Laughing Gull last photo honest!

It seems as if there must be at least a hundred photos of Laughing Gull on this blog but in fact there are only 38! Yes i am that sad i counted them, so here is picture number 39 taken by Chris Baines showing the Laughing Gull doing what he does best, eating chips! What with the ban on birders at Ballycastle this may well be the last photo of it that appears here but if someone can break through the line and snap a picture of our Yank friend we will post it!

at

Alicante Butterflies, Dragonflies and Damselflies the end!

I am sure we are all sorry its the end of this section as well and again thanks to Tristan Reid. But we are going out with a bang with some gorgeous butterflys! Next up its moths of Alicante and it will run in tandem with the gulls until Christams



Swallowtail




Striped Grayling



Ilex Hairstreak



Black Satyr
at

Alicante Bird Pics (the final frontier!)

These are the final pics from Alicante all taken by Tristan Reid. Special thanks to Tristan for allowing us to use them, his trip report will be posted shortly on the NIBA Blog!
Next up its Alicante Gulls and we have enough photos to last to Christmas, we really are too good to you!









at

Nutts Corner 3

Here's a Collared Dove you don't want to mess with by the looks of it. Cheers to Ed O'Hara for the pic and tag.


 


"You talking to me punk?!"

at

Local Dragonflies (for a change)

Thanks to Geoff Campbell for this great set of pics of Northern Irish dragonflies





Above (top and bottom): Black Darter Sympetrum danae



Above: Moorland Hawker Aeshna juncea

Now all we have to do is decide on a new name for our website nibirds, nimoths or nidragonflies? - I quite like the sound of nichickens.
at

Moths on the Wing - 3rd August

Another pic from Ian Graham - this time a Lesser Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing - try saying that one ten times really quickly





Lesser Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing Noctua janthe

at

Birding China

Jesper Hornskov, a resident birder in China who has led a number of trips involving Irish birders, is organising trips to Manchuria and Yunnan in late 2010 and Spring 2011. Jesper's knowledge of China is unique - he has the largest Chinese list of any birder - and he is an excellent guide.
The trip lists from previous trips are far too good to list here but needless to say the quality of birding is superb (and afterwards you may never want to bird NI again!).

If you would like further details, you can contact Jesper direct at: goodbirdmail@gmail.com
at

Stop Press! Important Announcement

Rights to Rare Gull Temporarily Withdrawn
Following a series of derogatory comments about Ballycastle’s fine eating establishments and chip buying etiquette (by the way most locals know better and buy their chips up the street) posted on this blog, the Ballycastle Ornithological Group for Our Feather Friends regrets that it has no option but to suspend all birders rights to see the Ballycastle Laughing Gull.
Road closures and border patrols will be in force this Friday  between 1430 and 2100 and Saturday between 1000 and 1900 and all birders will be prevented from passing the town of Armoy. In the unlikely event that a laridophile will pass themselves off as a normal tourist by hiding all those loaves of bread in the boot of their cars we have decided to prevent everyone from accessing the town.  
Whilst we recognise that such a ban means nothing to 99% of birders who have either seen the gull or recognise that it is simply another seagull, there are those who cannot stay away. Unfortunately everyone will have to make do with Reed Warblers this Friday and Saturday.
Be warned that this blog will continue to be monitored. Further uncomplimentary comments regarding Ballycastle, it’s warm and friendly chip serving locals and wonderfully well-mannered and cultured tourists (DC - you know who I mean!) from Belfast will not be tolerated.
 
Spokesperson for BOG OFF
Seriously - due to the Armoy Road Races this weekend, roads will be closed in the Armoy area on Friday and Saturday, with diversions in place to Ballycastle.

at

Monday 2nd August News

Laughing Gull - Ballycastle Co.Antrim (Brad Robson)
Spotted Flycatcher - 6, Antrim Castle, Co. Antrim (Ed O'Hara)

Spotted Flycatcher (today) by Ed O'Hara













Tufted Duck - 35, Stoneyford Reservoir Co.Antrim
Little Egret - 10, Dundrum Inner Bay South, Co. Down
Greenshank - 25, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Wigeon - 1, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Little Egret - 7, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Common Sandpiper - 7, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down

Thanks to Ian Graham for this image of the Green Sandpiper at Belfast Lough RSPB














Here's some Starlings from from Ed O'Hara


 
".........but the duck is pointing west lads"



Visit us at Facebook here

For the latest UK bird news: rarebirdsinbritain or birdguides

For the latest Irish bird news: irishbirding

For everything else Surfbirds and Fatbirder
at

Laughing Gull twitched from Scotland and Cork.

The Laughing Gull received a couple of visitors from far flung places on Saturday, birders and photographers Chris Baines (Scotland) and Ronan McLaughlin (Cork) both visited Ballycastle. Both observers were too scared to go into the chippy to buy chips so once again i was forced much against my will to go and buy the chips. Two o'clock in the afternoon is the same as seven o'clock in this hick town and it was a pushing and shoving match just to get an order in. The reason for this is i found out is the very famous (at least in Ballycastle) Jumbo Cod Supper which retails at a whopping seven pound and people come from as far away as a mile just to buy it. It was huge and if you ever have a need to put a stone on urgently this is your answer. Fish stocks in the Atlantic won't last long at this rate!
Here are two pictures of the gull by Chris Baines




at

Alicante Butterflies, Dragonflies and Damselflies (part7)

We have a Snake for you today, a Viperine no less. Thanks again to Tristan Reid!!



at

Alicante Bird Pics (part10)

Gull Billed Tern and Griffon Vulture are the two we have for you today courtesy of Tristan Reid!



at

Nutts Corner 2





When you're lost in deepest darkest Co. Antrim this is the last thing you want to see.

at

Spot the Bird (Part 42)





Answer to Part 41: Gull-billed Tern
at

Moths on the Wing - 2nd August

Thanks again to Ian Graham for todays moth on the wing - a Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata


at

Sunday 1st August News

White-tailed Eagle - 1, Church Island, Lough Beg, Co. Londonderry (David Steele)                                  
(Tagged, green left, white right - presumed Co. Kerry bird)

Ruff - 1 (juvenile), Paddys Dub, Lough Beg Co. Londonderry
Dunlin - 3 (juveniles), SW Corner Lough Beg Co. Londonderry
Whimbrel - 1, SW Corner Lough Beg, Co. Londonderry
Oystercatcher - 3, SW Corner Lough Beg, Co. Londonderry
Greenshank - 16, Lough Beg, Co. Londonderry
Mediterranean Gull - 1 (adult), Dundrum Inner Bay South, Co. Down (Dave and Orcilla Hadrick)
Little Egret - 11, Dundrum Inner Bay South, Co. Down (Dave and Orcilla Hadrick)
Little Egret - 9, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Common Sandpiper - 10, Blackstaff River, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Greenshank - 18, Blackstaff River, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Kingfisher - 1, Blackstaff River, Dundrum Inner Bay North, Co. Down
Green Sandpiper - 1, adult, Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve, Co. Down
Common Sandpiper - 6, Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve, Co. Down
Ruff - 1 (juvenile), Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve, Co. Down
Bar Tailed Godwits - 35, Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve, Co. Down
Dunlin - 8, Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve, Co. Down
Shoveler - 1, Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve, Co. Down
Teal - 10, Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve, Co. Down
Reed Warbler - 4, Kinnego Hide, Oxford Island, Co. Armagh (Garry Armstrong and Ed O'Hara)

Reed Warbler by Ed O'Hara, Oxford Island today
















Shoveler - 1, Dargan Bay, Co.Antrim
Eider - 800, Dargan Bay, Co. Antrim
Red-breasted Merganser - 25, Dargan Bay, Co. Antrim
Great Crested Grebe - 250, Dargan Bay, Co. Antrim
Redshank - 500, Dargan Bay, Co. Antrim
Black-tailed Godwits - 1000, Dargan Bay, Co. Antrim
Blackcap - 1, Randalstown Forest, Co.Antrim
Jay - 1, Randalstown Forest, Co.Antrim
Spotted Flycatcher - 1, Seaforde Estate, Co. Antrim (Walter Veale)



Thanks to Ed O'Hara for these pics of Reed Warblers at Oxford Island (yesterday)















Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper - Belfast Harbour RSPB by Danny Boyd (yesterday)

















Here's some great shots of Sedge Warblers by Mark Killops
























Tired of Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers yet? Well here's some more from Geoff Campbell















































Republic of Ireland
Sooty Shearwater - 22, Malin Head, Co. Donegal
Sabine's Gull - 1, adult summer, Malin Head, Co. Donegal
Great Skua - 1, Malin Head, Co. Donegal
Balearic Shearwater - 2, Malin Head, Co. Donegal

(all of the Donegal sightings by Ronan McLaughlin)


Here's a great picture of a family of Great Crested Grebes by Ed O'Hara


'What about me dad?!'


Thanks again to Brian Nelson for helping in trying to pin down yesterday's mystery insect - it's a species of sawfly possiblyTenthredo mesomelas


Visit us at Facebook here

For the latest UK bird news: rarebirdsinbritain or birdguides

For the latest Irish bird news: irishbirding

For everything else Surfbirds and Fatbirder
at

Death in the Afternoon

Thanks to Danny Boyd for this series of shots of a spider just about to have lunch- worthy if Chamber of Horrors but we thought it should have it's own spot.





at

Orcillas Bird Tours Trip Report


We had a fantastic day as you can see from the photos. Unfortunately due to the high level of advertising and expectation, far too many people turned up.
Adrenalin was running very high after such a remarkable trip.


The birds went mad for the Brummy






 This one came from afar but arrived too late





 Some came from Ballycastle





 Star of the Day





The cafe ran out of vegetable roll and things turned ugly as you can see from the last picture.
There is nothing more frightening than a hungry birder.
We cannot afford to employ enough security to control such large crowds, so sadly Orcilla's Tours have been terminated.

Thank you to all our patrons

Best regards

Dave (manager) and Orcilla (expert in retirement)

Sorry no refunds as our lunches have been pre-booked for the next 6 months.
at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)