Bird News Wednesday 27th March

9 Waxwings were at Richmond Drive, Tandragee again today (David Knight)

A Brambling was in a garden in Warringstown (Tom McCreery)

An adult Med Gull was at Drains Bay and a Great Northern Diver off Ballygally Head this afternoon (Adam McClure)

A Sand Martin was at Lower Lough Erne islands RSPB reserve, Co Fermanagh today (Brad Robson)

Thanks to David Knight for this pic of a Waxwing, Tom McCreery for the Brambling and Alistair Prentice for the Dipper. You can see more pics at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

Bird News Tuesday 26th March

9 Waxwing were at the town end of Park Lane in Gilford this morning (Mark McConnell)

A small flock of 12 Waxwings were still in the Castlewellan Road area of Banbridge early this morning, feeding in a garden, opposite the Ladybird Lane Nursery. (David McCreedy)

A Glaucous Gull was at Kinnegar Shore, Co Down.

6 Buzzard were at Ballystockart. (Stephen Maxwell).

A male Hen Harrier and 135 Snipe were at Lower Lough Erne Islands RSPB Reserve (Brad Robson).

At Larne Lough a Little Egret and a Carrion Crow were at Ballycarry Bridge and a male Wheatear at Mill Bay (Cameron Moore).

9 Waxwing were at Richmond Drive in Tandragee, the Red Crested Pochard was still at Oxford Island and a Knot was at Kinnegoe Marina. (David Knight).

A Little Egret was feeding in the flooded grass at Stormont, about a dozen Redwings and 6 Fieldfare were feeding with Song and Mistle Thrushes on the playing fields on the way out of Stormont. A male Blackcap is visiting a garden in Knock. (Lindsay Hodges).

The Bann Estuary had 22 Greylag Geese, 1 Pink-footed Goose, 104 Sanderling and 35 Black-tailed Godwit. (Hill Dick, Peter Robinson, Coleraine RSPB group).

Thanks to todays photographers, to Stephen Maxwell for the picture of a Shag, to Christine Cassidy for the Siskin and Greenfinch pictures, to Alistair Prentice for the Treecreeper picture, to David Knight for the picture of the Knot, to Lindsay Hodges for the Little Egret pictures and to Cameron Moore for the Wheatear and female Blackcap pictures. You can see more NI bird pictures at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bird News Monday 25th March

Most unusually an adult Sabine’s Gull flew east along the shore, at Briggs Rocks, Co Down – a very rare “spring” record -
a Whimbrel was on the shore also (Colin Guy)

The drake Lesser Scaup was still off the Discovery Centre at Oxford Island.

5 Sand Martins were feeding over Lough Shark this morning (Fulton Sommerville)

A Little Gull (see pics  below) along with a Little Egret, 6 Black Guillemot and a Razorbill were at Killard, Co.Down.(Craig Nash).

There are 11 Waxwings at the moment back in Whyte Acres, Banbridge (1700 hrs) (Karen Elliott)

At Larne Lough a Pink-footed Goose was half a mile north of Ballycarry Bridge. 3 Jay flew across the Lough and a Little Egret was near Magheramorne (Cameron Moore).

25 Waxwing were seen this evening (5pm) at St Georges Church nr Albert clock in Belfast city centre.(D.Noe)

To-days photographs have been kindly sent in (from the top) by Craig Nash of the Little Gull at Killard and also the Little Gull again flying over a Razorbill. Stephen Maxwell of a Whimbrel taken at Ballymacormick Point yesterday and a Gadwall.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Thanks to Chris Colhoun for these superb pics of a female bird visiting a garden about 5 miles from Limavady.

Bird News Sunday 24th March

The adult male Lesser Scaup still at Oxford Island just outside breakwater with Tufties (Brad Robson)

13 Waxwings were again in Whyte Acres, Banbridge having stayed since yesterday. (Mark Elliott)

9 Waxwings, were at Ross Bay, Waterside, Derry and 15 Waxwings in the Shantallow Area, Derry (Christine Cassidy)

A flock of 30 Waxwing were at Culmore Point, Derry (Martina Boyle)

A pair of Slavonian Grebe were in a bay south of Greyabbey this morning (Richard Gowen)

On the Ourer Ards: Black-throated Diver: 1 Greyabbey Bay S, Great northern diver: 1 Marlfield (S Strangford Lough). Red-throated diver: 1 Gransagh Bay (Strangford narrows). Slavonian grebe: 5 Greyabbey Bay S. Short-eared Owl: 1 Ballyquintin. Red-legged Partridge: 1 on road just S of Kircubbin. Golden plover: large flocks (100s) at Floodgates, Ballyquintin, Kirkistown. Stock Dove: 4 on fields between Greyabbey and Mount Stewart (Keith Bennett)

No sign of the Barr Hall Bay green-winged teal (last seen by me 18th March).



Thanks to Mark for the top Waxwing pic, Christine for the middle pic and Martina for the bottom Waxwing pic. Thanks to Richard for the Slav Grebe picture.
You can see more pics at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk

Bird News Saturday 23rd March

13 Waxwings were in Whyte Acres off the Castlewellan Road, Banbridge at 7:30am (Mark Elliott)

A male Brambling continues to pay occasional visits to a sunflower feeder in a Spa garden (David Nixon)

25 Waxwings were in Derry at Shantallow Health Centre (Christine Cassidy)

9 Waxwings were at Ross Bay, Waterside Derry sitting on telegraph wires (Raymond Brogan)

A Little Egret was at the Floodgates at Newtownards (Debbie Gray)

At Larne Lough a Little Egret, 3 Greenshank and 2 Twite were at Mill Bay. 160 Fieldfare and 80 Redwing were half a mile north of there (Cameron Moore).

16 Waxwing were at Langtry Court along Templemore Avenue in East Belfast.

18 no Waxwings at Sainsbury's car park,Carrickfergus today 16.00hrs (Pauline Majury)

Thanks to Mark Elliott for the top two pics of the Waxwings and Christine Cassidy for the third pic:

Bird News Friday 22nd March.

Despite the atrocious weather to-day there was some news..

 

 The Bittern was seen again at Balloo Wetland in Bangor. It was in the reeds left of the hide. A Water Rail was at the back of the reserve where the stream comes in.(A.Devlin)

3 Brambling, 2 Linnet, 2 Blackcap and 9 Lesser Redpoll were in a garden in Whitehead (Cameron Moore)

30 Waxwing were at Shantallow Health Centre today.

 

 

Our photographs have been kindly sent in by,( from the top) David Cassells for this picture of a stunning male Brambling.. Cameron Moore for this picture of a Waxwing taken at Sainsburys car-park, Carrickfergus yesterday. Christine Cassidy for the Ringed Plover and also the Sparrowhawk. Chris Colhoun for the Greenfinch.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bird News Thursday 21st March

Three Waxwing flew over Stranmillis Boat House, Belfast, this morning (Paul Smith)

6 Waxwings were in the grounds of Stranmillis University College and a very approachable Redwing at Annadale embankment (Nigel Merrell)

There has been a small flock of 8 Waxwings in Waringstown for the past few days. They are feeding in gardens at the Lurgan end of the village (David McCreedy)

A Manx shearwater past Kearney, Outer Ards, this evening (Keith Bennett)

50 Waxwing have been reported in Derry City.

In south-easterly gales this evening, Briggs Rocks had 1 adult Mediterranean Gull, 1 drake Common Scoter and 2 Manx Shearwaters which flew east (Colin Guy)

The Spotted Redshank was still at Creighton's Green Reservoir (Simon Morton)

23 Waxwing were at Sainsbury's car park in Carrickfergus (Gerard McGeehan)

The Cattle Egret is back at the organic Pig Farm, St Johnstone, Co Donegal.

The white morph Snow Goose, was still at Sheskinmore Lough, Co Donegal today.

Thanks to Fulton Sommerville for this pic of the Red-crested Pochard at Oxford Island and to Alistair Prentice for the Waders (Ringed Plovers and Dunlin) in flight and Christine Cassidy for the Buzzard:

Bird News Wednesday 20th March

Yesterday at Oxford Island, the drake Lesser Scaup was in Kinnegoe Bay. There was also a drake Scaup and drake Red-crested Pochard. (Birdguides).

About 35 waxwings were at the Grove roundabout, Ballymoney Road, Ballymena this morning. (Iris Millar).

A small flock of Waxwings (about 15) settled briefly on a tree near Stranmillis Primary School in Belfast at 10:20am and then flew off in a south easterly direction. (Philip McErlean).

Three Kingfisher were along the Newry Canal at Carnbane this morning. (Frank Carroll).

The Red-crested Pochard, a female Scaup and 3 Ruddy Duck were in Kinnegoe Bay at Oxford Island today but there was no sign of the drake Lesser Scaup. (Fulton Somerville).

2 Kingfisher, 3 Little Grebe, 12 Teal and 12 Tufted Duck were at Victoria Park in Belfast (Dot Blakely).    

Yesterday 20 Waxwing were in a garden at Wyncairn in Larne (Betty Foster).

Thanks to today's photographers, to Joe Donaldson for this picture of the Lesser Scaup taken last Wednesday, to Alistair Prentice for the picture of the Black Guillemot, to Christine Cassidy for the picture of the male Stonechat, to Chris Henry for the male Bullfinch picture and to Tom McCreery for the Brambling picture. You can see more NI bird pictures at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk 

 

 

Bird News Tuesday 19th March.

2 Peregrine were attacking Godwits between Seapark and Greenisland House.(D.Stirling)

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was coming to a peanut feeder in Tobermore (Alison Kirk).

Our thanks to (from the top)  Alistair Prentice  for this photograph of a Common Redpoll. Stephen Maxwell for the Black-tailed Godwit. Tom McCreery for the Cormorant

 

 

 

 

 

Bird News Monday 18th March

The Drake Ring-necked Duck, 12 Lapwing and 6 Water Rail were at Tullyratty Dam, near Castleward. A high count of 11 Jack Snipe together with 6 Common Snipe were on private ground near Downpatrick. 675 Brent Geese in Killough Harbour. (Chris Murphy)

The unusual african type Chaffinch re-appeared this morning in Richill, Co Armagh after not being seen since 6th January. It was seen between 9-11am. (Andrew Poots)

The Bonapartes Gull was seen again today at Ballygalley, Co Antrim (Richard Hunter)

A Pink-footed Goose was with 30 Greylags this afternoon at Church Bay, Larne Lough (Neal Warnock)

2 Bewick Swans were in the Portmore Lough area (Ed O'Hara)

On Sunday there were 5 Red-throated Divers off Seapark at Greenisland and around 300 Black-tailed Godwits (David Stirling)

A Wheatear was at Ballintoy Harbour (Simon Morton ).

An adult Iceland Gull flew east towards Bangor at Smelt Mill Bay (Julian Greenwood).


Thanks to Andrew Poots for these two pics of the Chaffinch. Also thanks to Alistair Prentice for the female Greenfinch pic. Thanks also to Christine Cassidy for the Wren photo,and finally to Tom McCreery for the Grey Heron .

 

 

 

 

 

St Patricks Big Day

Keith Bennett and Chris Murphy saw 106 species within a 25km radius of Downpatrick on St Patricks Day. Highlights included the drake Green-winged Teal still in Barr Hall Bay, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming in Tollymore, where single Crossbill also heard, a Merlin at Murlough, 17 Slavonian Grebes in Greyabbey Bay, 18 Great Northern Divers in Dundrum Bay plus two more in Greyabbey Bay (one of which in summer plumage), 700 Scoter Dundrum Bay, 50 Black Guillemots close in off Newcastle promenade, 20 Whoopers off Buck's Head Road, 40 near Ballyward and 6 roosting Comber Est., 30 Sanderling and 2 Purple Sandpipers at Tyrella. Lots of Fieldares and Redwings still about but among lots of things missed surprisingly no Lapwings or Skylarks.

Bird News Sunday 17th March.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming and seen in flight at Belvoir Forest Park down by the river in trees close to the footbridge. (K.Elliott)

2 Mealy Redpoll were on feeders in the Cregagh area in East Belfast.(R.Milligan)

The Green Sandpiper was still present at Creighton's Green Rd reservoir along with a Little Egret and a Whooper Swan.(P.West)

A Chiffchaff was at Lough Shark, Poyntzpass Co.Armagh and 3 Jack Snipe at McCourts Lake, Poyntzpass. (J.Devlin)

Two Snow Bunting and 20 Twite at Copeland Bird Observatory today. The first returning Manx Shearwater was back in its burrow. (K.Leonard)

Scandinavian Rock Pipit still at Ballintoy also Wheatear and Peregrine Falcon (Jeff Larkin)

A Waxwing was in a garden on the Ballymacash Road, Lisburn (I.Morrow)

10 Snow Bunting were at the old landfill site along Hightown Road above Glengormley. 3 Brambling were in a garden at Waterloo Park in Belfast (Larry Toal)

The Little Gull was still at Craigavon Lakes. A Merlin and 250 Greylags were at Reedy Flats (Ed O'Hara)

3 Blackcap were visiting a garden on the Kings Road, Belfast.(L.Hodges.)

In Donegal an adult and first-winter Iceland Gull were at Greencastle harbour (Lowell Mills).


To-days photographs have been kindly provided by (from the top ) Comghal McQuillan-Treecreeper. Alistair Prentice-Siskin. Ed. O'Hara-Little Gull. Adam Middleton-Common Snipe. Zach McCreery-Grey Heron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our sincere thanks to everyone who send us information either via e-mail/ photographs/text or by phone, it is greatly appreciated.