Bird News Saturday 18th April 2026

Pectoral Sandpiper at Lough Beg this evening. Also Ruddy Shelduck still, 30+ Whimbrel and 6 White Wagtails (David Steele).

Chough still on Copeland (David Stirling).

Whimbrel at Belfast Lough WoW Reserve (Daniel Newton).

Grasshopper Warbler calling from the Moira canal (Steven Fyffe).

The Harlequin continues at Magheraorarty Pier, Co Donegal (Michael O’Clery).

2cy Iceland Gull at the Bann Estuary, also 7 Whimbrel, Whooper Swan and White Wagtail ( John Spottiswood).

2 Long-tailed Ducks off Greenisland (Gerard McGeehan).

Cetti’s Warbler still signing from near NcNabbs, Killough (Chris Murphy).

Grasshopper Warbler reeling at Runkerry (Sean Gibson).

Lesser Yellowlegs still Rathlin (James McDowell). Also male Hen Harrier (Nick Richards).

15 Whimbrel, 3 Purple Sandpipers and 6 White Wagtails at Kearney, also a Painted Lady (Dermot Hughes).

Male Ring-necked Ducks at Crom, 5 Ring-necked Duck (male & 4 females) at Inishmore Lough, 2 female Ring-necked Ducks  at Belle Isle, 47 Whimbrel & 3 Ruff at Kilmore Quay (John Cusack).

2 Pinkfeet at Steele’s  Point, Larne Lough (Cameron Moore).

Iceland Gull, Stephen Riddell:

Bird News Friday 17th April 2026

 A Corncrake was on Tory yesterday. (Anton Meenan).

The Harlequin Duck is still off Magheraroarty Pier in Donegal. (Richard Smith).

12 Purple Sandpipers were at Salmon Rock beach in Portballintrae. (Richard Caves).

Inch in Donegal had 7 Ruff, a Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper and 25 White Wagtails. A Whimbrel was also at Blanket Nook. (Theo Campbell, Chris Ingram).

The immature White-tailed Eagle was seen again on the south shore of Lough Neagh. (Philip Blair).

A Red Kite was over Church Bay on Rathlin. (Dean Jones).

The Cetti's Warbler was still at Lough Cowey. (David Stirling).

A Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, 20+ Whimbrel and 2 White Wagtails were at Lough Beg this evening. (David Steele).

Harlequin Duck, David Hill.

Purple Sandpipers, Richard Caves.

Little Ringed Plover, David Steele.

Bird News Thursday 16th April 2026

Yesterday on Rathlin Hen Harrier, 2 Common Sandpipers and a few Purple Sandpipers (Ric Else / Hazel Watson).

Cuckoo heard at Stranmillis, S Belfast (Anna Evans).

6 Mediterranean Gulls at Belfast Lough WoW (Jake Grant).

Whimbrel from the Barmouth hide (Richard Caves).

Cetti’s Warbler near McNabbs depot, Downpatrick Road, Killough (David Clarke).

Lesser Yellowlegs still on Rathlin also Twite, Great Skua, Whimbrel and a few Purple Sandpipers (Hazel Watson / Ric Else).

Adult Dark-bellied Brent Goose in flock of 300+ Pale-bellied feeding on potatoes dumped on the shore at Mill Bay, Carlingford Lough. Also a Whimbrel at Dundrum South Inner Bay (David Nixon).

Whimbrel, Richard Caves:

Bird News Wednesday 15th April 2026

The drake Harlequin Duck is still at Magheroarty Pier, Donegal (Chris Ingram)

Grasshopper Warblers are been widely reported. One was by the Amelia Aerhart Centre in Ballyarnett Country Park, Derry (Searlas Anderson). 3 were reeling this morning at Portballintrae. One where Stephen Riddell reported yesterday and 2 at brambles near Runkerry House (Martin Deehan)

A Cuckoo( seen & heard) was at Carrickawick, Co Fermanagh (Colin Bell)

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Tomás Hand:

Bird News Tuesday 14th April 2026

A Grasshopper Warbler was along the boardwalk at Portballintrae. (Stephen Riddell).

A Common Sandpiper was by the Sainsbury's store at Pennyburn in Derry. (Searlas Anderson).

Grasshopper Warbler, Stephen Riddell).

Common Sandpiper, Searlas Anderson.

Bird News Monday 13th April 2026

Harlequin still showing well early afternoon at Magheraorarty Pier (Bird Information Services).

Whimbrel at Bann Estuary (John Clarke).

Jackdaw showing white collar resembling Nordic race at Antrim ASDA (Mark Smyth).

Bird News Sunday 12th April 2026

The best at Kearney were 15 White Wagtails (Philip West)

The drake Ruddy Shelduck was again with the Shelduck flock at Lough Beg (Daniel Newton)

A Cettis Warbler and Reed Warbler were at Lough Cowey (PW, GA, BW, WF)

3 Ring-necked Duck and a Scaup were at Inishmore Rd, Upper Lough Erne. A Great White Egret was at Kilmore Quay (John Cusack)

20+ White Wagtails were at Lough Beg (David Steele)

A Cuckoo was heard at Crom Estate, Co Fermanagh today (Maria Mulholland and Joel Gurney)

A Common Tern was at RSPB Portmore (K Simpson)

Ruddy Shelduck, Daniel Newton:

Ruddy Skelduck, David Steele:

Bird News Saturday 11th April 2026

The Iceland Gull is still at the Bann Estuary. (John Clarke).

The Harlequin Duck is still at Magheraroarty in Donegal. (Birdguides).

Five Great Northern Divers including two in nearly full summer plumage off the Cushenilt lay-by, Red Bay (opposite salmon cages). (David Steele).

The Lesser Yellowlegs is still on Rathlin today. Also present were a Whimbrel, Greenshank, 20+ Purple Sandpipers, 2 Twite and 10 White Wagtails. (Ric Else, Hazel Watson).

Wheatear, Michael Latham.

Bird News Friday 10th April 2026

Sedge Warbler singing at Castle Espie WWT this morning (Jonathan Clark).

Crossbills at Ballycarton Woods (John Clarke).

A Tundra Bean Goose amongst Pinkfeet at Blanket Nook and 20 White Wagtails at Inch, Co Donegal (Chris Ingram).

Yesterday 2 Great White Egrets at Portmore Lough (John Cusack).

Bird News Thursday 9th April 2026

Yesterday 15 White Wagtail were on Rathlin along with a Pink-Footed Goose and a Crossbill (Ric Else)

15 Purple Sandpiper were on Rathlin today (Ric Else)

The drake Harlequin Duck was still at Magheroarty Pier (BirdGuides)

Bird News Wednesday 8th April 2026

A pair of Garganey are on Craigavon North Lake. (Ed O'Hara).

Yesterday a Common Sandpiper was seen flying north at Ardglass. (Chris Murphy).

The Harlequin Duck is still off Magheraroarty Pier. (Molly Bell).

3 White Wagtails were at Portballintrae. (Stephen Riddell).

A White Wagtail was at Rinigree. (John Clarke).

Two summer plumaged Slavonian Grebes were off Blanket Nook in Donegal. (Theo Campbell, Chris Ingram).

2 or 3 Tundra Bean Geese amongst 180 Pinkfeet at Blanket Nook in Donegal. (Chris Ingram, Theo Campbell).

A Common Sandpiper, 6 House Martins and several White Wagtails were on Rathlin yesterday. (Ric Else).

A Russian Whitefronted Goose is still present at Inch in Donegal.(Chris Ingram, Derek Brennan, Theo Campbell).

The Lesser Yellowlegs is still on Rathlin. (Birdguides).

Garganey, Daniel Newton.

Wheatear, Cameron Moore.

Bird News Tuesday 7th April 2026

White-tailed Eagle over Todd’s Corner, Lough Neagh being mobbed by crows flew towards Reedy Flats (David McCreedy).

Same White-tailed Eagle seen at the south end of Lough Beg this evening. Also Ruddy Shelduck still with Common Shelducks on western shore and a single Great Northern Diver (David Steele).

Hirundines at Runkerry Beach included 58 Sand Martins (Garry Wilkinson).

Common Tern at Ballygally Bay (Paula Campbell).

2nd calendar year Iceland and Mediterranean Gulls on the Bann Estuary this evening (John Spottiswood).

Harlequin Duck still from Magheraorarty Pier, Co Donegal also a Great Northern Diver (Stephen Davis).

White-tailed Eagle, David McCreedy: 

Iceland Gull, John Spottiswood: