Garden Warbler

Garden Warbler is a rare breeding bird in NI, largely confined to parts of Fermanagh and usually close to water. This year many birders in the east of the province got the chance to catch up with a male that was at Stranmillis, Belfast. However Rick Hoy caught a bird this morning in his ringing patch on the Bann, close to the University of Ulster at Coleraine. The bird is a juvenile and was carrying significant fat reserves. A very good local patch find! Many thanks to Rick for the photos below: