Thursday 12th August News

Laughing Gull - Ballycastle Co.Antrim (per Birdguides)
Red Kite - 1, Downpatrick Racecourse, Co. Down (Richard Weyl)
Little Egret - 14, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
- including one ringed - Right: L (Yellow) Left: D (White). Any help appreciated
Greenshank - 10, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Common Sandpiper - 7, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Little Egret - 5, Dundrum Inner Bay South, Co. Down
Buzzard - 1, Murlough Heronry, Co. Down
Green Sandpiper - 1 adult Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve Co.Down
Common Sandpiper - 3, Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve Co.Down
Ruff - 2 juvenile Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve Co.Down
Swift - 100+ Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve Co.Down
Grey Heron - 16 Roosting flock Whitehouse Lagoon Co.Antrim

Thanks again to Nigel Snell for these shots of Wheatears taken on Achill Island last month

http://www.nigel-snellphotography.com/

http://www.flickr.com/nigelsnell








































Republic of Ireland
Greenshank - 30, Blanket Nook, Co. Donegal
Ruff - 3, Blanket Nook, Co. Donegal
Great Skua - 3, Fanad Head, Co. Donegal
Sooty Shearwater - 1, Fanad Head, Co. Donegal
Puffin - 1, Fanad Head, Co. Donegal

(all of the above sightings by Keith Bennett)


Here's another question to tickle the brain cells from our records master George Gordon:

What bird would have caused a massive twitch by our great grandfathers to York Street in Belfast in March 1858?


I see we're slipping back down the Fatbirder rankings - I'm going to stop mentioning this because every time I do we start to slide!


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Spot the Bird (Part 45)




Answer to Part 44: Short-toed Eagle
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Chamber of Horrors Bird Special 2

Many thanks to Deborah Cohen for a really, really gruesome Chamber of Horrors (although one we'd love to see over here even if it did only have one eye!)




"We saw this Summer Tanager at High Island TX last April. Exhausted and beat up after the flight from the Yucatan, he was eating mulberries that had dropped, and we put some more down for him after he'd eaten all that he could find. Hoping he'd be OK after he got rested up, I'm afraid with one eye he doesn't have a good chance."

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Wednesday 11th August News

White Tailed Eagle, Lough Beg Co.Londonderry (David Steele) wing tagged and satellite tagged individual!
Greenshank - 6, Lough Beg, Co. Londonderry
Black-tailed Godwit - 27, Lough Beg, Co. Londonderry
Dunlin - 3, Lough Beg, Co. Londonderry
Ringed Plover - 2, Lough Beg, Co. Londonderry
Kingfisher - 1, Lough Beg, Co. Londonderry


(all of the above sightings Richard Weyl)

Oscar Campbell is back over for a holiday and had an
Arctic Skua - 1, Reedy Flat, Co. Armagh
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (juvenile), Reedy Flat, Co. Armagh
Little Gull -1 (second winter), Reedy Flat, Co. Armagh
Ruff - 5, Reedy Flat, Co. Armagh
Black-tailed Godwit - 20, Reedy Flat, Co. Armagh

(all of the above sightings by Oscar Campbell)

Kingfisher - 1, Sion Mills, Co. Tyrone (Brian Hegarty)
Green Sandpiper - 1, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Little Egret - 14, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Greenshank - 17, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Common Sandpiper - 5, Blackstaff River, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Wigeon - 1 (male), Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Little Egret - 9, Dundrum Inner Bay South, Co. Down


Here's some more shots from Nigel Snell - this time of Ringed Plover and Dunlin taken on Millisle Beach last week.

http://www.nigel-snellphotography.com/


http://www.flickr.com/nigelsnell



































































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Sad and Lonely Spot the Bird Special

Well,
He fell for it (as usual, we knew he would, he just can't resist because he doesn't make mistakes - especially not when reporting seabirds). That was no Guldenstadt's Redstart in the Kazakhstan pics today! And he came back for even more - well done 'lonely', we knew we could keep you coming back and as a special reward for 'Sad and Lonely' being the only person bothered enough to point it out we've got an extra special Spot the Bird just for him.




Hint: you can find this bird throughout the arctic and subarctic regions of Eurasia and North America although similar contents can be found between the ears of 'Sad and Lonely', routinely spilling out of his mouth in a less than funny manner. Lessen for ya mate - you've got to try harder to be funny because you just ain't hitting the mark - why do you think you are so sad and lonely? (some plastic surgery would be in order too - scary mugshot) The funny thing is you think Derek is your best friend but haven't realised until now that it's in reality me - who knows absolutely nothing about birds!! Who's been schooled now saddoe?!

PS If you need 'Billy No Mates' number I can forward it on - you two should hook up and share seabird id tips.
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Butterflies on the Wing - 11th August

Thanks to Dave Hadrick for these butterfly pics taken at Murlouigh NNR last Saturday. Best place to see butterflies in Northern Ireland without a doubt.




Common Blue




Meadow Brown




Peacock

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Moths on the Wing - 11th August

Here's a couple more from Joe Reid

Scalloped Oak



Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing



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Tuesday 10th August News

White Tailed Eagle, SW Corner Lough Beg Co.Londonderry (radio tagged bird)
Little Egret - 3, SW Corner Lough Beg, Co.Londonderry
Greenshank - 2, SW Corner Lough Beg, Co.Londonderry
Dunlin - 1, SW Corner Lough Beg, Co.Londonderry
Shovelor - 18, Lough Beg, Co.Londonderry
Greenshank - 14, Dundrum Inner Bay South, Co. Down
Black-tailed Godwit - 24, Dundrum Inner Bay South, Co. Down
Turnstone - 4, Dundrum Inner Bay South, Co. Down
Little Egret - 3, Murlough Heronry, Dundrum, Co. Down
Little Egret - 13, Dundrum Inner Bay South, Co. Down
Little Egret - 14, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Sanderling - 160, Ballykinler Beach, Co. Down
Ringed Plover - 150, Ballykinler Beach, Co. Down
Dunlin - 145, Ballykinler Beach, Co. Down

Late News
well not really late news, just news i forgot to put on before i fell asleep! All are from Keith Bennett and are from Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve. Thanks as usual to Keith (if you had of reported a Laughing Gull Keith i wouldn't have forgot!)

Green Sandpiper - 1
Dunlin - 40
Ruff - 1
Knot - 2
Snipe - 15
Common Sandpiper - 2

....and for those interested a Fox!


Meadow Pipits are something I have to admit I don't pay much attention to most of the time - but then who does? Well, thanks to Nigel Snell, I'm beginning to see the light - check out these cracking shots below and if you've a spare moment check out Nigel's website and Flickr page.

http://www.nigel-snellphotography.com/

http://www.flickr.com/nigelsnell










And here's another one, this time from Cecil Smyth taken today at Tardree Forest, Co. Antrim. How many times have you overlooked a Buzzard? Great shots!









Well, we've done it again - back into the Fatbirder Top 100. There must be a lot of people out there who have a penchant for the ridiculous - we'd like to thank them! Everyone that is apart from one Northern Irish amateur birder (currently abroad) who never sends in sightings to us because he's a spoilt brat and hasn't learnt to grow up. It doesn't really matter anyway as all he does is twitch birds that other people have found. We're glad he's like this because it means we don't have to deal with him - he'd make good mates with 'Sad and Lonely' that's for sure. In fact, that's his new name 'Billy No Mates'. They'd make a nice couple but not a pretty picture.


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Kenya Tanzania Special (Part 1)

Well, we hadn't heard from him for a while but there was a very good reason for it - Allen Gillespie spent a couple of weeks in Kenya and Tanzania and from these shots a very successful holiday it was too! I would like to spoil you and post these all at once in the Trip Reports page but I don't want to be responsible for blowing your minds so I'll drip feed them to you over a couple of days. Amazing photos.



African Fish Eagle




































Agama Lizard













Cheetah
















Common Bulbul







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Laughing Gull (45-46!)

Ronan McLoughlin

Ronan McLoughlin

I am absolutely delighted that another gull lover has come out of the woodwork and declared his love for our Seagull friends. I am sure this will just be the start of people coming out of the closet, come on you know who you are!!
Andrew was very tough on me (again). I thought he meant i was allowed one photo a day of a Laughing Gull which makes seven in a week by my calculator. So i am well within my qouta. So far only 44 pictures of the "Ballycastle Bruiser" have appeared on the blog and interestingly taken by 9 different photographers. Nine is an unlucky number so for that reason and that reason only here are a couple of pics by Ronan McLoughlin. Many thanks to Ronan.
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Gull Lovers Speak Out

I received this email during the night from 'Large Larid Lover from Lisburn' - was this because I referred to them as plastic-bag-lookalike-disease-spreading-flying-rats (with poor personalities)?

It is my opinion there is an anti-gull lobby embedded deep within the NIBA who seem to dislike gulls, beer and Ballycastle chip shops. For years I had hidden my penchant for gulls, beer and french fries but I have been inspired by Derek and Orcilla and have decided to come out of the Clost Hide and join them at Portavogie and Killybegs this winter. I urge others to follow. I am enclosing my favourite gull beer mat which I have kept hidden for many years - please print it.




PS I have applied to the Lottery Fund, Mother's Pride, Ormo and Brennan's for bread funding.

Yours

Franklin Ross Little


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Monday 9th August News

Laughing Gull - 1, Ballycastle (on the beach at the river), Co. Antrim (Colin Bell)
Little Egret - 13, Dundrum Inner Bay South, Co. Down
Little Egret - 7, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Greenshank - 6, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Snipe - 1, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Kingfisher - 1, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Common Sandpiper - 6, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Bar Tailed Godwit -10, Kinnegar Shore Belfast Co.Down
Sandwich Tern - 1, Kinnegar Shore Belfast Co.Down
Dunlin - 2, Kinnegar Shore, Belfast Co.Down
Dunlin - 35, Belfast Lough RSPB Rerve Co.Down
Common Sandpiper - 5, Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve Co.Down
Ruff - 3 juveniles Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve Co.Down
Snipe - 25 Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve Co.Down
Shoveler -5 Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve Co.Down
Swift - 50+ Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve Co.Down
Sedge Warbler - 1 Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve Co.Down


Finally back to 100  in the Fatbirder Top 1000, only took us a week this time and now over 15,000 hits. Our mission is over.......until we can think of more rubbish to put on. Give us a few hours and we'll think of something.
The observant among you will notice that Derek broke the 'only one Laughing Gull photo per day' rule again. There's no stopping him, he's got contacts in the bread business. In fact given the amount of people who look at this blog daily you could be forgiven for thinking that they were actually popular and not plastic-bag-lookalike-disease-spreading-flying-rats (with poor personalities).

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Chamber of Horrors Bird Special

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