Bird News Wednesday 21st August

RSPB WoW, Belfast had the Long-billed Dowitcher, a Roseate Tern and 7 Ruff (Gerard McGeehan)

Bird News Tuesday 20th August

Lough Foyle had a minimum of 62 Little Egret between Ballykelly Bank and Longfield Bank at high tide roosts (counted from train). (Ian Enlander).

Thanks to Noeni Bryars for the picture of the Ruff, to Thomas Campbell for the pictures of the Reed and Sedge Warblers and to Cecil Smyth for the pictures of the Spotted Flycatcher and the Mistle Thrush:

Bird News Monday 19th August.

The Long-billed Dowitcher is still present at the RSPB WOW reserve in Belfast along with two Whimbrel.(Stuart McKee)

The Long-billed Dowitcher, 6 Ruff, 2 Ringed Plover, a Little Egret and 2 Snipe were observed mid afternoon at RSPB WOW. (Noeni Bryars)

An adult Mediterranean Gull was at Foyle Port Marina in Derry early evening (John Spottiswood)

Our thanks to Terry Hanna for the stunning photo of the Red Kite and also to Jonathan Clark for the Common Sandpiper which he took at the RSPB WoW reserve

Bird News Sunday 18th August

10 Ruff were at Sandy Bay, near Portmore, Lough Neagh (Michael Latham)

A Balearic Shearwater was off the West Light, Rathlin this afternoon (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

The Long-billed Dowitcher was still at RSPB WoW along with 3 Ruff and a Merlin (Gerard McGeehan / Shirley Dunlop)

140 Sooty Shearwaters went past Melmore Head, Co Donegal during the course of the day, along with two Great Shearwaters in the morning, plus a Sabine's Gull, Pomarine Skua and 850 Manxies. Only 4 Great and 3 Arctic Skua were seen. (Oscar Campbell)

Thanks to Michael Latham for a picture of Ruff in Sandy Bay:

Bird News Saturday 17th August

2 Common Sandpipers were at Kinnegar pool this afternoon. (Kevin Kirkham).

7 Storm Petrels were off Burial Island on the Outer Ards. (Richard Weyl).

2 Red Kites including one with a blue #67 tag were near Donacloney, see picture below. (Mark Elliott).

6 Sooty Shearwaters Melmore Head in Donegal this morning. (Oscar Campbell).

The Long-billed Dowitcher was at Belfast WOW reserve this afternoon. (Stuart McKee)

Thanks to Mark for the picture of the Red Kite, to Thomas Campbell for the pictures of the Sandwich Tern and the Black-tailed Godwit and to Kevin Kirkham for the picture of the Common Sandpiper:

Bird News Friday 16th August

A Green Sandpiper was present yesterday evening on a farm pond at Megargy, outside Magherafelt. (Godfrey McRoberts)

The Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail was at Oxford Island again this afternoon. (Garry Armstrong).

A Common Sandpiper was at Kinnegar Pools and there was a Ruff at Belfast WOW this evening. (Michael Latham).

Our thanks to Cameron Moore for this pic of a Mediterranean Gull, one of three seen of Whitehead. Also to Garry Armstrong for the Wagtail photo and to Michael Latham for the picture of the Common Sandpiper.

Bird News Thursday 15th August

On Rathlin a juvenile Sabine's Gull was off Rue Point and the first Little Egret on the island this year was at Ushet Lough. (Hazel Watson & Ric Else).

The Long-billed Dowitcher and a Greenshank were at Belfast WOW reserve this afternoon. (Stephen Maxwell) The Dowitcher was still present this evening along with four Ruff.

2 Red Grouse were on Cuilcagh Mountain, Co Fermanagh (Brad Robson)

Bird News Wednesday 14th August

The Long-billed Dowitcher, a Ruff, 22 Knot and an adult Mediterranean Gull were at Kinnegar this afternoon. Belfast WOW reserve this morning had 3 Ruff, 5 Sanderling, a Greenshank and a Pochard. (Neal Warnock).

Thanks to Mervyn Campbell for the picture of the Wheatear and to Neal Warnock for the picture of the Ruff:

Bird News Tuesday 13th August

The Long-billed Dowitcher was still at RSPB WoW.

Two Roseate Terns were also at RSPB WoW (Mervyn Campbell)

Thanks to Mervyn Campbell for this pic of a Roseate between two Common Terns:

Bird News Monday 12th August

There has been no sign of the Stilt Sandpiper on Rathlin this morning and the bird is presumed to have departed (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

4 Roseate Tern where off Whitehead this morning.(Ian Enlander)

The Long-billed Dowitcher was still present this evening at RSPB WoW (Daniel Newton)
Also at WoW where 200-300 Curlew,a Greenshank,a Ruff and a Snipe.(Noeni Bryars)


A male Hen Harrier was seen just outside Brougshane.(Peter McAllister)

Our thanks to Stephen Dunbar for  this pic of a Twite.Also to Thomas Campbell for the Common Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper

An adult Stilt Sandpiper is in Church Bay, Rathlin early evening (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

Blue-headed Wagtail

The Blue-headed Wagtail was present at Oxford Island up to 6.30 this evening and we have received many pictures a selection of which are below:

Michael Henderson

Ed O'Hara

Danny Gibson

Michael Latham

Mark Killops

Paul & Niall Muvenna

Bird News Sunday 11th August

The Blue-headed Wagtail was again at Oxford Island Discovery Centre (Ed O’Hara, Mick Henderson and Co McQuillan)

Three Roseate Tern were at Whitehead sea front (Cameron Moore)

The Long-billed Dowitcher and a juvenile Ruff were at RSPB WoW (Daniel Newton)

A Wood Sandpiper and two Ruff were at the Bann Estuary (Wilton Farrelly)

Between Ballykelly and Myroe there were 18 Mediterranean Gulls (Stuart McKee)

Two Arctic Skua were off Castlerock. A Twite was in the dunes (John Spottiswood)

Thanks to Cameron Moore for the pictures of the Roseate Tern and the Kittiwake:

Bird News Saturday 10th August

The Long-billed Dowitcher was still at RSPB WoW this morning (Daniel Newton)

A Tree Pipit was at Kinramer, Rathlin this morning. (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

Burial Island, Co Down had an Arctic Skua and a Storm Petrel. (Richard Weyl)

Three Ruff and six Mediterranean Gull were at Myroe this afternoon (Brian Murphy)

An Arctic Skua was chasing terns off the Barmouth this evening. (John Spottiswood)