Bird News Sunday 25th October

A Great White Egret was at Ballycarry Bridge, Larne Lough (Nicky & Ivan, Cameron Moore)

The Ring-necked Duck & 15 fly over Greenland White-fronts were at Lough Mourne, Co Antrim. A Slavonian Grebe was at Glynn (Neal Warnock)

A Wheatear and 2 Mediterranean Gulls (a 2nd winter and a 1st winter) were at Rossglass. A Kestrel, 2 Redpoll and a Goldcrest were at St John's Point. (Tim Murphy)

A juvenile Ring-necked Duck was at Lough Beg. The female type Smew was still present (David Steele)

A pair of Red Kites were flying over fields between Soldierstown Road, Aghalee and the Motorway. 9 Whooper Swans were with three young just past Gawleys Gate. (Ralph Walker)

The Pink-footed Goose and a Barnacle Goose were a mile north of Ballycarry Bridge on the Island Magee side. (Cameron Moore)

A Short-eared Owl was near Ballymacormick  Lagoon this afternoon (Colin Guy)

Martin Garner - Many of our readers will be familiar with Martin from his time living here in NI with Sharon and the girls. Martin found many rarities in NI, regularly contributes on local bird ID (even on species that are not rare!), is a member of the NIBARC, and through his Birding Frontiers blog provides many though provoking articles. Some of you will also know that Martin has recently been ill. He has however provided a public update on his condition at http://bigddt.com/2015/10/24/i-got-stuff-to-do/ 

We all wish him and his family well in the difficult period ahead.

Thanks to Cameron Moore for the pics of the Great White Egret: