Bird News Friday 24th August

Yesterday the Snowy Owl (male) was showing again between 0900 - 1130 on Arranmore Island - between the twin lakes and Frenchmans Hill. Also 13 Chough, Merlin, 5 Arctic Terns on the island. Also150 Dunlin, 5 Knot, 100 Sanderling and 100 Ringed Plover at Ballyness Bay / Magheroarty (Oscar Campbell, Nick Moran, Eric Palmer)

Last weekend an escaped Gyr x Saker was re-captured on Tory Island! Thanks to Brad Robson for the pic of the bird below.          

2 Balearic Shearwater and an Arctic Skua were at Portstewart Point. At Lough Foyle 2 Little Stint were at Myroe (Matthew Tickner).     

Belfast Harbour Lagoon had the juvenile Black Tern, a Little Gull, 3 Ruff and 3 Greenshank, see pictures below. (Gerard McGeehan, Oscar Campbell, Kerry Leonard, Stephen Maxwell).

The Ring-billed Gull was still at Groomsport, see picture below.

A seawatch at Torr Head between 11.20 and 2.00 produced one Great Skua, 1 Fulmar and 40 Gannet. (John Mckillop).       

At Lough Beg 9 Ruff were on the spit at Mullagh (Ricky Hunter).   

Thanks to Alan Gallagher for the picture of the Long-tailed Tit, Brad Robson for the falcon picture and Stephen Maxwell for the pictures of the Black Tern and the Ring-billed Gull. You can see more pictures of NI birds at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk.