Islay Boat Trip

 There are two seats available for the boat trip to Islay on Saturday 1st March. There are currently 32,000 Barnacle Geese on the island plus good numbers of Sea Eagles, Chough and Twite'. Contact Jim Wells on 07856235144 for full details.

Bird News Monday 17th February 2025

 The Avocet was still at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve this morning. A Mediterranean Gull was following the Stena ferry but there was no sign of the Iceland Gull. (Bob Watts).

A Black-necked Grebe and a Great White Egret were at Reedy Flats. (Clifford Sharpe).

A male Ring-necked Duck is on Craigavon Lakes. (Noreen Foster).

A Green Sandpiper was along River Maine at Slaght outside Ballymena this evening, two female Goosanders were also present. (David Steele).

Ring-necked Duck, Stephen Foster.



Bird News Sunday 16th February 2025

Adult Iceland Gull at Belfast Lough WoW Reserve (Michael Latham). Avocet again mid afternoon (Daniel Newton).

1st winter Glaucous Gull at Portstewart promenade this morning (Stephen & Donna Riddell).

Drake Red-crested Pochard still at Lurgan Park Lake (Steven Fyffe).

No sign of White-billed Diver 0930-1500 Galboly (Garry Armstrong et al).

Whimbrel still wintering on Rathlin also 8 Purple Sandpipers (Ric Else).

Glaucous Gull, Donna Riddell:


Iceland Gull, Michael Latham:





Bird News Saturday 15th February 2025

The Black Redstart was still at Portstewart this morning. (Stephen Riddell).

The Iceland Gull was off the back of the Stena Ferry into Belfast Harbour again. (Daniel Newton).

At least 14 purple sandpiper visible at the Portrush coastal zone. (Aaron Long).

The female Ring-necked Duck was still on Corbally Reservoir outside Portrush. (Aaron Long).

The male Smew was still at Todds Corner, Ardmore on the south shore of Lough Neagh. The Red-crested Pochard is still at Lurgan Park Lake. (Martin Deehan).

The Avocet is still at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve. (Daniel Newton/Jonny Clark).

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

A Black Redstart was at New Quays carpark in Portavogie. (David Stirling).

An adult Mediterranean Gull was at Whitehouse Lagoon. (Ian Enlander).

Ring-billed Gull, Matthew Dean.


Iceland Gull, David McCreedy.





Avocet, Paul Hunter.





Bird News Friday 14th February 2025

The Avocet remains at Belfast RSPB WoW Reserve. Adult Iceland Gull flew onto reserve and still present 1121 at least then foraging behind ferry Belfast Harbour late afternoon (David McCreedy / Kevin Maguire / Stuart Cossey).

4 Great White Egrets, Spotted Redshank, 2 Ruff and 36 Pintail at Lough Beg (David Steele).

The leucistic Great Black-backed Gull is still at Ardglass Harbour (Chris Murphy).

Iceland Gull, David McCreedy:





Bird News Thursday 13th February 2025

The White-billed Diver was seen again close inshore from the layby at Galboly this afternoon. (David Steele). 

The Avocet was at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve again this morning. (Laura Kerr).

The Black Redstart is still around the bandstand in Portstewart this morning. (John Spottiswood).

An adult Iceland Gull was feeding with Black-headed Gulls at the Stena terminal in Belfast Lough. (Dermot Hughes).

The Great White Egret was at Portmore Lough RSPB reserve. (Zach & Alastair Prentice).

White-billed Diver, David Steele.



Avocet, Laura Kerr.



Bird News Wednesday 12th February 2025

The Black Redstart was still present at Killough c11am (Warren Fowles).

Drake Red-crested Pochard remains at Lurgan Park Lake (Jim Wells).

Drake Smew still at ToddsCorner, near Ardmore on the southern shore of Lough Neagh (Jim Wells).

Avocet again at Belfast Lough WoW RSPB Reserve this afternoon (Scott Boyd /Gerard McGeehan).

6+ Goosander (2m 4f) along River Maine at Slaght near Ballymena (David Steele).

Bird News Tuesday 11th February 2025

 The Black Redstart is still at Portstewart this morning. (Stephen Riddell).

One of the Black Redstarts was showing well on the beach at the south end of Killough. There is the possibility that the second bird could also have been present. (David Nixon, Anne Feltham).

The Great White Egret was at Portmore Lough RSPB this afternoon. (Jim Wells).

Black Redstart, Stephen Riddell.



Bird News Monday 10th February 2025

Drake Smew still at Todd’s Corner, Ardmore on the south shore of Lough Neagh (Aaron Long).

Bird News Sunday 9th February 2025

The male Smew was still at Todds Corner, Ardmore on the south shore of Lough Neagh. (Daniel Newton).

The Great White Egret was still off Croaghan hide at Oxford Island. (David Steele, Stuart McKee).

The Black Redstart was seen briefly this morning before flying off. The female Ring-necked Duck was still at Corbally Reservoir.  (Brian Hegarty).

The  Black Redstart was still at Killough and 3 Grey Plover at Green Island, Dundrum. (Michael Latham).

A Mediterranean Gull was at Kinnegar shore. (Kevin Kirkham).

A Stock Dove was at the Floodgates in Newtownards. (Bob Watts).

The Red-crested Pochard was still at Lurgan Park Lake. (Tom Garner).

Black Redstart, Michael Latham.


Leucistic Great Black-backed Gull, Michael Latham.


Mediterranean Gull, Kevin Kirkham.



Bird News Saturday 8th February 2025

The Black Redstart is still at Portstewart this morning. Merlin at Magheracross. (Stephen Riddell).

2 Slavonian Grebes off Kinnegar Shore (Daniel Newton).

Drake Smew off  Todd’s Corner, Ardmore Point. Stock Dove and female Merlin at Reedy Flats (Michael Latham).

Drake Red-crested Pochard still at Lurgan Park Lake (Richard Maxwell).

Mediterranean Gull Groomsport (Bob Watts).

Adult Mediterranean Gull at the north end of Donaghadee Beach (David Nixon).

Female Ring-necked Duck still Corbally Reservoir (Aaron Long).

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Shandon Park Golf Club, Belfast (Philip Cullen). 

Slavonian Grebes, Daniel Newton:


Red-crested Pochard, Richard vMaxwell:




Bird News Friday 7th February 2025

 An adult Iceland Gull was foraging behind an arriving ferry in Belfast Lough. (Stuart Cossey).

The Red-crested Pochard is still at Lurgan Park Lake. (David McCreedy).

A possible Golden Eagle was seen flying over Ballyboley Forest this morning. (Roger Woodward).

The male Ring-necked Duck was still off Long Point at Lough Beg. (David Steele).

A Mediterranean Gull was on Kinnegar shore in Belfast Lough. (Daniel Newton).

Red-crested Pochard, Ed O'Hara.


Red-crested Pochard, David McCreedy.



Ring-necked Duck, David Steele.


Mediterranean Gull, Daniel Newton.



Bird News Thursday 6th February 2025

Black Redstart still at Portstewart Bandstand but mobile (Robert Plant). 

Drake Smew still at Todd’s Corner, Lough Neagh and the drake Red-crested Pochard at Lurgan Park Lake (Robert Hughes).

30+ Twite still at Ramore Head (Stephen Riddell).

50+ Purple Sandpipers around the Coastal Zone, Portrush (Jules Fleming).

Twite, Stephen Riddell:



Smew, Richard Caves:





Purple Sandpiper, Juliet Fleming: