Bird News Tuesday 28th March

At the Lough Beg ‘intake’ this morning there were c.500 Golden Plover, several singing Willow Warblers and a female Merlin flying north up the shoreline. (Paul Lynas).

5 Wheatears, 1 White Wagtail, and a pair of Chough were on Rathlin Island today. (Ronald Surgenor).

The American Wigeon was still at the blue bridge in Dundrum today, see pictures below. (Stuart McQueen).

The Quoile Pondage had 10+ Sand Martins, at Castlespie, just west of WWT were 6 Greenshank. Belfast Harbour Reserve had: Ruff 1, Swallow 1, Mediterranean Black-headed Gull 1 second winter holding territory on the tern island where a pair in this plumage bred in 2016. The bird had full black head etc., and resembled a breeding adult but had dark spots on primary tips. I have not seen this bird before today. (Tom Ennis & Tony Dodds).

A sub adult Glaucous Gull was at the Bush River Estuary, Portballintrae. (Colin Guy).

Today at Ballykelly there were 4 Pintail, 50 Brent, 4 Slavonian Grebes in summer plumage, 100 Ringed Plover, 22 Little Egrets and 6 Tree Sparrows; Myroe had 300 Brent, 1 Barnacle Goose, 11 Greylags and 4 Littie Egrets, also 4 Hares. Bann Estuary a magnificent 320 Black-tailed Godwits, 500 Golden Plover, 200 Sanderling and 4 Whooper Swans. (Hill Dick & Coleraine RSPB Group).

This evening a Little Egret was seen fishing in the Newry to Portadown canal approximately half a mile south of Scarva. (Phil Webb). 

30 Sand Martins, a Common Sandpiper, 1 Black-tailed Godwit and a Willow Warbler were at Lower Lough Erne Islands RSPB reserve, Co Fermanagh (Amy Burns and Finnobar Cross)

Three Sand Martins were at Portavoe Reservoir, Groomsport (Julian Greenwood)

Thanks to Stuart McQueen for the pictures of the American Wigeon and to Tony Donaldson for the picture of the Chiffchaff.