Bird News Friday 17th January

 The Avocet is still at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve this morning. (Phillip McHaffie). The bird was still present this afternoon. (Katy Bell).

A Black-throated Diver was still off Carnlough and 2 Goosanders were at the Randalstown River. (Chris Hamilton).

There are now 2 Black Redstarts around Killough pier and Ropewalk. (John Scovell, Chris Murphy).

The Ring-necked Duck is still at Corbally Reservoir outside Portrush. (John Clarke).

Great Spotted Woodpeckers are still at Rowallane Gardens outside Saintfield, inside the Pleasure Grounds and in the woods outside to the west across the Listooder Road. (Tim Davis).

Avocet, Rod Gillan.

Bird News Thursday 16th January 2025

3 Goosander (male and 2 female) on River Maine at Slaght near Ballymena (David Steele).

Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming in Ormeau Park, Belfast this morning (Ben Dilworth).

Avocet still at Belfast Lough WoW RSPB Reserve (David Stirling / Derek Polley).

Chiffchaff along the railway line near the University of Coleraine (John Clarke).

Black Redstart along quay at Ropewalk, Killough (Anne Feltham). Merlin also in harbour (David Stirling).

Drake Ring-necked Duck again Knockninny, Derrylin, Co Fermanagh (Ronan Owens).

Bird News Wednesday 15th January 2025

The Avocet was still at RSPB WoW this morning (Kenneth Brewster). It was still present early afternoon (Theo Campbell).

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was at Rowallane (Tim Davis)

A Chiffchaff was at the Discovery Centre, Oxford Island (Ed O'Hara)

Avocet, Paul Hunter:

Chiffchaff, Ed O'Hara:

NIRSG Conference 2025 - Booking now open

We are delighted to announce that booking is now open for the NIRSG Conference 2025, which will be held on Saturday 22nd February at the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen. 

We have an exciting lineup of speakers covering local, national and international raptor ecology and conservation, including Dr Allan Mee speaking on his work with White-tailed Eagles, Dr Shane McPherson speaking about his work with Crowned Eagles and David Anderson speaking about his work with Ospreys. It is set to be a great day. 

 The conference fee is £30 and can be booked through the following link https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/NCN94MQWRHKEE or by scanning the QR code below, also see flyer attached.

 

After booking please contact me via email (raptorofficerni@gmail.com) to confirm your booking and provide any details of dietary requirements. 

We look forward to seeing you there,

Dr. Eimear Rooney, 

Raptor Officer, 

NI Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group

Bird News Tuesday 14th January 2025

An Avocet is at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve. (Brian Douglas).

The Iceland Gull was still at Carnfunnock. (Mervyn Campbell).

A Peregrine and the Brambling were at Oxford Island. (Ed O'Hara).

The Great White Egret, a Peregrine and a Merlin were at Reedy Flats. (Ed O'Hara).

The 2 White-tailed Eagles were still at Inch in Donegal this morning. (David Hill). 

The White-billed Diver may have ben seen again today at Carnlough, 2 Black-throated Divers and a Great Northern Diver were also present. (Stuart McKee).

A single Twite was on the Esplanade at Hollywood. (Tony Ridgeway).

Brambling, Ed O'Hara.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Ed O'Hara.

White-tailed Eagles, David Hill.

Avocet, Lilian Ferguson.

Bird News Monday 13th January 2025

The male Brambling is back at a private garden, Ballynahatty Road,  Belfast. (Dave Allen)

Two White-tailed Eagles and the Great White Egret are still at Inch, Co Donegal (Theo Campbell / Chris Ingram)

The Brambling was still at Oxford Island. There was no sign of the Lesser Scaup (Ed O’Hara)

Four Mediterranean Gull were at Cloughy Beach, Co Down (Ronan Owens)

A Red-throated Diver was in Dargan Bay (Steven Farquhar)

Golden Plover, Rod Gillan:

Bird News Sunday 12th January 2025

Drake Lesser Scaup still off Croaghan Hide at Oxford Island NNR, also 6 Greater Scaup (Garry Armstrong).

4+ Great Spotted Woodpeckers Rowallane (Kevin O’Grady).

Merlin at Myroe, also 30 Yellowhammer (Martin Deehan).

2 Slavonian Grebes Macedon looking towards Giants Park (Stuart McKee).

2 each of Black-throated & Great Northern Divers, also Red-throated Diver and 6 Common Scoter off Carnlough (Gerard   McGeehan / Shirley Dunlop).

Green Sandpiper most days for last month near Diamond Road, Dromore (Chris Rankin).

Dipper, Michael Latham:

Linnet, William Smiton:

Bird News Saturday 11th January 2025

A male Goosander was at the back of the Discovery Centre at Oxford Island, a male Lesser Scaup and a hybrid resembling a Lesser Scaup were off the Croaghan hide. (Garry Armstrong, Ed O’Hara, Clifford Sharpe).

A Red-throated Diver and 2 Scaup were off Kinnegar shore in Belfast Lough. (Stuart Cossey).

The Great White Egret was still at Portmore Lough RSPB. (Michael Latham).

A Slavonian Grebe was off Ballymacran bank in Lough Foyle. (Steven Farquhar)

Water Rail, Ryan Holgate.

Bird News Friday 10th January 2025

A female Brambling is in a private garden Poyntzpass Co. Armagh. (Joe Devlin)

The hybrid Ring-billed x Common Gull is still at Millisle (George Gordon)

Purple Sandpiper, Portrush, Rod Gillan:

Bird News Thursday 9th January 2025

A Brambling still frequenting the junction of Ballynahatty and Edenderry Roads this morning (John O’Boyle).

Drake Goosander still at Ballycastle on the River Margy beside the golf club restaurant (Tomas Hand).

35+ Common Snipe an unusually high total in the small estuary near Sainsbury’s, Fort George, Derry (John Spottiswood).

Male & female Bramblings in a private garden in Ballynahatty Road, Belfast (Dave Allen).

1+ Brambling with large Chaffinches flock to rear of house at Rowallane Gardens, Saintfield with 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming on Plantation Road to rear of gardens (Ian Young).

Great Spotted Woodpecker in Chimera Wood, Helen’s Bay (Gary Gray).

6 Pink-footed Geese still at Nutgrove near Seaford from Farranford Road. The Spotted Redshank was feeding in the channel running through Dundrum South Inner Bay (David Nixon).

6 Goosander at Randalstown (Tony Dodds).

Goosander, Tomas Hand:

Great Northern Diver, Juliet Fleming:

Bird News Wednesday 8th January 2025

Great Northern Divers were in Portrush at the Coastal Zone and the Harbour. Also 30 Purple Sandpiper were present (Julie Fleming)

A Brambling is visiting a garden in Antrim (Mark Smyth)

A high count of 100+ Siskins were at Ulster University, Coleraine (John Clarke)

Fielfare, Redwing and Song Thrush numbers have increased significantly in this cold snap.

Redwing, Douglas Gamble:

Footage of Birds for Childrens Series - Lough Neagh

 https://roninfilms.tv/ are currently producing a children’s TV series for Irish language children’s broadcaster, Cúla 4. This series follows various stories situated around children and their interests. 

In one of the episodes we follow a young boy who has a keen interest in animals and in particular, birds. In this episode we would like to focus on human responsibility for habitats and a key element of this would involve Lough Neagh. 

We wondered if anyone in this group would have any high-quality video clips of birds on the lough, particularly before the algae bloom, but also more recent clips. We could also work with still photographs, in fact, it would be great to get both. We would really like to showcase the wildlife on the lough. 

For further information, please feel free to email me: donal@roninfilms.tv 

Kind regards, 

 Dónal

Bird News Tuesday 7th January 2025

A male Brambling is visiting a bird feeder on the Lagan riverbank at Edenderry.

A male Goosander was on the River Margy beside the golf course in Ballycastle. (Tomás Hand)

Goosander, Tomás Hand:

Fieldfare, Alan Fitzsimmons.

Sean Ronayne in Belfast @ CQAF

Sean Ronayne is appearing in Belfast as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. Sean’s film Birdsong and his book Nature Boy are inspirational for anyone interested in our local birds. Tickets are available at:

https://cqaf.com/nature-boy-by-sean-ronayne/

Bird News Monday 6th January 2025

4 Twite in mixed flock with Linnet and 3 Purple Sandpipers with the Turnstone at Whitehead (Kevin Kirkham). 

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker in garden near Hillsborough (Garry Wilkinson).

Great Spotted Woodpecker heard at Lagan Meadows (Mel O’Hagan).

Blackcap, William Smiton: