Bird News Tuesday 4th December

The drake Ring-necked Duck was back at Lough Money today.

2 Waxwings and a Fieldfare were in a private garden at Cyprus Park Belfast this am feeding on apple tree (Danny Boyd)

A male Brambling was visiting a feeder off the Lisburn Road, Belfast (Dave Allen)

20 Waxwing were still at Groomsport but mobile and flighty. The adult Ring-billed Gull was at the harbour. 80 Whooper Swan were at Islandhill and 3/4 in fields west of there. 3 Little Egret, a female Sparrowhawk, Greenshank, 12 Grey Plover, 50 Bar-tailed Godwit, 200 Dunlin and 500 Knot were at Castle Espie (Derek Polley)

20 Waxwing were along Abbey Drive in Bangor but again were mobile (Dot Blakely)

4 Waxwing were in a garden at Nelson Drive in Derry (Theo Campbell)

The adult Ring-billed Gull was at Portrush East Strand and a very high count of 66 Purple Sandpiper at Portandoo near Ramore Head. Some late news was of 3 Waxwing in a garden in Portrush on 2nd, although 30 Waxwing were in Portrush for several days last week (Matthew Tickner)

A Great Northern Diver was in Glenarm bay this afternoon (Iris Millar)

You can report sightings of rare or scrce birds to us at: nibirds@live.co.uk

Thanks to Alistair Prentice for this pic of a Whooper and to Stuart McKee for this Buff-bellied Pipit shot (from a few weeks ago).

Whooper Swan - Alistair Prentice

Buff-bellied Pipit - Stuart McKee