Bird News Sunday 31st July

Two Red Kites were in the Antrim hills. (Kenny Moore).

Yesterday 5 Mediterranean Gulls (inc 2 juvs) were in a shoreline gull roost near Ballymartin, Co. Down. Also 6 Whimbrel were present (Stephen Foster)

Belfast RSPB WoW this morning had 3 Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank And 2 Sandwich Tern (Ian Enlander)

A Red Kite was in the Antrim Hills (Linda Thompson)

15+ Mediterranean Gull, inc 5 juveniles were at Ratallagh shore, south of Portavogie. Also present were 12 Red-breasted Merganser and hundreds of Manx Shearwaters moving north (Prof. Paul Rutter)

Just 2 Little Gulls and 3 Common Sandpipers were at Lady Bay this afternoon. (Garry Armstrong)

Common Sandpiper, RSPB WoW, William Smiton:

Red Kite, Antrim Hills, Linda Thompson:

Bird News Saturday 30th July

Five Little Gulls and a Common Sandpiper were at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh this morning. (Michael Latham).

An Arctic or Pomarine Skua was seen flying into Belfast Lough from the Stena ferry this morning. (Daniel Barry).

A Whimbrel and a Stock Dove were along the coastal path to the left of Ballymacormick Point. (Dave Weir).

On the 28th 143 Mistle Thrushes and a single Crossbill were at Boho Forest in Co. Fermanagh. (Brad Robson).

An adult Mediterranean Gull, 12 Whimbrel and 2 Knot were at the Bann Estuary. (John Spottiswood).

3 Whimbrel were in the high tide roost at Dundrum Inner Bay south. (David Nixon).

At least one American Wigeon (the 2nd calendar-year male) was at Lough Beg today, with other duck at the main lake. The Osprey and two Garganey were at the ponds at Mullagh and the Great White Egret was in the southwest corner. Yesterday a juvenile Ruff was also in the southwest corner. (David Steele).

Belfast Lough RSPB WOW reserve this morning had 15 Bar-tailed Godwits, mostly in summer plumage, a Whimbrel, 3 Greenshank and 2 Common Sandpipers. (Tom Ennis)

Thanks to Michael Latham for the picture of the Little Gulls:

Bird News Friday 29th July

There was no sign of the Black Tern at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve this morning, 3 Common Sandpipers were present. A summer plumaged Knot was at Whitehouse Lagoon. (Richard Hunter).

2 Common Sandpipers and one Little Gull were at Lady’s Bay this morning (Chris Rankin)

Kinnegar lagoon had a moulting Mediterranean Gull and 2 Common Sandpipers. (Ronnie Doggart).

An adult Mediterranean Gull moulting out of summer plumage was on grass just north of Bangor Marina on coast path this afternoon. (Paul Rutter)

A Woodcock was at Brackagh Bog in Co. Armagh and a Little Gull at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh. (Chris Murphy).

Belfast Lough RSPB WOW reserve this afternoon had a summer plumaged Knot,  Greenshank and 4 Common Sandpipers. (Tom Ennis).

Thanks to Ronnie Doggart for the picture of the Snipe and to Michael Latham for the picture of the Common Sandpiper:

Bird News Thursday 28th July

Whitehouse Lagoon had a Ruff, a summer plumaged Knot And 4 Greenshank (Tony Dodds)

Whitehead seafront had a Roseate Tern this evening (Ian Enlander)

A juvenile Black Tern is at RSPB WoW this evening (Daniel Newton)

Black Tern with Common Terns, Tony Dodds:

Black Tern, Nigel Moore:

Roseate Tern, Cameron Moore

Roseate Tern, Cameron Moore

Bird News Wednesday 27th July

A Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sands and 3 Little Gulls were at Lady Bay this evening (Garry Armstrong)

There were two Arctic terns, a Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank at Belfast WoW today. (Michael Latham / Juliet Fleming)

Arctic Tern, Michael Latham:

Greenshank, Juliet Fleming:

Bird News Tuesday 26th July

Two Little Gulls were at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh this afternoon. (Ed O'Hara, Comghal McQuillan).

Juvenile Sandwich Tern, Terry Hanna:

Bird News Monday 25th July

A Common Sandpiper was at Kinnegar Lagoon. (David Clarke)

A 2nd calendar-year Little Gull was at Lough Beg this afternoon and the Osprey was also seen again. (David Steele)

A Greenshank and 2 Common Sandpiper were at RSPB WoW this afternoon (Tom Ennis)

Common Sandpiper, David Clarke:

Bird News Sunday 24th July

A single Roseate Tern, a Mediterranean Gull moulting out of summer plumage and a summer plumaged Knot were at Belfast Lough RSPB WOW reserve this morning. (Garry Armstrong, Ed O'Hara).

There are now four Little Gulls at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh along with six Common Sandpipers. (Garry Armstrong).

A Great Spotted Woodpecker is visiting a garden in Carrickfergus. (George Stewart).

An Osprey was at Lough Beg today, for three hours at the ponds at Mullagh before eventually flying off. Also seen were nine Garganey (eight juveniles and an eclipse male) and eleven Ruff (all males moulting out of summer plumage). (David Steele)

Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern

Great Spotted Woodpecker - George Stewart

Arctic Tern - Lindsay Hodges

Upcoming Boat Trips

 There is a day trip going to Islay on Tuesday 26 July from Ballycastle (3 seats available), and a 2-day trip to Arran from Bangor on Saturday 30/Sunday 31 July with accommodation at the Lochranza Centre (good availability). Good birding opportunities on both. If you would like more information you can contact Andrew Johnston on 07738 239653 or info@andrewsadventours.com

Bird News Saturday 23rd July

A Greenshank and two Common Sandpipers are at Belfast Lough RSPB WOW reserve this morning. (Ryan & Ronnie Doggart).

Two of the Little Gulls and several Common Sandpipers were at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh this morning. (Ed O'Hara).

The Marsh Harrier showed briefly again at Reedy Flats, Lough Neagh. (Michael Latham).

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was at Drumkeeragh Forest. (Terry Hanna).

A Great Skua was being harrassed by gulls on Glenarm beach, a Mediterranean Gull moulting out of summer plumage was also present. (David Morrow).

Thanks to Ryan Holgate for the picture of the Common Tern, to Michael Latham for the picture of the Marsh Harrier, to Tim Jess for the picture of the Kingfisher, to Terry Hanna for the picture of the Stonechat and to David McCreedy for the picture of the Common Sandpiper:

Bird News Friday 22nd July

An Osprey was flying south along Lower Bann towards Lough Beg this morning.  (Seamus Burns)

The three Little Gulls and twelve Common Sandpipers were at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh this morning. (Juliet Fleming).

Three Whimbrel flew east past the Barmouth breakwater. (John Spottiswood).

A single Whimbrel was at Magilligan. Six Whimbrel were at Portstewart. (John Clarke).

A single Arctic Tern was at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve. (Derek Polley)

An eclipse male Ring-necked Duck was at the south end of Lough Beg this evening, also four juvenile Garganey, eight Common Sandpipers and a male Ruff. (David Steele).

Brown's Bay on Islandmagee this afternoon had two pale phase Arctic Skuas, a summer plumaged Red-throated Diver, a Whimbrel and good numbers of Manx Shearwaters and Kittiwakes. Also seen were a Minke Whale, 30 Harbour Porpoise and two Common Dolphins. (Ryan & Ronnie Doggart).

Yesterday Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve had 21 summer plumaged Dunlin, 6 summer plumaged  Bar-tailed Godwits, 5 Arctic Terns, several Common Sandpipers and good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits. (Tom Ennis)

Bird News Thursday 21st July

 A Common Sandpiper, Arctic Tern and 19 Dunlin were at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve this morning. (Derek Polley).

The Marsh Harrier was still at Reedy Flats on the south shore of Lough Neagh. (John Lambe).

A Roseate Tern is at the Bann Estuary, opposite the hide. (John Spottiswood).

Thanks to Juliet Fleming for the picture of the Blackcaps, to Stephen Maxwell for the pictures of the Common Sandpiper and the Arctic Tern and to Terry Hanna for the picture of the Whitethroat:

Bird News Wednesday 20th July

RSPB WoW had a Ruff, 2 Common Sandpipers and 18 Dunlin (Gerard McGeehan)

Whitehead seafront this afternoon had a Whimbrel, 50 Common Tern and 80 Sandwich Tern (Ian Enlander)

Bird News Tuesday 19th July

The two Little Gull were seen at Lady’s Bay at 10am, although they were not present at 2pm (David Clarke)

A female Garganey was at the south end of Lough Beg today, also a Great White Egret still. Two Green Sandpipers were still along the river at Slaght near Ballymena. (David Steele)

A Reed Warbler was singing this morning at Kilturk Lough near Crom, Co Fermanagh. A Garden Warbler was calling from nearby Doohat woodland. (Dermot Hughes)

Stonechat, Alastair McLean:

Bird News Monday 18th July

RSPB WoW had 6 Common Sandpipers, an adult Mediterranean Gull, a Whimbrel, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits in breeding plumage and a Dunlin moulting from breeding plumage. Black-tailed Godwit numbers are also building up (Tom Ennis)

Rathlin today had a Little Gull flying past the Rue, Greenshank, Whimbrel, a couple of Common Sandpipers, and a Grasshopper Warbler suddenly singing again (Ric Else / Hazel Watson)

Bird News Sunday 17th July

 Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve this morning had a Common Sandpiper, a Ringed Plover, seven Dunlin and an immature Sandwich Tern. (Ian Enlander).

There was no sign of any of the Little Gulls at Lady Bay this morning, two Common Sandpipers were present. (Garry Armstrong, Carol Gillespie, Ray Bennett, Shirley Dunlop & Gerard McGeehan).

Thanks to Ian Enlander for the pictures of the Common Sandpiper and the Common Tern:

Bird News Saturday 16th July

The two Little Gulls were still at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh this morning along with two Common Sandpipers. (Garry Armstrong). Three Little Gulls, the adult and two sub-adults were present this afternoon. (David McCreedy).

At least 2 Common Sandpiper were at Blackstaff creek just before high tide along with a Red Kite and a Kingfisher. No sign of the Green Sandpiper. (Chris Rankin).

A melanistic Collared Dove was an unusual sight on Islandmagee. (Kevin Kirkham.

An adult and juvenile Mediterranean Gull were at Glynn station in Larne Lough. (Gareth Platt).

Thanks to Juliet Fleming for the first picture of the Little Gull, to Michael Latham for the first picture of all three Little Gulls, to David McCreedy for the final three pictures of the Little Gulls, to Gareth Platt for the picture of the Mediterranean Gulls and to Stephen Maxwell for the picture of the Black-tailed Godwit:

Bird News Friday 15th July

 Nine Sooty Shearwaters went west past Bloody Foreland in Donegal, among 1,300 Manx Shearwaters. (Theo Campbell & Chris Ingram).

Two Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper were along the River Main at Slaght near Ballymena. (David Steele).

The Green Sandpiper and 5 - 6 Common Sandpipers were at the Blackstaff creek in Dundrum. (Michael Latham).

The two Little Gulls and a Common Sandpiper were at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh this evening. (Richard Caves)

Thanks to Richard Caves for the pictures of the Little Egret and the Little Gull and to Michael Latham for the pictures of the Green and Common Sandpipers:

Bird News Thursday 14th July

 A Green Sandpiper and 4 Common Sandpipers were at Blackstaff Creek, Dundrum. (Dermot Hughes).

The two Little Gulls and a Common Sandpiper were still at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh. (Michael Latham).

The Little Ringed Plover was still in the southwest corner of Lough Beg today. Two American Wigeon (the 2nd calendar year male and a female) were on the lake and the Great White Egret was still on the western shoreline. Two Whimbrel were at Mullagh. (David Steele).

The Arctic Skua was on the golf course at Castlerock before flying to the river. (John Spottiswood).

Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve today had two adult Mediterranean Gulls and two chicks along with two Common Sandpipers and two Arctic Terns. (Derek Polley).

A Whimbrel was at Killard this afternoon. (Graham McElwaine).

Thanks to David Clarke for the picture of the Sedge Warbler, to Juliet Fleming for the picture of the Blackbird, to Michael Latham for the picture of the Little Gulls and to Tim Jess for the picture of the Little Egret:

Bird News Wednesday 13th July

 The Arctic Skua was at the Barmouth again this afternoon, the bird appears to be in poor health. See pictures below. (John Clarke).

Mediterranean Gulls continue to be seen at Belfast Lough RSPB WoW reserve, thanks to William Smiton for the pictures:

Bird News Tuesday 12th July

An adult summer plumaged Little Gull has joined the 2nd year bird at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh. Three Common Sandpipers were also present.  (Garry Armstrong).

The female Marsh Harrier was showing well at Reedy Flats on the south shore of Lough Neagh. (Dermot Hughes).

A Little Ringed Plover is in the south west corner of Lough Beg, still present at 5.30pm. Six moulting male Ruff were also present.  A Great White Egret was on the western shoreline of the lake. (David Steele).

A male Ruff is at Portmore RSPB (Michael Latham)

Thanks to David Steele for the picture of the Little Ringed Plover, to Tim Jess for the picture of a Sparrowhawk in his garden, to Michael Latham for the picture of the Ruff and to Richard Caves for the pictures of the Little Gulls: