nibirds: July 2020

Bird News Thursday 30th July

Throughout the day, St. John’s Point Co. Down experienced a very strong passage of Manx Shearwaters. Also present were 3 Arctic Skua (1 pale, 2 dark morph) and a small passage of Common Scoter and Whimbrel (Warren Fowles)

Manx Shearwaters were passing St John's Point at c.3,000 an hour mid-morning. Also seen were 148 Puffins a Storm Petrel, 5 Scoter, 2 Roseate Terns and 7 Arctic Terns. Kelly’s Wood had a Spotted Flycatcher and 10 Tree Sparrows (Chris Murphy)

Yesterday a Red Kite was at Raffrey, Co Down; Dargan Bay, Belfast Lough had a Common; Sandpiper; 32 Red-breasted Mergansers and c.2,500 Eider were off the Giant’s Park. In addition to the Osprey, from the Mullagh at the south end of Lough Beg there were 20 Whoopers, 2 Garganey in flight, 5 Greenshank and 4 Ruff (Chris Murphy)

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dromore, Dennis Adams:

Sandwich Tern feed a juvenile on the water, Michael Latham:

Bird News Wednesday 29th July

An Osprey is on Lough Beg (Chris Murphy)

Tyrella beach today had 3 Sanderling and a Whimbrel. Dundrum Bay had the Whooper Swan and a Common Sandpiper (David Clarke & John Pyper)

A male Ruff was at Giants Park, Belfast (Stuart McKee)

Common Sandpiper, Thomas Campbell:

Bird News Tuesday 28th July

Melmore Head, Co Donegal between 0645-1230 today had one adult Long-tailed Skua at 0740 and a Great Shearwater at 1210. Also seen were 15 Sooties, 1500 Manxies, 2 Arctic Tern and 3 Bonxies. Fanad Lighthouse in the afternoon had one Sooty Shearwater, one Arctic Tern, one Bonxie and 2 Whimbrels (Oscar Campbell)

An adult Pacific Golden Plover was seen at Derrybeg, Co Donegal (Chris Ingram / Ralph Sheppard)

Redshank, David Rainey:

Bird News Monday 27th July

Yesterday afternoon two Whimbrel and a Common Sandpiper were at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh, (Richard Caves).

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was visiting a garden in Purdysburn.(Jen Connery)

Ballymacormick Point had a Med. Gull and 2 Red - throated Diver. The Little Gull remains at Groomsport. (James Rooney)

2 Sanderling and a 2nd year Med Gull were at Fishermans Pier, Carrickfergus (Gerard McGeehan / Shirley Dunlop)

Gannet - Ronnie Doggart.

Whimbrels - Richard Caves.

Bird News Sunday 26th July

The Green Sandpiper and Little Gull were still at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh this morning. (Garry Armstrong).

Melmore Head, Co Donegal had 1 Cory's Shearwater and 3 Great Shearwaters between 0740-1100 today, amongst 50 Sooties and 500 Manx Shearwater. Also seen were 3 Arctic Terns and 5 Bonxies. (Oscar Campbell).

Three male Garganey were off Mullagh, Lough Beg, two would be new birds as there had been only one male previously. (David Steele)

A Wood Sandpiper was at Blanketnook (Chris Ingram)

The Little Gull was still at Groomsport this afternoon. (Richard Woods).

Bird News Saturday 25th July

A Roseate Tern and an adult Mediterranean Gull are at Kinnegar Shore (Garry Armstrong)

A Green Sandpiper was briefly at RSPB WoW this morning (Joe Furphy)

Paddy's Dub and the south west shore of Lough Beg had 3 Garganey, 5 Greenshank and a Whopper Swan (Godfrey McRoberts).

The Little Gull was still present at Groomsport. (James Rooney).

35 Sooty Shearwaters were seen with a large Manx flock of Melmore Head, Donegal, this morning (Oscar Campbell)

Bird News Friday 24th July.

A Stock Dove was singing in Crawfordsburn Glen, nr waterfall.(Dermot Hughes)

An adult Little Gull and 2 Red-throated Diver were at Groomsport (Richard Weyl and Richard Gray).

A Cuckoo and 8 Common Sandpiper where at Giants Park.(Stuart McKee)

4 Garganey (a male and three female-types at least one of which was a juvenile) seen in flight over Lough Beg this evening and two Reed Warblers were singing in the rain at Mullagh.(David Steele)

Spotted Flycatcher - Cameron Moore.

Bird News Thursday 23rd July

No news so far today.

Bird News Wednesday 22nd July

Five Garganey were at Lough Beg this evening, four together in the southwest corner and a single off Mullagh. (David Steele)

A Whooper Swan was at Dundrum South Inner Bay (David Nixon)

Whooper Swan, David Nixon:

Merlin, Michael Latham:

Bird News Tuesday 21st July

A large eagle was spotted at 10.45 near Ulster University, Jordanstown heading towards Knockan area being hassled by seagulls. The second spotting in two weeks (Anon)

There will be a boat trip from Cushendall to Ailsa Craig tomorrow (Wednesday). Please contact Jim Wells on 078562 35144 for full details.

Linnet - Wilfred Swain

Bird News Monday 20th July

A Red Kite was seen near Dromara (Garry Wilkinson)

The Little Gull and one Green Sandpiper were still at Ladys Bay, Lough Neagh this morning (Brian Murphy)

A Bonxie was off Castlerock this evening (John Spottiswood)

Swallow, Wilf Swain:

Bird News Sunday 19th July

The two Green Sandpipers, Little Gull, a Mediterranean Gull and female Pintail were at Lady Bay. The Whooper Swan was at Barton's Bay. (Garry Armstrong).

A Raven was at KFC in Connswater Shopping Centre this afternoon. (Warren Fowles).

Thanks to Ed O'Hara for the picture of the Common Sandpiper, to Michael Latham for the pictures of the Green Sandpipers and the Little Gull and to Stephen Dunbar for the picture of the Great Skua:

Bird News Saturday 18th July

At Lough Beg, 3 Garganey were in the south west corner & 2 Ruff at Mullagh this morning. (Richard Hunter)

Lady’s Bay, Lough Neagh has the Little Gull, 2 Green Sandpiper, 8 Common Sandpiper and a female Pintail (Ed O’Hara/Garry Armstrong)

Ballykelly had 7 Mediterranean Gulls and 8 Sanderling (Theo Campbell)

A Red Kite was over the motorway between Lisburn and Moira. (Kevin Kirkham).

The Mediterranean Gull was still at Ballyholme beach, Bangor. (James Rooney).

A Mediterranean Gull was on the rocks by the boatyard in Whitehead. (Derek Polley).

Two Great Skua were off Rathlin today. (Robert McDowell).

Thanks to Ed O'Hara for the pictures of the Little Gull and the Green Sandpiper, to Robert McDowell for the picture of the Puffin and to Alastair McLean for the picture of the Common Sandpiper:

Bird News Friday 17th July

An adult Mediterranean Gull was on Ballyholme beach (George Henderson)

Bird News Thursday 16th July

The Green Sandpiper and 6 Common Sandpipers were at Lady Bay, 3 Common Sandpipers were at Portmore and 2 Common Sandpipers at Bartons Bay. (Ed O'Hara).

14 Crossbill were in the Antrim Hills (Gerard McGeehan / Shirley Dunlop)

3 Arctic Terns and a Common Sandpiper were at RSPB WoW. (Derek Polley)

Greenfinch, Wilf Swain:

Bird News Wednesday 15th July

The Woodchat Shrike was still at Dunfanaghy this morning. (Tony Gallagher)

Due to demand there will be a second round Rathlin boat trip this Saturday at 4pm. This may be the last chance to see the huge numbers of seabirds before they leave their nest cliffs. Contact Jim Wells on 07856235144 for further details.

Bird News Tuesday 14th July

The Woodchat Shrike was still in brambles east of Dunfanaghy GAA club, Co Donegal (Chris Ingram / Theo Campbell / Robert Vaughan)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was at the Ecos Park. (Jeff Larkin)

Woodchat Shrike - Robert Vaughan

Mistle Thrush - Alan Neely.

The Brown Booby at Greystones, Co Wicklow was on show for many birders today. However it was taken in to care this evening. The pictures below were taken earlier in the day.

Brown Booby, Guy Hamilton:

Brown Booby, Tony Dodds:

Bird News Monday 13th July

A Woodchat Shrike was at Dunfanaghy in Donegal. It was in brambles about 400 metres downstream of the Gaelic club on the way to Horn Head. See picture below. (Wilton Farrelly)

The Little Gull, 2 Green Sandpipers and 6 Common Sandpipers were at Lady Bay on the shore of Lough Neagh. (Ed O'Hara).

A Marsh Harrier and a ring-tail Hen Harrier were in the Antrim hills this morning. (Ivan Quail).

A juvenile Cuckoo, present since 7th July, was still at the Killough Coastguard yesterday evening. For anyone interested a pod of c.12 Bottle-nosed Dolphins passed close to the rocks at St John’s Point, Killough Bay and Ardglass Golf Club between 10 and 11am this morning (Chris Murphy).

The male Ring-necked Duck (now going into eclipse), an Osprey and seven Ruff (all moulting males) were at Mullagh, Lough Beg, this evening. (David Steele).

A Ruff and 3 Common Sandpiper were at RSPB WoW (Gerard McGeehan / Shirley Dunlop)

Woodchat Shrike, Wilton Farrelly and thanks to Thomas Campbell for the pictures of the Buzzard and the Meadow Pipit:

Bird News Sunday 12th July

A Green Sandpiper was along the River Maine at Slaght near Ballymena. (David Steele).

The Green Sandpiper was still at Lady Bay on the south shore of Lough Neagh. (Michael Latham).

Thanks to Ronald Surgenor for the pictures of the Manx Shearwater and the Gannet, to Juliet Fleming for the pictures of the Willow Warbler and the Blackbird and to Michael Latahm for the picture of the Green Sandpiper:

Bird News Saturday 11th July

This morning 7 Ruddy Shelduck were in Dundrum Inner Bay South near the mouth of the Moneycarragh River. (Danny Bailie).

The Green Sandpiper and 6 Common Sandpipers were at Lady Bay on the south shore of Lough Neagh. (Daniel Newton/Richard Hunter).

Two Sandwich Terns were off Croaghan hide at Oxford Island. (Garry Armstrong, Ed O'Hara).

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in woodland near Blackers Rock, Lough Neagh. (GodfreyMcRoberts).

Thanks to Richard Hunter for the picture of the Ruddy Shelduck:

Bird News Friday 10th July

The Green Sandpiper and 10 Common Sandpipers were at Lady Bay on the south shore of Lough Neagh, see picture below. (Ed O'Hara).

Yesterday 2 Red Kites were seen hunting separately over Anahinchego Lake, Co Down. (Daniel Moore).

Also yesterday a Peregrine was seen along the River Maine south of Randalstown. (Sam Andrews).

Thanks to Ed O'Hara for the picture of the Green Sandpiper and the Common Sandpiper :Also to Stephen Maxwell for the Sandwich Tern.

Bird News Thursday 9th July

2 Arctic Terns and a Common Sandpiper were the best at RSPB WoW this morning (Derek Polley)

Manx Shearwater, Copeland, Brian Redpath:

Puffin, Copeland, Brian Redpath:

Bird News Wednesday 8th July

The Green Sandpiper was still at Lady's Bay on the south shore of Belfast Lough, see picture below. (Ed O'Hara).

Thanks to Ed O'Hara for the picture of the Green Sandpiper and to Mike McLaughlin for the picture of the Common Tern:

Bird News Tuesday 7th July

A Cuckoo was in Killough this evening.(Chris Murphy)

A Spotted Flycatcher was seen on the Buskhill Rd. Newry.(Daniel Moore)

Female Blackcap - Juliet Fleming.

Bird News Monday 6th July

The sub adult Little Gull & a single Common Sandpiper were at Lady's Bay this morning (Richard Hunter)

A Green Sandpiper was still at Lady’s Bay, Aghalee, this morning (Nigel Moore)

Bird News Sunday 5th July

There was no sign of the Spotted Sandpiper at Barton's Bay this morning.

Lady's Bay over the morning had a Little Gull and 7 Common Sandpipers. (Ed O'Hara, Gerard McGeehan, Shirley Dunlop, Carol Gillespie). A Garganey was present on Saturday evening. (Jeff Larkin).

A Green Sandpiper was at Lady Bay this afternoon. (Ed O'Hara).

A Mediterranean Gull was at Carnfunnock, see picture below. (Jason Bain).

A Storm Petrel was close inshore at St John's Point this evening. (Chris Murphy).

Yesterday Copeland Bird Observatory had a minimum of 65 Puffins, 70 Black Guillemots and a Peregrine Falcon and a Great Northern Diver was seen in flight between the Observatory and Bangor. (Chris Acheson).

Thanks to Kevin Kirkham for the picture of the Common Sandpipers, to Jason Bain for the picture of the Mediterranean Gull, to Ed O'Hara for the picture of the Little Gull, to Brian Redpath for the picture of the Kingfisher and to Mark Magee for the picture of the Spotted Flycatcher:

Bird News Saturday 4th July

A Little Tern was off the Croaghan hide, Oxford Island, 2 male Scaup were also present. (Garry Armstrong).

A summer plumaged Spotted Sandpiper was seen at Barton's Bay near Aghagallion early this afternoon. A single Whooper Swan and several Reed Warblers were also seen. (Kevin Kirkham) The bird was seen up to 2.30 but not subsequently up to 5.00pm.

A Hobby was seen near Orlock, County Down.

Thanks to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, to Guy Hamilton for the picture of the Rock Pipit and to Michael Latham for the picture of the Yellowhammer: