Bird News Friday 7th August 2026

Single Ruff amongst hundreds of Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit at Belfast Lough WoW (Stuart Cossey).

Adult Baird’s Sandpiper, Sheskinmore Lough, Co Donegal.

A Red Kite was over Baileysmill, between Ballynahinch & Lisburn, this morning (Andrew Upton).

Little Stint at Blanketnook, Donegal (Chris Ingram, Theo Campbell).

Single Great White Egret at Glynn with 2 at Magheramorne (Chris Holland, Warren Fowles).

Osprey from the Castle Island hide at the Quoile (Dermot Hughes).

3 Spotted Flycatchers at Kelly’s Wood near St John’s Point (Ann Feltham).

Green Sandpiper, small pond behind Downpatrick golf driving range (Chris Murphy).

Bird News Thursday 6th August 2026

3 Green Sandpiper were at the Blackstaff, Dundrum. St John’s point had a family of Spotted Flycatcher and a singing Stock Dove in Kelly’s Wood. A juvenile Whinchat was towards the old church on the left. (Dermot Hughes)

An Osprey was seen flying southeast past Ballee High School Ballymena at 1630 - possibly following the River Main to Lough Neagh (Richard Gray)

The best at RSPB WoW was a Common Sandpiper (Derek Polley)

The adult Pectoral Sandpiper was again at Lough Beg. Seven Ruff were also present (David Steele)

A Wheatear was at Coney Island, Co Down (Chris Murphy)

A high count of 2200 moulting Eider were off Macedon Point, Belfast Lough (Stuart McKee)

One, possibly two Quail were calling at the north end of Carse Road, Ballykelly (Martin Deehan)

Pectoral Sandpiper, David Steele:

Bird News Wednesday 5th August 2026

 A migrant Wheatear was at the Floodgates at Newtownards. (Bob Watts).

The Pectoral Sandpiper was seen again at Lough Beg this evening. (David Steele).

Bird News Tuesday 4th August 2026

Arctic Skua south past Galboly in misty conditions (David Steele).

2 Common Sandpipers Barton Bay (Richard Caves).

Osprey still at the Barmouth (Jim Wells et al).

Common Sandpiper, Richard Caves:

Bird News Monday 3rd August 2026

The adult Pectoral Sandpiper was still off Church Island, Lough Beg, with Lapwings. There was no sign of the Little Ringed Plover. (David Steeel)

Three Mediterranean Gull were at Groomsport (Bob Watts)

The Osprey has again been reported from the Bann Estuary.

Bird News Sunday 2nd August 2026

A Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper and 2 Common Sandpipers were off Croaghan hide at Oxford Island. (Garry Armstrong).

A Whimbrel was at Kearney. (Bob Watts).

A summer plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit was at Kinnegar shore. A Grasshopper Warbler was at Harbour meadows. (Stuart Cossey).

A Pectoral Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover were on the mudflat at Church Island, Lough Beg, keeping close company with an adult male Common Ringed Plover. (David Steele).

Pectoral Sandpiper, David Steele.

Little Ringed Plover, David Steele.

Bird News Saturday 1st August 2026

Fanad Head, Donegal, 0815-0945: 19 Cory’s Shearwaters, 3 Sooty Shearwaters, single Storm Petrel (Wilton Farrelly).

Great Shearwater from the Tory ferry.

Arctic Skua and juvenile Mediterranean Gull off Garron Point from Galboly (David Steele).

Bloody Foreland, Donegal 0720-1120: 120 Cory’s Shearwaters, 16 Sooty Shearwaters, 4 Long-tailed Skuas, 3 Pomarine Skuas, 3 Great Skuas, 2 Arctic Skuas, 4 Puffin, 7 Arctic Terns, Red-throated Diver, Manx Shearwaters moving at c2000 per hour (Derek Brennan, Ingrid Drumcoe, Ralph Shepphard, Chris Ingram).

Quail again at a private site in the Sperrins (Robert Vaughan).

Bird News Friday 31st July 2026

A first summer Hobby was seen in the Sperrins, close to the Glenroan Portal Tomb (Robert Vaughan)

Two Mediterranean Gulls were at Portrush East Strand car park (Stephen Riddell)

A Common Sandpiper was on the main lake at Castle Espie (Jonathan Clark)

An adult Ruff and 3 Common Sandpiper were at RSPB WoW (Gerard McGeehan)

A Kestrel was at Ballynoe, Downpatrick (Garry Wilkinson)

A Chough and two Rock Doves were at store Head (Thomas Cullen)

18 European Storm Petrel were seen from the Cairnryan to Larne ferry this evening (Steven Farquhar)

A juvenile Ruff was at Lough Beg this evening (David Steele)

Common Sandpiper, Jonathan Clark:

Bird News Thursday 30th July 2026

 The Osprey was still at the Bann Estuary this morning. (James McDowell, Searlas Anderson).

Last night a Quail was singing in fields behind Burnfoot near Inch in Donegal. (Derek Brennan).

A Red Kite flew over the A8 outside Ballyclare this morning. (Jemma Davies).

A Red Kite was on Colin Mountain (Belfast hills) at 10 15 this morning (Ivan Cullen).

A seawatch from Rocky Point in Donegal this morning, 8.20-10.50am, wind West F3-4, had 126 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 1 pale phase Pomarine Skua. Manx Shearwaters passing at roughly 1200/ hour. (John O'Boyle).

Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve had 4 Common Sandpipers, 3 Knot and 640+ Black-tailed Godwits. (Derek Polley).

A male Harrier species flew from the Saintfield direction over Carryduff this morning. (Philip West).

Osprey, Searlas Anderson.

Bird News Wednesday 29th July 2026

 Long-eared Owl in Larne garden (Peter McCausland).

Long-eared Owl, Peter McCausland:

Osprey, James McDowell:

Bird News Tuesday 28th July 2026

An Osprey was at the Bann Estuary this morning (Stephen Riddell)

A Common Sandpiper was at RSPB WoW (Bob Watts)

A Little Stint was at the Bann Estuary this afternoon (Gerard McGeehan)

A Spotted Flycatcher was at Ballypatrick Forest (Tomás Hand)

Twelve Ruff and five juvenile Greenshank were at Church Island, Lough Beg. Earlier at Banagher Forest West Gate, eight Crossbills and a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker were seen (David Steele)

Osprey, James McDowell:

Bird News Monday 27th July 2026

 Yesterday evening an Osprey was at the Bann Estuary. (James McDowell).

An Osprey flew south over Castle Espie this morning. (Jonny Clarke).

A Sooty Shearwater flew north west off Rathlin this morning. (Ric Else, Hazel Watson).

The Osprey was seen again at the Bann Estuary today. (Pat Hull, John Spottiswood).

The Quail is still calling from the wheat field opposite the big house on the road out to Ballyquintin Point. (Bob Watts).

Stock Doves were at Ringdufferin, Islandmore on Strangford Lough and Clea Lough. (Hugh Thurgate).

A single female Mandarin Duck was at Lough Beg this evening, thefirst observation of the species since last August which suggests arriving to complete post-breeding moulting. (David Steele).

Osprey, Jonny Clarke.