Bird News April Fools Day 2026

Single Brambling, Twite and Merlin on Rathlin (Ric Else / Hazel Watson).

Single Swallow between Drumlough and Dromara (Justin Childs).

2 Swallows over the lake at Billy Neill CP this afternoon (Bob Watts).

Russian Whitefront with Whoopers, Greylags and 167 Pinkfeet  opposite Go garage, Bridgend, Donegal. (Chris Murphy).

Harlequin still at Magheraorarty Pier, Co Donegal at 5pm amongst 6 Eider (Shaun Griffin).

A male Brambling has reappeared in a Whitehead garden (Cameron Moore).

Male Ring-necked Duck and 2 Great Northern Divers still at Lough Beg this evening (David Steele).

Swallows have been widely reported over the last week.

Brambling, Cameron Moore:

Bird News Tuesday 31st March 2026

In north Donegal the Harlequin Duck was still off Magheraroarty pier. The male and two female Ring-necked Ducks were at the New Lake, Dunfanaghy as well as the two Richardson's Cackling Geese with c.500 Barnacles. (Chris Murphy)

The first Puffin of the year was on Rathlin today (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

A Black Redstart has been frequenting a garden in Sunningdale, Bangor (Alastair McLean)

Two Great Egret were at Portmore (Ric Nicholl)

Twenty Twite were at Portmuck  a Whimbrel was also heard (Gerard McGeehan)

The Bonaparte's Gull and one Little Gull still at Lough Beg, Co. Londonderry from Long Point (Jeff Larkin)

The Lesser Yellowlegs was again on Rathlin (John Spratt)

The Oriental Turtle Dove has not been seen since Friday.

Black Redstart, Whitehead, yesterday, Cameron Moore:

Black Redstart, Bangor, Alastair McLean:

Lesser Yellowlegs, John Spratt:

Bird News Monday 30th March 2026

The adult Ring-billed Gull was still at the Round "O" in Enniskillen. (Maurice McNeely).

A Pink-footed Goose was at Steele’s Point, Larne Lough. A male Brambling was back in a garden in Whitehead. The Black Redstart was seen again at Whitehead Seafront. (Cameron Moore)

A Slavonian Grebe was at Groomsport. (Paul Hunter)

Ring-billed Gull, Maurice McNeely).

Slavonian Grebe, Paul Hunter.

Bird News Sunday 29th March 2026

White Wagtail in field on the way down to Reedy Flats (Garry Armstrong).

Adult Iceland Gull briefly on Kinnegar Pools early afternoon (Daniel Newton).

Single Great White Egret at Portmore Lough also a Swallow (Michael Latham).

Late news from 7th September 2025 of an adult Ring-billed Gull photographed at Magilligan Point (Andy Warwick per John Spottiswood).

Single Swallow at Gores Island, Strangford Lough this evening (Terry Hanna).

Male Garganey, Lough Beg western shoreline, male Ring-necked Duck, Slavonian Grebe (moulting to breeding plumage) and two GN Divers out on the lake (David Steele).

4 Manx Shearwaters off Carrickfergus (Gerard McGeehan).

Great White Egret, Michael Latham:

Ring-billed Gull, Andy Warwick:

Iceland Gull, Daniel Newton:

Bird News Saturday 28th March 2026

Adult Little Gull and Mediterranean Gull in the Closet River at Oxford Island. The female Greater Scaup is still with the Tuftie flock close to the back of the Discovery Centre (Garry Armstrong).

Adult Iceland Gull again at Belfast Lough WoW Reserve (Leia Getty).

Lesser Yellowlegs still at Doon Bay on Rathlin. Also possible Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Great Skua and 25+ Purple Sandpipers (Ric Else / Hazel Watson).

An Iceland Gull also at Doon Bay, Rathlin (Bird Information Services).

The adult Ring-billed Gull remains at the Round O, Enniskillen (Ronan Owens).

An adult Iceland Gull at Torr Head near Ballycastle this evening (Sorrell Lyal).

Black Redstart still at Whitehead, with Greenland Whitefront and a Pinkfoot at Steele’s Point, Islandmagee (Cameron Moore).

Harlequin still at Magheraorarty Pier, Co Donegal also 2 Long-tailed Duck (Michael O’Clery).

Harlequin and Long-tailed Duck, Michael O’Clery:

Iceland Gull, Leia Getty & Sorrel Lyal:

Bird News Friday 27th March 2027

Four Mediterranean Gulls were at RSPB WoW (Jake Grant).

Oriental Turtle Dove was seen flying behind 33 towards 39 Harmony Hill, Lisburn at 1120 (Adrian Allen).

Bird News Thursday 26th March 2026

The Oriental Turtle Dove was seen again at Harmony Hill in Lisburn. (Chris Murphy).

The Black Redstart was still at Whitehead seafront. (NIOC, Jim Wells).

3 Mediterranean Gulls were at Belfast  Lough RSPB WoW Reserve. (Derek Polley). The first Common Tern of the year was also present. (Maurice McNeely).

The Harlequin Duck is still at Magheraroarty Pier in Donegal. (Molly Bell).

3 Red Throated Divers were off Larne Leisure Centre. 2 Great Northern Divers were off Glenarm, a summer plumaged Red Throated Diver was in Glenarm bay, a Great Northern Diver wad off Carnlough and 2 Sandwich Terns were off Fisherman's Pier in Carrickfergus. (Garry Wilkinson)

A Mediterranean Gull was at Lurgan Park Lake. (Suzanne Belshaw).

Oriental Turtle Dove, Aiden Kelly, (Taken yesterday).

Mediterranean Gull, Suzanne Belshaw.

Bird News Wednesday 26th March 2026

The Oriental Turtle Dove was seen again at Harmony Hill at 4:10 (Aidan Kelly)

The drake Harlequin Duck was again at Magheroarty. 

Bird News Tuesday 24th March 2026

At Inch in Donegal a Curlew Sandpiper was on the flooded field behind the hide, also 400+ Whoopers. On the levels were one Pinkfoot and a Russian Whitefront. (Chris Ingram).

Three Sandwich Terns were at Carnalea near Bangor. (Derek Polley).

A single Barn Swallow briefly at Church Island, Lough Beg, also two Little Gulls still present. (David Steele).

Bird News Monday 23rd March 2026

A male Ruff was at the Quoile Pondage this morning. (Dan Baillie)

The male Ring-necked Duck was at the south end of Lough Beg this morning, also a skein of c.115 Greenland White-fronted Geese flying north high overhead. Two Little Gull and a House Martin were also present (David Steele).

Single Pinkfoot still with Whoopers and Greylags, Nutgrove, Down. Viewed from Faranfad Rd (Chris Murphy)

Bird News Sunday 22nd March 2026

The Oriental Turtle Dove was seen again at Harmony Hill in Lisburn. (Michael Latham).

Yesterday the Black Redstart was still at Whitehead seafront. (Cameron Moore).

The Harlequin Duck and 2 Long-tailed Duck are still present inside Magheroarty Pier, Co. Donegal. (Kevin Cronin).

Nine Twite were at Kearney. (Daniel Newton).

A male Ring-necked Duck was seen distantly at Portmore. (Ivan Quail).

One of the Little Gulls was off Strand Island view point, Lough Beg. (Daniel Newton).

An adult Bonaparte’s Gull is with the Black-headed Gull flock at Church Island, Lough Beg. (David Steele).

A Great White Egret was just off the hide at Portmore. (Aidan Donohoe)

On Wednesday afternoon a Barn Owl was seen on the Shore Road approaching Strangford, it flew from Isle O Valla across the road towards the shore. (Roisin Scullion).

Two Sandwich Terns were at the mouth of Larne Lough. (Dave Craig).

The adult Ring-billed Gull was still at the Round "O" in Enniskillen. (Ronan Owens).

Black Redstart, Cameron Moore. 

Oriental Turtle Dove, Michael Latham.

Bird News Saturday 21st March 2026

A drake Ring-necked Duck is with Pochard at Craigavon North Lake (Conor McCoy)

Four House Martins where at the Leisure Centre at Craigavon Lakes (Aidan Donohoe)

11 Glossy Ibis and a Green Sandpiper were seen on a boat trip at Lough Beg (Michael Latham)

Seven Swallows were seen at Ballycastle (Tomás Hand)

A Great White Egret was in the fields behind Nicholl’s Garage, Toome (Michael Latham)

There again were no sightings of the Oriental Turtle Dove despite extensive searching.

Glossy Ibis, Lough Beg, Michael Latham:

Drake Ring-necked Duck, Ed O’Hara: