Bird News Saturday 31st August

RSPB WoW had 4 Curlew Sandpiper, 10 Ruff and 5 Roseate Tern (Richard Hunter / Garry Armstrong / Wilton Farrelly)

The Little Stint was seen at RSPB WoW this afternoon (Gerard McGeehan)

The Little Stint and a juvenile Roseate Tern were at Belfast WOW this evening. (michael Latham).

East of Crawfordsburn there were 2 Arctic Skua and 2 Mediterranean gulls and a Great Skua was at Ballywalter. (Richard Weyl).

A Spotted Redshank, 3 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Ruff were among good numbers of common waders at Whitehouse Lagoon. (Kevin Kirkham).

Melmore Head in Donegal had 2 Long-tailed Skuas, 3 Arctic Skuas, 11 Bonxies, 28 Sooty Shearwaters, 15 Arctic Terns, 1 Storm Petrel, and 10 Sanderling among thousands of Manx Shearwaters. (Eric Randall)

Thanks to Thomas Campbell for the pictures of the Common Sandpiper and Whimbrel and to Michael Latham for the picture of the juvenile Roseate Tern:

Rathlin Birding Week

From Saturday 28th September to Sunday 6th October, Ric Else and Hazel Watson will be running Rathlin Birding Week. Keen birders are invited to stay on Rathlin during this potentially exciting period of the autumn migration season to help find and record birds on the island.

Budget-friendly shared accommodation is available for up to eight birders each night at the unofficial Rathlin Bird Observatory, in return for birding the island and contributing sightings. (Other accommodation options are also available on the island.)

Rathlin has already had some great birds in 2019, with rarities including Stilt Sandpiper, American Golden Plover, Cattle Egret, Golden Eagle (x2), White-tailed Eagle, Sabine's Gull (x2), Firecrest, Common Quail, Ring Ouzel (x4) and Tree Pipit (x7). With extra observer coverage we hope the autumn will prove just as exciting!

Further information and the relevant contact details can be found here: https://rathlinstickybeak.wordpress.com/2019/08/30/get-ready-for-rathlin-birding-week-2019/

Bird News Friday 30th August

RSPB WoW had nine RoseateTern, two Curlew Sandpipers, six Ruff, one Little Stint, and one Sanderling (Stuart McKee / Daniel Newton / Ryan Doggart)

The Bann Estuary today had: 1 Little Stint, 108 Knot, 1 Ruff, 3 Greenshank, c100 Common Terns - many of which were juvs, c50 Sandwich Terns- adults/juvs, 1 Wheatear, and 1 Peregrine. (Ken Perry/John Clarke/ Hill Dick)

Bird News Thursday 29th August.

The Little Stint is still present at the WOW reserve, Belfast along with 10 Roseate Tern and a juv Black Tern. (Stuart McKee/Ian Endlander/Derek Polley)

Lady Bay, Lough Neagh had about a dozen Ruff.(Michael Latham)

Our thanks to Stuart McKee for the photo of the Black Tern(foreground) and a Roseate Tern to it's left. Also to Michael Latham for this lovely pic of a Kingfisher, photo was taken at Oxford Island.

'WeBS in NI has never been more important'

For those who enjoyed Graham Appleton's article on NI waders below is a link to further information on waders in Ireland highlighting the importance of WeBS counts

https://wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/04/05/irelands-wintering-waders/

Bird News Wednesday 28th August

A Little Stint and a Curlew Sandpiper are at RSPB WoW this morning (Gerard McGeehan). Four Roseate Tern (2 adults and 2 juveniles) were also present (Stuart McKee)

A White-tailed Eagle flew over the West Light, Rathlin, towards Ballycastle (Ric Else / Hazel Watson).

A flock of 9 Black Terns passed Melmore Head in Donegal this afternoon. (Eric Randall).

An in flight flock of 48 Mistle Thrush were north of Portadown. (Brian Nelson).

Thanks to Ric Else for the picture of the White-tailed Eagle being mobbed by a Bonxie, to Stuart McKee for the pictures of the Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Roseate Tern, to Ginny McKee for the pictures of the Sanderling and the Knot and to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Black-tailed Godwit:

Wader Tales - NI

Readers of this Blog may be interested in this excellent Blog and Blog post by Graham Appleton:

https://wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/02/21/the-waders-of-northern-ireland/

Bird News Tuesday 27th August

A Green Sandpiper was on Rathlin Island (per Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

Yesterday two juvenile Whinchats were at Tullyratty Dam, Castleward Co Down (Chris Murphy)

The Bann Estuary had 2 Black Terns and 3 Ruff (Hill Dick)

Thanks to Dick Glasgow for this pic of a juvenile Wheatear:

Bird News Monday 26th August

A Spotted Redshank was showing from the hide at the Bann Estuary, a Black Tern was also present. (John Spottiswood)

2 Whimbrel where at Sandy Bay, Larne.(Kevin Kirkham Brown)

A Black Tern and a number of Storm Petrels were seen off a boat in the North Channel (Ronald Surgenor)

RSPB WoW this evening had 12 Ruff and 7 Roseate Tern (Wilton Farrelly)

Killough: some high counts among the days’ tally: 90 Roseate Terns, mostly adults and most of them ringed; 480 Common Terns, 3 ArcticTerns, 256 Sandwich Terns, c. 450 ‘pairs’ of ad and juv Razorbill/Guillemot (between coastguard and lighthouse); 54 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Knot, 10 Greenshank, 2 Whimbrel, 31 Curlew, 172 Ringed Plover, 106 Dunlin (mostly juvs), 3 Snipe, 100 Lapwing, 254 Redshank, 20 Little Egrets and 12 Little Grebe (Chris Murphy/Doris Noe)

A Red Kite was in the Antrim Hills (Kenny Moore)

Our thanks to Andrew Poots for this picture of a Spotted Flycatcher. Also to Ronald Surgenor for  photo's of a Storm Petrel and a Black Tern.Bottom photo is off a Sedge Warbler sent in by Thomas Campbell.

Bird News Sunday 25th August

A Green Sandpiper was at the Roe Estuary (Gerard McGeehn / Shirley Dunlop / Carol Gillespie)

25 Reed Warbler were trapped and ringed on the shores of Lough Neagh (Richard Donaghey / James O’Neill).

The hybrid Ring-billed Gull was at Millisle and an Arctic Skua at Orlock Point. (Richard Weyl).

Belfast WOW reserve this evening had 4 adult and 2 juvenile Roseate Terns, 12 Ruff and 20 Knot. (Garry Armstrong).

A Hen Harrier was in the Antrim hills and a Kingfisher at Kinnegoe pool. (Michael Latham).

Thanks to Michael Latham for the pictures of the Hen Harrier and the Little Egret:

Bird News Saturday 24th August

The Long-billed Dowitcher was at RSPB WoW this morning along with 10 Roseate Terns and 10 Ruff. There was no sign of the Black Tern. Kinnegar had two Whimbrel and a Common Sandpiper (Stuart McKee)

The Blue-headed Wagtail was still at Oxford Island this morning (Mick Henderson et al)

Several Reed Warblers continue to be seen around Kinnegoe hide at Oxford Island. (Michael Latham).

A single Swift was in Portadown (Fulton Somerville)

A juv-1st winter Med Gull was at Lurgan Park Lake (David Knight).

2 Ruff, 4 Whimbrel and 30 Black-tailed Godwit were at Reedy Flat this morning. (Oscar Campbell).

24 Mediterranean Gulls were at Lough Foyle. (Brad Robson).

Thanks to Mick Henderson for the first Yellow Wagtail picture, to Michael Latham for the second Yellow Wagtail picture and the Reed Warbler picture, to Alistair McLean for the picture of the Linnet, to Richard Hunter for the third Yellow Wagtail picture and to David Knight for the picture of the Mediterranean Gull:

Bird News Friday 23rd August

The Blue-headed Wagtail was still at Oxford Island this morning (Ed O’Hara)

A large flock of Brent Geese were seen arriving in to Strangford Lough (James Orr)

Lough Beg this evening had four Garganey , 19 Ruff and a Green Sandpiper . A juvenile Cuckoo was at Mullagh.(David Steele)

This evening at RSPB WoW were 22 adult Roseate Terns and 6 juveniles. The Black Tern was still there (Stuart McKee).

A juvenile Hen Harrier was on Rathlin. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson)

Our thanks to Ed O'Hara for his pic of the Wagtail.Also  to Stephen Maxwell for the photo of the Ruff.\

Bird News Thursday 22nd August

A Cattle Egret was at Belfast WOW reserve, seven Ruff and two Common Sandpipers were also present. (Derek Polley). The Cattle Egret was still present this evening (Gerard McGeehan / Ronald Surgenor/Daniel Newton/Michael Latham)

The Long-billed Dowitcher was seen this afternoon at RSPB WoW (Ronald Surgenor).

A juvenile Black Tern was at Belfast WOW this evening. (Jeff Larkin).

40+ Swift were at Belfast WOW this evening. (Ian Enlander).

Two adult and a juvenile Roseate Tern were on Kinnegoe shore. (Stuart McKee).

Myroe at high tide this morning had a Little Stint, a juvenile Peregrine, 4 Sanderling, a Turnstone, 13 Dunlin and 145 Ringed Plover. 9 Swifts were over the Bann in Coleraine and a single Knot was at the Bann estuary. (Richard Gray).

Thanks to Derek Polley for the 1st Cattle Egret picture, to David Rainey for the 2nd Cattle Egret picture and to Daniel Newton for the picyures of the Black Tern:

Bird News Wednesday 21st August

RSPB WoW, Belfast had the Long-billed Dowitcher, a Roseate Tern and 7 Ruff (Gerard McGeehan)

Thanks to Alastair McLean for this pic of a female Sparrowhawk:

Bird News Tuesday 20th August

Lough Foyle had a minimum of 62 Little Egret between Ballykelly Bank and Longfield Bank at high tide roosts (counted from train). (Ian Enlander).

Thanks to Noeni Bryars for the picture of the Ruff, to Thomas Campbell for the pictures of the Reed and Sedge Warblers and to Cecil Smyth for the pictures of the Spotted Flycatcher and the Mistle Thrush:

Bird News Monday 19th August.

The Long-billed Dowitcher is still present at the RSPB WOW reserve in Belfast along with two Whimbrel.(Stuart McKee)

The Long-billed Dowitcher, 6 Ruff, 2 Ringed Plover, a Little Egret and 2 Snipe were observed mid afternoon at RSPB WOW. (Noeni Bryars)

An adult Mediterranean Gull was at Foyle Port Marina in Derry early evening (John Spottiswood)

Our thanks to Terry Hanna for the stunning photo of the Red Kite and also to Jonathan Clark for the Common Sandpiper which he took at the RSPB WoW reserve

Bird News Sunday 18th August

10 Ruff were at Sandy Bay, near Portmore, Lough Neagh (Michael Latham)

A Balearic Shearwater was off the West Light, Rathlin this afternoon (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

The Long-billed Dowitcher was still at RSPB WoW along with 3 Ruff and a Merlin (Gerard McGeehan / Shirley Dunlop)

140 Sooty Shearwaters went past Melmore Head, Co Donegal during the course of the day, along with two Great Shearwaters in the morning, plus a Sabine's Gull, Pomarine Skua and 850 Manxies. Only 4 Great and 3 Arctic Skua were seen. (Oscar Campbell)

Thanks to Michael Latham for a picture of Ruff in Sandy Bay:

Bird News Saturday 17th August

2 Common Sandpipers were at Kinnegar pool this afternoon. (Kevin Kirkham).

7 Storm Petrels were off Burial Island on the Outer Ards. (Richard Weyl).

2 Red Kites including one with a blue #67 tag were near Donacloney, see picture below. (Mark Elliott).

6 Sooty Shearwaters Melmore Head in Donegal this morning. (Oscar Campbell).

The Long-billed Dowitcher was at Belfast WOW reserve this afternoon. (Stuart McKee)

Thanks to Mark for the picture of the Red Kite, to Thomas Campbell for the pictures of the Sandwich Tern and the Black-tailed Godwit and to Kevin Kirkham for the picture of the Common Sandpiper:

Bird News Friday 16th August

A Green Sandpiper was present yesterday evening on a farm pond at Megargy, outside Magherafelt. (Godfrey McRoberts)

The Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail was at Oxford Island again this afternoon. (Garry Armstrong).

A Common Sandpiper was at Kinnegar Pools and there was a Ruff at Belfast WOW this evening. (Michael Latham).

Our thanks to Cameron Moore for this pic of a Mediterranean Gull, one of three seen of Whitehead. Also to Garry Armstrong for the Wagtail photo and to Michael Latham for the picture of the Common Sandpiper.

Bird News Thursday 15th August

On Rathlin a juvenile Sabine's Gull was off Rue Point and the first Little Egret on the island this year was at Ushet Lough. (Hazel Watson & Ric Else).

The Long-billed Dowitcher and a Greenshank were at Belfast WOW reserve this afternoon. (Stephen Maxwell) The Dowitcher was still present this evening along with four Ruff.

2 Red Grouse were on Cuilcagh Mountain, Co Fermanagh (Brad Robson)

Bird News Wednesday 14th August

The Long-billed Dowitcher, a Ruff, 22 Knot and an adult Mediterranean Gull were at Kinnegar this afternoon. Belfast WOW reserve this morning had 3 Ruff, 5 Sanderling, a Greenshank and a Pochard. (Neal Warnock).

Thanks to Mervyn Campbell for the picture of the Wheatear and to Neal Warnock for the picture of the Ruff:

Bird News Tuesday 13th August

The Long-billed Dowitcher was still at RSPB WoW.

Two Roseate Terns were also at RSPB WoW (Mervyn Campbell)

Thanks to Mervyn Campbell for this pic of a Roseate between two Common Terns: