander).

Rathlin today had a Garden Warbler, 3 Whinchats, 4 Grasshopper Warblers and 5 Spotted Flycatchers. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson)

3 Cuckoos and a Spotted Flycatcher were at Aghmakane and Ballard north of Slieve Gullion. (John Spottiswood).

A Cuckoo was calling at Drumkeeragh Forest. (Owen Beckett).

Thanks to Ric Else for the picture of the Garden Warbler, to Jason Bain for the pictures of the Wheatear and the Merlin, to Terry Hanna for the picture of the Willow Warbler to Ian Enlander for the picture of the Mediterranean Gull and to Alex McCooke for the picture of the Crossbill:

Bird News Thursday 7th May

A Spotted Flycatcher was around Ballymacormick Point, Bangor, this afternoon. (Shane Wolsey)

Between Ballymacormick Point and Orlock were a Cuckoo, 3 Red-throated diver, a Common Sandpiper and 180 Dunlin. (Richard Weyl)

A Cuckoo was in Glenariff (Gillian McKillop)

Two Lesser Whitethroats were on Tory Island today (Anton Meehan)

Yesterday a drake Garganey was on the south shore of Lough Neagh (James O’Neill)

Female Sparrowhawk, Brian Redpath:

Starling, Terry Hanna:

Bird News Wednesday 6th May.

A Glaucous Gull was in Portrush (Dennis Weir)

A Peregrine was seen over Comber. (Chris Shaw)

A Cuckoo was at Capanagh (Jason Bain)

Cuckoo - Comghal McQuilian

Willow Warbler - Alastair McLean.

Bird News Tuesday 5th May

Three Crossbill were at Ballyboley Forest (Jason Bain)

Swifts continue to be widely reported.

Crossbill, Jason Bain:

Bird News Monday 4th May

Another Tree Pipit was on Rathlin today, a Cuckoo was also present. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson).

A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling near Tandragee. (David Knight).

A Cuckoo was calling atthe lower entrance to Capanagh Forest this evening. (Jason Bain)

A Cuckoo was singing yesterday at Slieve Gullion (John Spottiswood)

Thanks to Ric Else for the picture of the Tree Pipit, to David Knight for the pictures of the Grasshopper Warbler and to Jason Bain for the picture of the Skylark:

Bird News Sunday 3rd May

A Corncrake was calling at Church Bay, Rathlin (Michael Cecil)

A male Garganey was on Lough Beg this afternoon, also good Whimbrel passage, with 30+ on the western shoreline and 120 at Mullagh, where there were also 12 White Wagtails and four Greenland-type Wheatears. (David Steele)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was at Portavoe (Michael Latham)

A pair of Raven (atempting to rob a Hooded Crow nest), were seen in Comber (Chris Shaw)

Redpoll, Terry Hanna:

Whimbrel, Alex McCooke:

Bird News Saturday 2nd May

A Wood Warbler was heard singing at Moneybroom Road in Lisburn. (Kevin Kirkham).

37 Whimbrel remain at Drumfad Bay, Millisle. (Guy Hamilton)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen in Glencairn, Belfast. (Allen Gillespie).

2 Whimbrel and over 50 Common and Arctic Terns were on Cockle Island in Groomsport. (Michael Latham).

5 White Wagtail were at the Briggs Rocks. (Richard Weyl).

A possible Hawfinch was seen just outside Castlewellan. (Suzie Leech).

Thanks to Mervyn Campbell for the picture of the female Crossbill and to Julia Moore for the picture of the Blackbird feeding a fledgling:

Bird News Friday 1st May

24 Arctic Tern were at Groomsport this morning (Geoff Jones)

A Carrion Crow was at the Balancing Lakes,Craigavon.(Ed O'Hara)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was at Hillsborough (Dougie Gamble)

Carrion Crow - Ed O'Hara.

Goldfinch.

Willow Warbler - Thomas Campbell.