Bird News - New Years Eve

The Rustic Bunting was showing well this morning although elusive at times. (David Nixon, Philip McHaffie, Ted Rolston). It was still present at 3.15p.m. (Sam Thomas).

The Great Northern Diver is close in off Croaghan hide, Oxford Island (Garry Armstrong)

The Ring Ouzel was still present on Ballard Road in the field near the junction with Aghmakane Road (Joe Devlin and Clifford Sharpe). The bird was still present around 12:30 (John Cusack).

The male Goosander was still at Begney Lough outside Dromara this morning. (Dave Weir).

The Lesser Whitethroat was seen again in a garden in Bangor. (Sean Wensley).

A Red-throated Diver was close inshore off Pickie, Bangor. (Derek Polley).

A Red-throated Diver was in Killough harbour and a Great Northern Diver off Coney Island. (Chris Murphy).

A 1st winter Little Gull was at Garon Point on the Antrim coast. (David Steele).

At least one of the Great White Egrets was at Ballycarry bridge in Larne Lough. (Kevin Kirkham).

An adult Mediterranean Gull was at Groomsport and a Whimbrel was just to the north. (Dermot Hughes).

A Black-throated Diver was by Carnalea Golf Course in Bangor. (Sam Thomas).

A single Pinkfoot was at Mount Norris. (David Knight).

A female Ring-necked Duck was at Drumgay Lough outside Enniskillen and a juvenile Iceland Gull was at Enniskillen dump. (Brad Robson).

In Donegal, 5 Barnacle Geese were with 120 Greenland Whitefronts at Big Isle, 200 Pinkfeet were between Inch lake and Bridgend,  and single Barnacle and female Scaup at Inch lake. 200 Barnacles were immediately south of Malin village. A Woodcock was at Portglenone forest. (Richard Gray).

The Marsh Harrier was seen again at Portmore Lough RSPB. (Brian Hegarty).

All of us at NI Birds would like to thank all our contributors and Blog users for their support in 2021. We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2022.

Thanks to Clifford Sharpe for the first picture of the Rustic Bunting, to Stephen Maxwell for the second picture of the Rustic Bunting, to Mike McLaughlin for the first Ring Ousel picture, to David Stirling for the second Ring Ousel picture, to Ed O'Hara for the picture of the Great Northern Diver and to Ian Enlander for the picture of the Goosander:

Rustic Bunting - Video

Many thanks to Fergal Stanley for this video of the Rustic Bunting in Bangor:

Bird News Thursday 30th December

The Rustic Bunting in Bangor has been showing all day (Richard Hunter, Chris Murphy et al). Access details are on Monday’s post. Please respect the privacy of the home owner and do not park in the cul de sac. Our thanks to David Miller for facilitating access.

3 Slavonian Grebe are off Macedon Point, Belfast Lough (David Stirling)

The Great Northern Diver is in Kinnego Bay, Oxford Island (Ed O’Hara)

A pair of Goosanders are on the River Main at Slaght near Ballymena this morning (David Steele)

A Hen Harrier and Peregrine were seen in the Mournes yesterday (Gavin Rothwell)

Both Great White Egrets are showing at Ballycarry this morning (Kevin Kirkham)

The Marsh Harrier was showing at Portmore Lough this morning (Michael Latham)

A Ring Ouzel was with Fieldfare at Ballard, Co Armagh (location: 55 Ballard Rd, Lislea, Newry BT35 9UW, UK

https://goo.gl/maps/ZhPBz63kaJHLN3Me8 ) - (John Spottiswood)

The drake Ring-necked Duck is still at Mill Lough, Bellnaleck, Co Fermanagh. A juvenile Glaucous Gull was at Enniskillen dump (John Cusack)

19 Twite were at Whitehead today (Paul Tout / Philip McErlean)

Red Bay on the Antrim coast this afternoon in calm conditions had three Back-throated Divers, 15+ Great Northern Divers, 30+ Red-throated Divers and three Common Scoter. A Manx Shearwater was off Garron Point, associating with the small feeding flocks of auks and Kittiwakes in the area. Good numbers of Harbour Porpoise were also seen. A Pink-footed Goose was with the small flock of feral geese at Waterfoot. (David Steele)

Two Sandwich Tern were at the Net Walk, Killyleagh (David Nixon)

A Goosander was at Begney Lough, Dromara (Ian Enlander)

Great Northern Divers were at, Quay Lane, Killough and Ballyhenry Island, Strangford Lough; Red-throated Diver, 20 we’re at Carnlea, Belfast Lough; Slavonian Grebes 5 in Greyabbey Bay and 3 at Mount Stewart, Strangford Lough; 100 Red-breasted Mergansers, Mount Stewart; 300 Pintail, at the Maltings, Strangford Lough; A high count of 2,000 Golden Plover were at the Floodgates, Newtownards. 15 Sandwich Terns, were at Portaferry (Chris Murphy)

Twite, Paul Tout:

Leucistic Ringed Plover, Killyleagh (David Nixon):

Bird News Wednesday 29th December

The Rustic Bunting was again showing well throughout the day (Robert Vaughan, Richard Weyl et al). A continued thanks to David Miller for providing access to his garden.

4 Pink-footed Geese with 28 Whooper Swans and 8 Greylag Geese were in meadows along the Canal Bank Road, Poyntzpass, Co. Armagh. (Joe Devlin).

An adult and 2ndW Glaucous Gull were at Enniskillen dump at 15:30. Also an adult Glaucous x Herring hybrid was present. The 1stW Mediterranean Gull was at the Round O (Gavin Thomas)

Two Great Northern Diver and a Red-throated Diver were at Killough (Chris Murphy)

Rustic Bunting, Clifford Sharpe:

Brambling, private garden Richill, Andrew Poots:

Bird News Tuesday 28th December

The Rustic Bunting was still showing at Bangor this morning (Davy Hunter et al). Please note that the bird can disappear for up to an hour. Directions and on site arrangements are in yesterday’s post. Many thanks to David Millar who continues to facilitate access.

A female Brambling was in a garden in Hillsborough (Garry Wilkinson)

13 Twite & 2 Purple Sandpipers were at Whitehead but there was no sign of the Black Redstart (Bob Watts)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was visiting a garden in Bangor (Peter Smyth)

2 Pink-footed Geese were with c 130 Greylag and 42 Whooper at Caledon, Co. Armagh (Joe Shannon)

There were still 4 Pink-footed Geese on Loughbrickland Lough this morning. (Chris Rankin)

Enniskillen Dump had an adult Glaucous, 2w Glaucous and a 2w Iceland Gull. (Ronan Owens)

Rustic Bunting, Garry Wilkinson:

Rustic Bunting, Jonny Andrews:

Rustic Bunting, William Smiton:

More pictures are at: http://nibirdpics.blogspot.com/

Bird News Monday 27th December

The Rustic Bunting was showing this morning in Bangor, Co Down. (Ivan Quail et al). The bird was showing all day.

Access details today for the Bunting are: Address: 12 Marlborough Drive, Bangor. It is at the top of the cul-de-sac which is 5th left down Station Road, Carnalea. *On no account park in the cul de sac*. Park on Station Road and walk in to the cul de sac. David Miller lives in the white fronted bungalow, top right with a triangular lawn to the side of the drive. He has erected a screen which is from an old groundsheet, and will be seen as you come up the street. You will be hidden by the house as you get in position. Because it is narrow, numbers at a time will be restricted so please allow as many people to view as possible. Please respect Davids privacy, Covid protocols and any other instructions if on site.

The 6 Greenland White-fronted Geese and the Pinkfeet were still around Larne Lough. (Cameron Moore).

A Whimbrel and an adult Mediterranean were at Ballymacormick Point. (Bob Watts).

4 Pinkfeet were at Loughbrickland. (Brian McCloskey).

2 Long-tailed Duck were off Kinnegar shore in Belfast Lough. 2 Velvet Scoter where off Macedon Point. (Jeff Larkin).

The 2 Great White Egrets still on show at Ballycarry.(Michael Latham)

3 Slav. Grebes off Hazelbank this morning.(Chris Rankin)

A first winter Mediterranean Gull was at the Round O, Enniskillen (Ronan Owens)

A Mediterranean Gull was at Whitehouse and a Slavonian Grebe off Kinnegar shore. A Great Northern Diver and a Sandwich Tern were off Kircubbin in Strangford Lough. (Oscar Campbell)

 

Our thanks to Tony Dodds(1st) and Nigel Moore(2nd) for the photo's off the Rustic Bunting.(there is more Bunting pics on nibirdpics ).Also to Michael Latham for the Great White Egret 

Bird News Boxing Day

A Rustic Bunting is visiting a private garden in Bangor, Co Down. David Miller. We are trying to see if access can be arranged. (See picture below).

The Great Northern Diver was off the breakwater behind the Discovery Centre at Oxford Island. (Oscar Campbell, Garry Armstrong, Ed O’Hara).

Six Greenland White-fronted Geese were with the Pinkfeet on Islandmagee. One of the Great White Egrets was at Ballycarry Bridge in Larne Lough. The flock of Twite were still at the boatyard in Whitehead. (Jeff Larkin).

A Great Northern Diver was in Portrush Harbour. (Stephen Riddell).

30 Whooper Swans were at Downpatrick Road, Ardglass, 2 Purple Sandpipers, 26 Snipe and a Carrion Crow were at Ardglass harbour. (Chris Murphy).

The two Great White Egrets were at Ballycarry Bridge in Larne Lough. (Dakota Reid).

Thanks to Stephen Riddell for the picture of the Great Northern Diver and to Cameron Moore and Jeff Larkin for the pictures pof the White-fronted and Pink-footed Geese:

Rustic Bunting in a private garden, Bangor, Co Down, David Miller:

Bird News Christmas Day

The adult Bonaparte’s Gull was at Sandy Bay, Larne, Co. Antrim (Neal Warnock)

A female Brambling is visiting a garden in Hillsborough (Garry Wilkinson)

Yesterday 3 Brambling were visiting a garden in Antrim (Mark Smyth)

Thanks to Neal Warnock for the picture of the Bonaparte's Gull:

Bird News - Christmas Eve

We wish all contributors and viewers of the Blog, a Happy Christmas.

An adult Bonaparte’s Gull is at Ballycarry. The two Great White Egrets were also present. 12 Twite were at Whitehead (Garry Armstrong / Oscar Campbell)

Three Brambling and a Great Spotted Woodpecker are in a garden in Hillsborough (Stephen Bingham)

26 Pink-footed Geese were at Ballycarry below Steels Point (Gerard McGeehan /Shirley Dunlop)

A drake Rong-necked Duck was at Mill Lough, Bellnaleck, Co Fermanagh (John Cusack)

The Spotted Redshank was at the high tide roost in Dundrum South Inner Bay, today (David Nixon)

Unusually a Buzzard was seen flying over St Annes Cathedral, Belfast today (Ricky McQuillan)

Spotted Redshank, David Nixon:

Great White Egret, Bob Watts:

A Slavonian Grebe, seen at Hazelbank yesterday, Garry Wilkinson:

You can see more local bird pics at: http://nibirdpics.blogspot.com/

Bird News Thursday 23rd December

6 Brambling and a Stock Dove are visiting a garden in Richhill (Andrew Poots).

At least one of the Great White Egrets was still at Ballycarry Bridge in Larne Lough. Twelve Twite were still at the boatyard in Whitehead. (Kevin Kirkham).

A Marsh Harrier was hunting along the south shore of Lough Neagh at Derrycrow this morning. (David Clarke).

Four Goosanders, three males and a redhead, were at Begney Lough outside Dromara. (David Nixon).

A single Bar-tailed Godwit was with a Black-tailed Godwit and a flock of Curlew at Ellis Cut on Lough Neagh. (Oscar Campbell).

A single Whimbrel was on the shore south of Grey Point in Belfast Lough. (John O'Boyle).

The Cattle Egret was still at the south end of Lough Beg, the Great Northern Diver and the Spotted Redshank were also present. The wintering Green Sandpiper was still along the river Main at Slaght outside Ballymena. David Steele).

Two Grey Plover were on Rathlin,  a rare species for the island. (Hazel Watson, Ric Else).

Two Slavonian Grebe were off Hydebank in Belfast Lough this afternoon. (Garry Wilkinson).

Three Manx Shearwaters were between Rathlin and Ballycastle. (Douglas Cecil).

Thanks to Andrew Poots for the picture of the Stock Dove and to David Clarke for the picture of the Marsh Harrier:

Bird News Wednesday 22nd December

A Great Northern Diver was in the harbour at Portrush (Stephen Riddell)

A Great Northern Diver was still off Croaghan Hide, Oxford Island (Garry Armstrong)

A solitary Twite was seen briefly at Kinnegar. 2 Red-throated Diver were close in at D3 (Bob Watts)

12 Twite and the Black Redstart are still showing at Whitehead (Kevin Kirkham)

The female/1st-winter Black Redstart was still at Slipway, Quay Lane, Killough (Chris Murphy)

Great Northern Diver, Portrush, Stephen Riddell:

Buzzard, Wilf Swain:

Bird News Tuesday 21st December (winter solstice)

Two Marsh Harriers were hunting the islands behind the Discovery Centre at Oxford Island. (Garry Armstrong)

The Great White Egret was at Ballycarry bridge today, the Black Redstart and 12+ Twite where at Whitehead pier and car park respectively. (Claire McLaughlin.)

A Siberian Chiffchaff was reported to-day from Castle Espie, the bird was seen in an area called the Secret Swamp.(Andrew Paul Burke)

2 Black-throated Diver and 9 Great Northern Diver where between Carnlough and Waterfoot and a male Pintail at Glenarm.(Gerard McGeehan/Shirley Dunlop)

Our thanks to Sean Wensley for sending in the photo of the Lesser Whitethroat which he has seen a few times in his garden in Bangor over the last few weeks.

Bird News Monday 20th December

A Barn Owl flew over a garden outside Hillsborough this morning. (Garry Wilkinson).

A Great Northern Diver was off Croaghan hide at Oxford Island. (Garry Armstrong).

The Black Redstart is still around the harbour at Killough. (Michael Latham/Chris Murphy).

The Marsh Harrier was at Portmore Lough RSPB this afternoon. (Garry Armstrong).

The Black Redstart is still along Whitehead seafront. (Linda Thompson/Jonathan Cooke).

31 Slavonian Grebes were off Myroe in Lough Foyle. The Glaucous Gull was at Burger King in Coleraine. (Adam McClure).

A juvenile Mediterranean Gull was in the car park in the centre of Antrim. (Gareth Platt).

2 Slavonian Grebes and 20 Scaup were off Macedon Point in Belfast Lough. (Stuart McKee).

A redhead Goosander was still on the river Maine at Randalstown. (Richard Grey).

The Spotted Redshank was in Dundrum Inner Bay. (Oscar Campbell).

Thanks to Michael Latham for the picture of the Killough Black Redstart, to Gareth Platt for the picture of the Mediterranean Gull, to Jonathan Cooke for the first picture of the Whitehead Black Redstart and to Linda Thompson for the second picture of this bird:

Bird News Sunday 19th December

The female/ist-winter Black Redstart is at Quay Lane shore, Killough, Co Down (Chris Murphy)

3 Slavonian Grebe are off Macedon Point, Belfast Lugh. 4 Common Scoter were off Dargan Bay (Wilton Farrelly)

2 Glaucous Gull (1 juv, 1 2nd winter) and 1 Iceland Gull were at Killybegs this morning (Brad Robson)

12+ Great Northern Diver and 3 Red-throated Diver were seen between Waterfoot and Drains Bay (Michael Latham)

The Great White Egrets were still at Ballycarry (Linda Thompson \ Michael Latham)

A pair of Goosanders were at Neilsbrook weir, Randalstown. 4 Great Northern Diver, 1 Black-throated and 2 Red-throated Divers we’re at Waterfoot. A female Brambling was still with the Chaffinch flock at Cushendun beach. 3 Great Northern Divers we’re also there. A female Hen Harrier was in the North Antrim hills. (Richard Gray)

On the east side of Strangford Lough were 14 Slavonian Grebe (7 off Newtownards Sailing Club, 1 at Mountstewart, 2 in Greyabbey Bay, 1 north of Kircubbin and 3 south of Horse Island). 2 Jack Snipe were at Horse Island. (Richard Weyl)

The Black Redstart and 13 Twite were at Whitehead (Dakota Reid / Talula Reid)

Three Short-eared Owl were near Groomsport (Aaron Devlin)

Great Northern Diver, Michael Latham:

Great White Egret, Linda Thompson:

Male Stonechat, Guy Hamilton:

Black Redstart, Dakota Reid:

You can see more pictures of local birds at: http://nibirdpics.blogspot.com/ 

Bird News Saturday 18th December

The Black Redstart is still at Whitehead between the slipway and club house. (Michael Latham)

The two Velvet Scoter were seen off Dargan this morning (Ian Enlander)

The Great White Egret was at Lough Beg farm, Castledawson, Magherafelt (Sam Thomas).

The Black Redstart was still around the harbour at Killough. (Ann & Alastair Feltham).

Four Brambling were visiting a garden in Richill. (Andrew Poots).

Two Black-throated, a Red-throated and five Great Northern Divers were off Waterfoot on the Antrim coast. The adult winter plumaged Mediteranean Gull was still in the carpark at Glenarm. The two Great White Egrets were at Ballycarry Bridge and twelve Twite were around the boatyard at Whitehead. Four adult winter plumaged Mediterranean Gulls were between Seapark and Hazelbank on the north shore of Belfast Lough. (Wilton Farrelly, Garry Armstrong).

Thanks to Michael Latham for the first picture of the Black Redstart and to Dakota Reid for the second picture of the Black Redstart and the pictures of the Great White Egrets:

Mediterranean Gull Glenarm

Bird News Friday 17th December

This morning Whitehead (between 08.15 and 09.15) had 91 Red-throated and 3 Great Northern Diver flying passed the seafront into Belfast Lough. (Ian Enlander).

An adult Mediterranean Gull was at the Ecos Park in Ballymena. (Jeff Larkin).

The Black Redstart is still at Whitehead (Brian Halligan, Gerard McGeehan and Shirley Dunlop).

Both of the Great White Egrets were still at Ballycarry Bridge in Larne Lough this afternoon. (Kevin Kirkham)

As well as the GWE at Ballycarry Bridge 3pm the  Black Redstart was at Whitehead half way between Rangers Supporters club and slipway.(Garry Wilkinson)

The Black Redstart was at Killough Quay early afternoon (Ann Feltham / Alastair Rae)

Thanks to Brian Halligan for the picture of the Black Redstart and to Guy Hamilton for the pictures of the Red Kite and the Buzzard: Also to Ronnie Doggart for the Great Northern Diver seen of Glenarm. Pair of Pintail on Strangford Lough taken by Julie Silvers. Also to Garry Wilkinson for the Black Redstart, to Kevin Kirkham for the Great White Egret.

Bird News Thursday 16th December

A Black Redstart is opposite 39 Marine Parade, Whitehead (Adam McClure).

The two Great White Egrets were still at Ballycarry Bridge in Larne Lough this morning. (Kevin Kirkham).

The flock of 19 White-fronted Geese, including 8 juveniles, flew south west from Rathlin towards the mainland this morning. (Hazel Watson & Ric Else).

Thanks to Hazel and Ric for this picture of two of the White-fronts: