Bird News Sunday 8th January

The Black Redstart was still at Whitehead along with up to 22 Twite (Gerard McGeehan \ Clive Mellon) See pictures below.

The drake Ring-Necked Duck was showing well on the lake at NT Castle Ward, Co Down (Wilton Farrelly)

Three Ruff were at Dundrum Inner Bay (Ian Graham)

The Spoonbill was again at Castle Espie (Kevin Kirkham-Brown)

A Brambling and 5 Yellowhammer were in a large finch flock on the road down to the Quoile (Wilton Farrelly)

Two Red Grouse were on Slieve Donard (Edward Cooper)

The drake Surf Scoter and 3 Velvet Scoter were at  Murvagh, Donegal (Brad Robson)

Three Carrion Crows were east of Fishermans Quay and another 2 at Glynn Railway Halt, with 4 Red-throated Divers there as well (Clive Mellon)

Twenty two Red-throated Divers and three Great Northern Divers were off Newcastle (Garry Armstrong)

2 Gadwall were at Galwally Lake, south Belfast. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were in Belvoir near the sewage plant. Yesterday an adult Med Gull was at Newcastle at the river outflow on the beach and there were 7 Goosanders on Lough Island Reavy (Dermot Hughes)

A second winter Iceland Gull was on the shore from the small car park at Lough Shore Park, Belfast Lough (Stuart McKee)

2 Red Grouse were today at Breesy Hill, close to Belleek. Also 2 male Goosander were at Assaroe Lake Ballyshannon (Annette Elkin)

A male Gadwall was among Mallards in Mill Bay, Rathlin Island. A Great Northern Diver was also present (Patrick Barton)

12 Purple Sandpipers were at Portrush. A first winter Iceland Gull was at Corbally Reservoir (Gerard McGeehan / Shirley Dunlop)

Blackcaps are now widely reported from gardens. This male was photographed by Lindsay Hodges in a garden in Dundonald:

Thanks to Cecil Smyth for this pic of the Black Redstart and Twite: