Bird News Thursday 6th April.

On Rathlin today, the highlights were a Greenshank flying around at Rue Point, a drake Red-breasted Merganser in the harbour, two Greenland White-fronts heading east over the island and our first two Sandwich Terns of the year. Also one Swallow, 14 Sand Martins, one White Wagtail and a couple of singing Willow Warblers. A Brambling was still at Kinramer on Tuesday.(Richard Else)

Two Mediterranean Gulls are still on show at the RSPB WOW reserve.(Derek Polley)

A female Long-tailed Duck was at RSPB Lough Erne Islands Reserve (Brad Robson)

Swallows are being widely reported now,

Yesterday at Antrim Road Waterworks in Belfast had a male Scaup, 2 Swallow, a Willow Warbler, Blackcap, 62 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 28 Herring Gull (Dot Blakely).



Mandarin Duck (of hide at the Quoile) - Tony Donaldson.