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: