nibirds

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).

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:

Bird News Friday 20th March 2026

A Bittern showed briefly again at Inch in Donegal, 3 Ruff and a Swallow were also present. (Chris Ingram). A 2nd Bittern was subsequentially seen in flight. (Chris Ingram, Theo Campbell).

A Brambling was at Windmill Road in Hillsborough. (Stephen Bingham, Garry Wilkinson).

A sub adult White Tailed Eagle going NNE over Springwell Forest near Coleraine. (Clive Mellon).

A single Pinkfoot was still with Greylags and Whoopers at Annadorn near Seaforde. (Maurice McNeely).

A Slavonian Grebe and a Sandwich Tern were off Kinnegar shore in Belfast Lough. (Stuart Cossey).

The Harlequin Duck is still showing well from Magheraroarty Pier, Co. Donegal (Victor Caschera).

Two adult Little Gulls still at Church Island, Lough Beg, also two Great Northern Divers and 144 Pintail. (David Steele).

Flock of eleven Glossy Ibis, Toome-end of Lough Beg at sunset, presumably same as seen on 25th February, restless but eventually settled in dense trees with egrets, so likely roosting there. (David Steele).

The Black Redstart was still at Whitehead seafront, a female Brambling was in a garden in Whitehead, there was no sign of the male Brambling. (Cameron Moore)

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

The Oriental Turtle Dove was not seen today.

Black Redstart, Cameron Moore.

Female Brambling, Cameron Moore.

Bird News Thursday 19th March 2026

The drake Harlequin Duck was again at Magheroarty Pier this morning.

The Oriental Turtle Dove only put in a brief appearance at 5:35pm (Eric Dempsey)

3 Mediterranean Gull were at RSPB WoW (Derek Polley)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was at Castlewellan Forest Park (Shelagh Henry)

Chiffchaff are now widely reported.

Bird News Wednesday 18th March 2026

The Oriental Turtle Dove was seen again at Harmony Hill in Lisburn. (Robert Vaughan, Derek Brennan).

On the east side of Strangford Lough 33 Slavonian Grebe (28 in Greyabbey Bay and 5 north of Newtownards Sailing Club). Also 10 Great-northern Diver off Horse Island. A Ruff was still present in flooded fields north of Kirkiston yesterday. (Richard Weyl).

The Harlequin Duck is still at Magheroarty Pier in Donegal. (Peter Phillips).

2 Great White Egrets are at the rear of Nichols garage Toomebridge in a flooded field. (Philip West).

9 Snow Bunting were at Slieve Bearnagh summit, Co, Down. (Darren Ellis).

The Ferruginous Duck is still at Ballysaggart Lough. (Robert Vaughan).

The Brambling was seen again in a garden in Whitehead. The Greenland Whitefront was seen again in Steele's Point, Islandmagee. (Cameron Moore).

The Chough was seen again on Copeland, it has a blue or green ring, 2 Swallows were also present. (Richard Donaghey, James McNair).

Three Red-throated Divers were at Ballyholme Esplanade in Bangor. (Paul Hunter)

The first Wheatear of the year was at Donaghadee. (Stephen Foster).

Ferruginous Duck, Robert Vaughan.