Bird News Friday 31st May

A Reed Warbler was singing early this morning at Kinnegar Pond beside the Holywood entrance to Belfast Harbour Estate. Sedge Warblers and a single Whitethroat were giving excellent views at the RSPB Conseravtion Area in the estate. (Gilly Irwin).

A Corncrake was calling in a field close to the La Mon House hotel in Castlereagh last night. (Jim Wells).

4 Yellowhammer, 2 Stonechat and 2 Whitethroat were at Camphill Community, Glencraig at Craigavad (Warren Rooney).

Thanks to today's photographers, to Mervyn Campbell for the picture of the Rock Pipit, to David Hill for the picture of the Shelduck ducklings, to Alitair Prentice for the picture of the Great Tit and to Tom McCreery for the picture of the Kingfisher. You can see more NI bird pictures at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

Bird News Thursday 30th May

An ad Golden Eagle was seen at the back of Capanagh to-day, it had no apparent wing tags.(Dermot Hudges)

The Tawny Owl at Castleward was calling on and off between 5 and 5:30pm (Derek Polley).

A Great-spotted Woodpecker was seen in Castlewellan forest park.(Adam McClure)

An Osprey was seen in Lisnaskea Co. Fermanagh. (Irish Birding)

At least two Reed Warblers were seen from the Kinegoe Hide, Oxford Island (Noel Austin)

A Greater Scaup and a Little Gull were at the Quoile Pondage (Tony Donaldson)

Our thanks to Christine Cassidy for this pic of a pair of Black Guillemots, Alistair Prentice for the Curlew in flight also to Stephen Maxwell for the male Blackcap and finally to Ed O'Hara for the Spotted Flycatcher, a bird that is sadly decreasing at an alarming rate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reed Warblers

Reed Warbler has been slowly expanding its range in NI. If you wish to see the birds locally, some of the best sites are Oxford Island, Lough Cowey and Kinnegar.

For photographic opportunities, Oxford Island is best. Many thanks to Ed O'Hara for the top pic and Noel Austin for the pic of the birds seeking nesting material. Both of these pics were taken at Oxford Island.

Bird News Wednesday 29th May

A Crane was reported from Derryvore, on the west side of the Lough, opposite Crom, Co Fermanagh last night. It was looked for this morning without success although it could still be present (Brad Robson)

A Pink-footed Goose was at Glynn. (William Smiton)

Two Spotted Flycatchers were at Tempo Park, Main Street, Tempo (Colin Bell)

The Snowy Owl is back on Aranmore Island, Co Donegal.

Thanks to William Smiton for this picture of the Pink-footed Goose and Alistair Prentice for the pair of Dunlin:

Bird News Tuesday 28th May

A Little Gull was at the Castle Island hide at the Quoile. (Craig Nash).

2 Reed Warblers were in the reed bed beside the Kinnego Hide at Oxford Island, see pictures below. (Ed O'Hara/Noel Austin).

A Waxwing was in a garden in Hillsborough. (Mandy Cromie/Paul McCullough).

Thanks to today's photographers, to Noel Austin for the first Reed Warbler picture and for the Common Tern picture, to Ed O'Hara for the second Reed Warbler picture, to Craig Nash for the Dunlin picture, to David Hill for the Chiffchaff picture, to Alistair Prentice for the Skylark picture, to Martina Boyle for the Black Guillemot and Fulmar pictures and to Stephen Maxwell for the atmospheric Raven picture. You can see more NI bird pictures at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

Bird News Monday 27th May.

3 pair of Reed Warbler were off the Kinnego hide at Oxford Island (Ed.O'Hara)

 

Whitehead seafront had an adult Med Gull + 1 wheatear this afternoon (Ian Enlander)

2 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear and a Jay were along Glenhead Road at Glenwherry (Richard Gray)

There has been no reports of the Subalpine Warbler, been seen to-day on Copeland Island.

Yesterday Briggs Rocks had 1 Brent Goose,  4 Whimbrel, 2 Sanderling, 1 Great Northern Diver,  1 Red-throated Diver and 1 Wheatear. Today it had 1 Red-throated Diver, 2 Wheatears and 3 Whimbrel (Colin Guy)

Our thanks to Alistair Prentice for this photo of a Stonechat. Bill Guiller for the Wheatear and to John Clarke for the young Long-eared Owl. Also to Ed. O'Hara for a pic of one of the Reed Warblers at Oxford Island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subalpine Warbler

Thanks to Shane Wolsey for the above picture of a first summer female Subalpine warbler, ringed today on Copeland, Co Down. An excellent find! This is the fourth record with the previous ones being:

1937 - An immature struck the Maidens lightstation, Co. Antrim on 13th June 1937

1967 - One was again trapped at Copeland Island Bird Observatory, Co. Down on 28th May 1967

1990 - A female was found by Dave Allen at Killough, Co. Down on 20th May 1990

Bird News Sunday 26th May

A first year female Subalpine Warbler was at Copeland Bird Observatory. (Shane Wolsey).

A Whinchat and a calling Cuckoo were at Capanagh Forest, Co Antrim, this morning. (Ron Price).

The Cattle Egret was still on the island at Hillsborough lake. In Co Fermanagh 4 Garden Warbler and a calling Cuckoo were at Crom. (Keith Bennett).

At least 3 Cuckoos' were heard at Murlough, Co Down this morning. (Kevin Kirkham-Brown).

A Pectoral Sandpiper was on Tory Island and the Curlew Sandpiper was still present. (Brad Robson).

The female Hen Harrier was hunting at Church Bay on Rathlin Island this morning. (Alistair Prentice).

 A Cuckoo was at Balyness Mountian, near Fivemiletown, Co Tyrone this afternoon. (Colin Bell).

A male Garganey and 3 Cuckoo were at Portmore Lough RSPB reserve this afternoon. 3 Reed Warblers were in the reed bed beside Kinnegoe Hide at Oxford Island this morning. (Ed O'Hara).

There were 2 male Scaup off the Castle Island hide at the Quoile. (Chris Henry).

Thanks to today's photographers, to Ed O'Hara for the picture of the Cuckoo from Portmore and the picture of the Black-tailed Godwit, to Stephen Maxwell for the picture of the Arctic Tern from Belfast Lough RSPB reserve, to Alistair Prentice for the picture of the Hen Harrier from Rathlin and for the picture of the Stonechat and to Lindsay Hodges for the picture of the Grey Heron and the picture of the Mute Swan defending its nest from all comers. You can see more NI bird pictures at

www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

Bird News Saturday 25th May

The Tawny Owl was calling at 4:45 and seen briefly at Castle Ward. (Maurice Hanafin, Seamus Enright). Please note that the Bread Festival is on today and the Van Morrison concert tomorrow!

A Sabine's Gull flew past Bloody Foreland this morning. Also 5 Black-throated Diver, 5 Great Northern Diver and a Storm Petrel past (Chris Ingram).

A 1st winter Little Gull was at Belfast Lough RSPB reserve, see picture below. (Ed O'Hara).

 A Cuckoo, a Peregrine, 3 Wheatear, a Buzzard and a Red Squirrel were in the Glenoo Mountain area, near Fivemiletown this morning. (Colin Bell).

A Cuckoo was at Murlough and a Whitethroat at Tyrella. (Tom & Zach McCreery).

Tory Island off Donegal today had an adult Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Mealy Redpoll, 2 Glaucous Gull, a Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff, a Redwing, a Goldcrest, 10 Whimbrel, 4 White Wagtail, a Great Skua and 3 Black-tailed Godwits. (Brad Robson).

A female Hen Harrier was on the east side of Rathlin this evening. (Alistair Prentice.)

At least two Great Spotted Woodpecker (probably three) were at Colebrooke in Fermanagh (Dave Allen, Clive Mellon et al).

  A boat trip up the Lagan today revealed many terns nesting on the disused quays and 2 Manx Shearwaters were off Loughshore Park in Belfast Lough this afternoon. (Roger Woodward).

Thanks to today's photographers, to Zach McCreery for the picture of the Meadow Pipit, to Ed O'Hara for the pictures of the Little Gull and the Black Guillemot and to Lindsay Hodges for the picture of the Bullfinches. You can see more NI bird pictures at  www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

 

Bird News Friday 24th May.

Not a lot of local news to-day, just some from Tory Island which had 1 ad Glaucous Gull, 2 pale phase Arctic Skua, 7 Corncrake, 17 White Wagtail, 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Whimbrel.(B.Robson)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was beside the towpath on the Red bridge end of Belvoir forest on Wednesday (Eamon O’carroll)

Our thanks to Christine Cassidy for this fine photo of a Wheatear.

 

Bird News Thursday 23rd May

The Cattle Egret was on the island at Hillsborough Lake at 1.20pm.see photo below.  (Lindsay Hodges)

Our thanks to Alistair Prentice for this photograph of a Raven. Also to Noel Austin for the Mistle Thrush and the House Martin and finally Lindsay Hodges photo of the Cattle Egret.

Bird News Wednesday 22nd May

The Tawny Owl was heard at Castle Ward tonight (Adam Middleton)

Coney Island near Killough had a Whimbrel, a Sanderling, a Wheatear, 3 Dunlin and 4 Ringed Plover. Tree Sparrows are nesting in a nest box in a Killough Garden. (Chris Murphy).

On Rathlin a Pomarine Skua was eating a Kittiwake below the RSPB observation point, a Peregrine was over Church Bay and a Raven was stealing Guillemot eggs on the west side of the island. (Alistair Prentice).

A first summer Little Gull was at Belfast Lough RSPB reserve. (Bird Guides).

The adult Mediterranean Gull x Black-headed Gull was still at Belfast Harbour Lagoon (Stuart McKee).

The White-tailed Eagle was to the north of Capanagh and 4 Buzzard and a Merlin at Agnew's Hill (Cameron Moore).

An Osprey was present on Monday and Tuesday on a farm pond just off Audley's Town Road between Castle Ward and Strangford Lough. (Craig Nash).

A Red Grouse was at Llendrum Windfarm near Fivemiletown this evening. (Colin Bell).

Yesterday 3 Cuckoo's were calling, one of them showing well, at Murlough.

Thanks to today's photographers, to Stephen Maxwell for the Tawny Owl pictures, to Alistair Prentice for the pictures of a Buzzard being mobbed by Ravens on Rathlin and to Angus Kennedy for the Cuckoo, Kestrel and Sedge Warbler pictures. You can see more NI bird pictures at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

 

Bird News Tuesday 21st May

The Tawny Owl is still present at the sunken garden in Castleward N.T. Strangford.

A Marsh Harrier was at Inishmore, Upper Lough Erne, Co Fermanagh (Giles Knight)

The Cattle Egret was seen going onto the island in Hillsborough Lake at 15.30 and was still present at 16.15.(Suzanne Belshaw)
 

The Little Gull was still at RSPB Belfast Harbour Reserve and the Med x BLack-headed Gull is still on the larger island.  A Cuckoo was also calling on the waste land opposite the reserve on Airport Road West (Chris Sturgenor)

Two Spotted Flycatchers and a male Yellow Wagtail were the best on Tory Island today (Davy Hunter)

 

 

Our thanks to Craig Nash for the two wonderful pics. of the Castleward Tawny Owl. Also to Noel Austin for his fine image of a White Wagtail.