Bird News Thursday 17th October

Bonaparte’s Gull at Ballygally foreshore 1pm (Ian Young).

Snow Bunting still at Ramore Head (John Clarke / Chris Hamilton).

Yellow-browed Warbler on Tory (Anton Meenan). 

2 Black-throated Diver still at Carnlough this morning (Stephen Riddell).

Drake Ring-necked Duck at Lough Swilly at Inch Island Lake, Co Donegal from Tready Hide (RBA).

Little Gull and the long-staying Whimbrel in Church Bay, Rathlin (Nathanael Poffley / Ric Else).

3 Slavonian Grebes off Macedon Point (Stuart McKee).

2 Yellow-browed Warblers at Malinmore, Co Donegal (Andy Ellard)

Snow Bunting, John Clarke:

Yellow-browed Warbler, Anton Meenan.

Little Gull, Ric Else.

Bird News Wednesday 16th October

A male Ring-necked Duck and a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull were at Lough Beg this afternoon, 8 Great White Egrets were spread around the south end of the lough. (David Steele) 

The Cattle Egret is still present at Kinnegoe Bay in Oxford Island, with cattle in the field opposite the end of the breakwater at Kinnegoe Marina. (David McCreedy). A Great White Egret was also present along the shore. (Clifford Sharpe).

Yesterday a Mediterranean Gull was in Church Bay and the Great White Egret on Kebble Lough on Rathlin. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson).

A Snow Bunting was on Tory. (Anton Meenan).

A 2nd year Mediterranean Gull was at the Bann Estuary. (Stephen Riddell).

A Snow Bunting is at Ramore Head in Portrush. (John Clarke).

A Black-throated Diver is still off Carnlough. (Chris Hamilton).

A Peregrine was on the shore at Castle Espie. (Dave Weir).

3 Pinkfeet were with Whoopers at Longlands Road viewable distantly from its junction with the Comber dual carriageway. (Ian Young).

A ringtail Hen Harrier was at Inch in Donegal. (Theo Campbell).

Mediterranean Gull, Stephen Riddell.

Peregrine, Dave Weir.

Cattle Egret, Richard Caves.

Bird News Tuesday 15th October

A single Whooper Swan was at Ballykeel Lough, Co Down (Garry Wilkinson)

A Great White Egret is at Reedy Flats (Ed O’Hara)

A Med Gull was at Clea Lakes, Co Down (Dave Weir)

Four Great Egrets were at Lough Beg this afternoon, also eleven Ruff and an adult Mediterranean Gull (David Steele)

A Siberian Chiffchaff was on Tory (Anton Meenan)

Whopper Swans are now returning in significant numbers. We will now only post sightings away from normal wintering grounds.

Redshank, Rod Gillan:

Bird News Monday 14th October

Late news from Rathlin, yesterday a male Hen Harrier, Great White Egret, Merlin, Pink-footed Goose and Great Northern Diver (Ric Else / Hazel Watson / Nathanael Poffley).

2nd calendar year Glaucous Gull at east end of Ballykinler Beach, Co Down at noon (Dermot Hughes).

Juvenile Wheatear Killard (David Stirling).

Cattle Egret still at Oxford Island NNR amongst cattle on the shoreline opposite the tip of the outer breakwater at Kinnego Marina (Clifford Sharpe).

Possible Iceland Gull seen along the Ballyhaft Shore, Portaferry Road south of Greyabbey from moving vehicle (David Miller).

c200 Golden Plover on the Tesco warehouse roof, Antrim (Mark Smyth).

25 Pinkfeet at Inch Lake, Co Donegal (David Hill).

Pink-footed Geese, David Hill:

Bird News Sunday 13th October

3 Pinkfeet were with Whoopers in a field north of Kearney before flying south past Ballyquinton. Another 4 Pinkfeet flew south over Kearney this afternoon. A single Ruff was with Golden Plover at Kirkistown. 6 Mediterranean Gulls were on Cloghy beach and another 17 off the carpark at the north end of Cloghy. (Garry Armstrong,  David Steele).

A Cattle Egret was along Canalbank Road outside Poyntzpass. (Joe Devlin).

3 Black-throated Divers including one in summer plumage, a Great Northern and a Red-throated Diver were at Carnlough. A Merlin was in the Antrim hills. (Michael Latham)

4 Whoopers and a Grey Plover were at the Barmouth. (Mel O'Hagan).

12 Grey Plover were off Rough Island on the outer Ards. (Bob Watts).

A Greenland Wheatear was outside Portstewart. (Chris Hamilton).

A possible Yellow-browed Warbler and a Jack Snipe with 6 Snipe were at Global Point Business Park in Newtownabbey. (Steven Farquhar).

Black-throated Diver, Michael Latham.

Black-throated Divers, Michael Latham.

Black-throated & Great Northern Divers, Michael Latham.

Merlin, Michael Latham.

Bird News Saturday 12th October

A Cattle Egret was off Croaghan hide at Oxford Island. (Garry Armstrong, Ed O’Hara).

A Yellow-browed Warbler was seen briefly at Ballycarry on Rathlin this morning. (Nathanael Poffley).

Ramore Head between 12.30 and 4pm had 1 Sabine's Gull, 4 Barnacles, 1 Manx Shearwater and 2 Brent. (Michael Latham).

Bird News Friday 11th October

The American Golden Plover is still at Myroe on the turf field next to the large pond (Martin Deehan).

Yellow-browed Warbler again at Kelly’s Wood, St John’s Point at 4pm and calling. Also Chiffchaff, Blackcap and up to 10 Goldcrest (David Stirling).

Whooper Swans have been arriving in significant numbers during this window of clement weather and are back in the stubble fields at Myroe in significant numbers and elsewhere eg 753 at Eglington (Dean Jones).

19 Pinkfeet at Balls Point early morning (Dean Jones).

Ruff at Belfast Lough WoW (Stuart Cossey).

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker still visiting garden between Moira band Hillsborough (Juliet Fleming).

A late juvenile Common Tern at Magilligan Point (David Hill).

Single Great White Egret still on Rathlin also a single Barnacle Goose amongst Greylags (Nathanael Poffley).

'There are two seats available for the boat trip from Ballycastle to Islay  on Saturday 26th October. At least 25,000 Barnacle Geese will be present plus Sea Eagle, Chough and Hen Harrier. Contact Jim Wells on 07856235144 for details'.

Whooper Swans, Garry Wilkinson:

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Juliet Fleming:

Common Tern, David Hill:

Bird News Thursday 10th October

Yellow-browed Warbler at Kellys Wood, St John’s Point at 430pm. Also c10 Goldcrest, Chiffchaff and 2-3 Blackcaps (Chris Murphy). Still present near entrance to house 545pm (Bob Watts).

3 Pinkfeet at St John’s Point this morning and c500 Skylarks (Chris Murphy)

Yesterday 9 Whooper Swans Dundrum Inner Bay (Chris Leonard).

9 Whooper Swans over Straid (Dave Craig).

16 Whooper Swans in flight over Lough Road, N of Ballynahinch (Debs Cullen).

6 Barnacle Geese Rathlin (Ric Else / Hazel Watson).

Juvenile Arctic Skua at Magilligan Point (Ian Dickey).

Great White Egret at Portmore Lough RSPB (Richard Caves).

Arctic Skua, Ian Dickey:

Whooper Swans, Dave Craig:

Bird News Wednesday 9th October

11 Whooper Swan were over Lisburn this morning (Andrew Upton)

Yesterday 45 Pink-footed Geese flew north over Rathlin (Nathanael Poffley)

5 Whoopers were at Portmore today (Richard Caves)

18 Pink-footed Geese and 4 Barnacle Geese were seen on Rathlin (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

Whooper Swans, Richard Caves:

Snipe, possibly fareoensis sub-species, Myroe, Mervyn and Susanne Guthrie:

Bird News Tuesday 8th October

The American Golden Plover was still at Myroe this morning (Theo Campbell / Martin Deehan)

A Pied Flycatcher is at Malin Beg, Donegal (Chris Ingram)

The two Great White Egrets are still on Rathlin (Ric Else)

A Ruff was in the channel at Myroe (Stephen Riddell)

15 Pinkfeet and 6 Whoopers were at Myroe (Garry Wilkinson et al)

At Magiligan, a Little Gull and Black Tern were seen (Gerard McGeehan). There were also circa 300 Sanderling.

6 Crossbills were at Springwell Forest (Garry Wilkinson)

A Long-eared Owl was at Coleraine (John Clarke)

Ruff, Stephen Riddell:

Great White Egrets, Rathlin, Ric Else \ Hazel Watson:

Bird News Monday 7th October

A Long Eared Owl was off Agherton Road, Portstewart 7:30 this morning. (Peter Hough).

 One of the Great White Egrets is still at Kebble Lough on Rathlin. This evening a female Long-tailed Duck was in Church Bay. ( Nathanael Poffley).

A Snow Bunting flew south over Rathlin this morning. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson).

Two Ruff were at Belfast Lough RSPB reserve, a Common Sandpiper was at Kinnegar pool. (Stuart Cossey).

Ballyquintin and Bar Hall had 4 Chiffchaffs, a Yellowhammer and at least 60 Swallows. (Dermot Hughes).

A male Hen Harrier has been hunting in fields along the motorway near the Moira roundabout. (Barry Coleman).

Long-tailed Duck, Nathanael Poffley.

Bird News Sunday 6th October

Adult American Golden Plover with c1000 Golden Plover at west end of Myroe still present mid afternoon (Wilton Farrelly / Garry Armstrong / David Steele).

Yellow-browed Warbler in East Town garden on Tory (Brian McCloskey).

St John’s Point produced an Arctic Tern, 2 Red-throated Divers, single Manx Shearwater, Greenland Wheatear opposite the church, one Chiffchaff in Kellys Wood (Chris Murphy).

3 Greenland Wheatear at Ramore Head (John Clarke).

Slavonian Grebe Glynn (Gerard McGeehan), also 310 Red-breasted Mergansers (Aaron Long).

3 Red-throated Divers Carnlough (Aaron Long).

2 Great White Egrets on Rathlin the second island record (Liam McFaul). Also Whimbrel still (Ric Else).

Great White Egret at Portmore Lough RSPB (Andrew Upton).

Barr Hall Bay produced 3 Chiffchaffs and a White Wagtail at Curlew Cottage. Ballyquintin Point produced 2 White Wagtails and 2 Red-throated Divers. 2 Red-throated Divers from the Strangford Ferry (Chris Veale).

5 Pinkfeet at Quoile (Chris Murphy).

American Golden Plover, Wilton Farrelly:

Greenland Wheatear, John Clarke: