Bird News Friday 30th June

Late news from yesterday of a possible Night Heron in Mourne Park, Kilkeel close to the northern bridge of two footbridges over the river on the pink/purple walk, It would be worth any observers in the area checking this report out (Jim & Val via Dot Blakely). No sign of Night Heron at midday (Mike McLaughlin).

Common Sandpiper still at Lady Bay this afternoon (Richard Caves).

For sale: Leica Televid 77 telescope in mint condition with case (angled head), Leica 32x eyepiece with zip pouch and original box, Slik tripod. £550 ono. Please call Iris Millar on 0776 1142763 (not Sunday).

Common Sandpiper, Richard Caves:

Dipper, Mike McLaughlin:

Bird News Thursday 29th June

A White-tailed Eagle and Great Skua were seen on Rathlin (Stuart Cossey)

Black Guillemots, Guy Hamilton:

Bird News Wednesday 28th June

The Common Sandpiper was still at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh. (Richard Caves).

An adult summer plumaged Mediterranean Gull flew west off Castlerock beach this evening. (John Spottiswood).

Per the RSPB 18 pairs of Red Kites have raised 32 chicks so far this year, 30 of these have been wing-tagged by the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group so if you spot any of these birds let the NIRSG or RSPB know the details. 

Thanks to Richard Caves for the picture of the Common Sandpiper and to Mike McLaughlin for the picture of the Wheatears:

Bird News Tuesday 27th June

Common Sandpiper at Kinnegar Lagoon (Nathan Gilbert). Also Carrion Crow and Kestrel (Aaron Long).

Collared Doves, Ivan Dalglish:

Bird News Monday 26th June

The adult male Least Tern remains this afternoon at the Portrane Little Tern colony, Co Dublin (Eric Dempsey).

A Red Kite was seen early afternoon in the Dromora area (Terry Hanna).

Red Kite, Terry Hanna:

Bird News Sunday 25th June

 A Common Sandpiper was at Lady Bay, Lough Neagh. (Garry Armstrong).

A Red-throated Diver was at Groomsport this morning. (Richard Weyl).

Thanks to Michael Latham for the picture of the Hen Harrier and to Juliet Fleming for the pictures of the Raven:

Bird News Saturday 24th June

Two Red Kite were just west of Ballynahinch (Greg Heaney)

An Arctic Tern, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshanks and 31 Redshank were at the Bann Estuary (John Spottiswood)

Bird News Friday 23rd June

 A Golden or White-tailed Eagle was seen this morning in the Kilgad Road, Moorfields area of Ballymena. (Richard Rhodes).

An Osprey was near the river at Glenarm Forest Park.

A Cuckoo was seen flying over Flowbog Road, Slievenacloy this afternoon. (John O'Boyle).

Reverse migration has started already, at least 20 each of Curlew and Redshank were back at the high tide roost in Dundrum Inner Bay and darvic rings read on several birds show that they are 'locals', in that all were ringed in Dundrum Bay. (David Nixon)

If anyone lost a tripod near Dunseverick if you contact us we can put you in touch with the finder.

Thanks to David McCreedy for the picture of the Snipe and to David Nixon for the picture of the Greenshank:

Bird News Thursday 22nd June

A Mediterranean Gull was at Cockle Island earlier today (Brian Murphy / Ronnie Doggart)

Mediterranean Gull, Ronnie Doggart:

Bird News Wednesday 21st June 2023

 A Spotted Flycatcher was in the Antrim Hills. (David Clarke).

Cockle Island at Groomsport between 1 and 2pm had an adult and 1st summer Mediterranean Gulls, 1st summer Little Gull and 1st summer Arctic Tern, the Little Gull flew towards Copeland. (Chris Murphy).

Two Mediterranean Gulls were at Sandy By in Larne this evening. (Jason Bain).

Thanks to Terry Hanna for the picture of the Redpoll, to David Clarke for the picture of the Spotted Flycatcher, to Stephen Maxwell for the picture of the Sandwich Terns and to Jason Bain for the pictures of the Mediterranean Gulls and the Common Tern:

Bird News Tuesday 20th June

Just a few miles across the border, an Osprey is at Breffni Pier, Lough Melvin, Co. Leitrim (Seamus Feeney)

Two 1st-summer Little Gulls were at Lough Beg this evening (David Steele)

A Red Kite was at Loughbrickland lake this morning (Juliet Fleming)

Three Cuckoo and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were at Claudy (Helen Bond)

A Spotted Flycatcher was in a garden at Glenavy (Paul Mulvenna)

Bird News Monday 19th June

 A Spotted Flycatcher was near Finvoy in Co. Antrim. (Derek McClean).

A probable Red Kite was over the M2 near the Applegreen at Templepatrick. (Jeff Silvers).

A Cuckoo was at Florencecourt in Co. Fermanagh this afternoon. (Michael McCandless)

A Little Stint was with 8 Ringed Plover and 25 Dunlin at the Bann Estuary. (Gerard McGeehan, Shirley Dunlop).

Thanks to Derek for the pictures of the Spotted Flycatcher:

Bird News Sunday 18th June

A hybrid aythya duck showing some similarities to Lesser Scaup was at Kinnego Bay, Oxford Island (Garry Armstrong)

There have been a number of reports of Jet Ski activity distrurbing resting, feeding and breeding bird colonies around the coast. We would ask observers to keep an eye out for disturbance and report it to Councils, local representatives and conservation bodies.

Jet Ski activity around Cockle Island, Groomsport:

Bird News Saturday 17th June

A White-tailed Sea Eagle was seen this afternoon on Upper Lough Erne flying southwards past Innishlirroo and Naan Island. (John O'Boyle).

Bird News Friday 16th June

2 Red Kites in the Antrim Hills (Michael Latham).

Albino Hooded Crow juveniles, Ginny McKee:

Swift, Guy Hamilton:

Red Kite, Michael Latham:

Meadow Pipit, terry Hanna:

Bird News Thursday 15th June

A Red Kite was over Bryansford at lunchtime today (Eric Mansell)

Ravens, Juliet Fleming:

Bird News Wednesday 14th June

 A Red Kite was seen soaring near Tyrella beach. (Philip McErlean).

A Sanderling in summer plumage was at Killard. (John Mason).

Thanks to David Hunter for the pictures of the Ringed Plover and Pied Wagtail, to Guy Hamilton for the picture of the Black Guillemots, to Terry Hanna for the picture of the Sand Martin and to John Mason for the pictures of the Sanderling:

Bird News Tuesday 13th June

Yesterday Keady Mountain, Limavady had 2 Cuckoo and a Red Grouse (Godfrey McRoberts)

2 Whooper Swans were at Brockish Bay, Lough Neagh today. (Ciara Laverty & Peter Kearns)

Whooper Swans, Ciara Laverty:

Common Sandpiper, Jason Bain:

Bird News Monday 12th June

Least Tern still 0650 at the Little Tern colony at Baltray, Co Louth.  Park carefully before the gates and take the path SE through the dunes then south to the caravan. Still present 1910 (Brian McCloskey).

Cuckoo and a pair of Teal present at Lough Nadarra, Jenkin Forest, Co Fermanagh (Colin Bell).

Dunlin, John Clarke:

Blackcap, Terry Hanna:

Bird News Sunday 11th June

Just outside the region the Least Tern was seen briefly this morning at the Little Tern colony just North of Portrane (Brian Carruthers). Then intermittently in the afternoon  at the Balray, Co Louth Little Tern colony and still present 1830 (Gerard Murray).

Late news from yesterday of a reeling Grasshopper Warbler at the Ecos Centre, also a Mandarin of highly suspect origin (Chris Hamilton).

3 Minke Whale off the West Light on Rathlin (per RSPB & James Crymble).

Red Kite With black wing tag c3pm N of Killyglass Road, Eden (Kevin Kirkham).

Carrion Crow with probable hybrid young Kinnegar (Aaron Long).

Wheatear with young, Michael Latham:

Pochard, David Hunter:

Bird News Saturday 10th June

 A Carrion Crow was in the carpark at Decathlon in Belfast. (John Cusack).

Several Whinchats and Hen Harriers and single Cuckoo and Red Kite were in the Antrim hills. (Michael Latham).

A Whooper Swan was at the Bann Estuary. (John Spottiswood).

Thanks to David McCreedy for the picture of the Kestrel, to John McClean for the picture of the Reed Warbler and to Terry Hanna for the pictures of the Greenfinches:

Bird News Friday 9th June

 The Antrim hills today had a male Hen Harrier, Red Kite, juvenile Kestrel and a pair of Whinchats. (David McCreedy).

Thanks to Juliet Fleming for the pictures of the Common Gull and the Meadow Pipit:

Bird News Thursday 8th June

 The Pectoral Sandpiper is still at Blanket Nook in Donegal. (Chris Ingram).

An Osprey was in the Glens of Antrim. (Tony Dodds, Ian Young).

A Hobby was seen briefly hunting over Cuilcagh Mountain in Co. Fermanagh. (Bob Watts).

A Cuckoo was calling at Lough Fea this afternoon. (Malcolm Rocke).

The Osprey and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were at Woodburn Reservoir this evening.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was near Cross in Londonderry. (Pamela Craig). 

Thanks to Tony Dodds for the picture of the Osprey:

Bird News Wednesday 7th June

A Roseate Tern was on Swan Island and a Great White Egret seen in flight at Strangford (Stuart Cossey)

A Red Kite was seen near Ballinahinch (Greg Heaney)

The Pectoral Sandpiper was still at Blanket Nook, Co Donegal. The Wood Sandpiper was also still at Inch (Martin Deehan)

5 Common Tern are now at Corbett Lough (David McCreedy)

Whitethroat, Terry Hanna:

Bird News Tuesday 6th June

In Donegal, a Pectoral Sandpiper was at Blanketnook and a Wood Sandpiper at Inch (Chris Ingram) 

Two Common Tern were at Corbett Lough, Co Down (David McCreedy)

A Spotted Flycatcher was along the Newry Canal this morning just north of Carnbane (Frank Carroll)

Yesterday an adult Mediterranean Gull was at Castle Espie.

Yesterday one of the Bottle-nosed Dolphins was still at Strangford (Tim Jess)

Common Sandpiper, Jason Bain:

Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Tim Jess: