Bird News Saturday 8th February

The female Wigeon at Dargan Bay is now regarded as a Eurasian Wigeon.

Three male and one female Goosander were at Corbett Lough (Mike McLaughlin)

Five Sandwich Terns were at Portaferry (John Wilson Foster)

A Pink-footed Goose was south of Anne’s Point. (Richard Weyl)

The 4th w Glauc juv and 2nd w Iceland Gull & Long-tails Duck were still around Enniskillen (Brad Robson)

Thanks to Neal Warnock for this picture which shows the bird having grey axillaries on the underwing (they are white on American Wigeon). The bird is however very distinctive and can be  picked out from the Wigeon flock relatively easily:

Bird News Friday 7th February

The female American Wigeon was still at Dargan Bay this morning (Billy Miskelly).

A Red Kite was over Burnside Road in Banbridge this morning. ( Isabel McLaughlin).

A male Ring-necked Duck and a probable Lesser Scaup were at Portmore Lough RSPB reserve, a family of Otters was just outside the hide. (Brad Robson).

Thanks to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Buzzard and to Christine Cunningham for the picture of the Yellowhammer:

Bird News Thursday 6th February

An immature White-tailed Eagle was at Lower Lough Erne this morning (Brad Robson)see pic. below

Raptor Sightings in NI

We have been asked by the NIRSG to publish the following and would ask everyone to respect it. We do forward sightings of raptors to the NIRSG when they are passed on to us.

Dear NI Birds contributors / readers,

We would like to thank you for your role in recording and documenting the species you encounter and remind you that you are incredibly valuable assets in the recording community. As we begin to enter another breeding season for birds of prey we would like to remind everyone that these species are extremely vulnerable to disturbance and suffer from widespread illegal killing - see last report here: Raptor Report 

Many species of birds of prey are extremely site faithful and remain on their territories all year. Please be mindful of what you post on social media, especially related to the locations of sensitive and vulnerable species.

Kind regards,

Eimear Rooney

Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group

www.nirsg.com

Bird News Wednesday 5th February

The female American Wigeon was seen again at Dargan Bay (Stuart McKee)

2 Crossbills and a flock of 48 Snow Buntings were at the west end of Rathlin this morning. A 2cy Glaucous Gull came in to roost on the island this evening. (Ric Else \ Hazel Watson)

A Crossbill was in Castle Archdale Country Park, Co Fermanagh (Brad Robson)

Small parties of Crossbills were in Springwell Forest near Coleraine (Ken Perry/John Clarke/Hill Dick)

Female American Wigeon (rear bird), Stuart McKee:

Female American Wigeon, Tom Ennis:

BTO Heronry Census - can you help?

If you can help, contact Ian Enlander at: ian.enlander1@hotmail.com

Bird News Tuesday 4th February

A Smew was seen again at Portmore Lough (Rachel Hynes)

Red-breasted Merganser, Darren Brown:

Bird News Monday 3rd February.

2 Waxwings were on Church Road, Helen’s Bay this morning (Richard Donaghey)

A Merlin was at Ramore Head.(John Clarke)

Our thanks to William Smiton for the Blue Tit photo.

Lough Beg on World Wetlands Day

The theme of today's (Ramsar) World Wetlands Day was biodiversity and Lough Beg lived up its reputation for being one of Ireland’s richest wetlands for birds. Large numbers of waterbirds encountered on a public walk to celebrate the occasion included 740 Whooper Swans, 2,000 Golden Plover, 1,000 Lapwing, 22 Ruff and 43 Little Egrets. A ringtail Hen Harrier was hunting between Church Island and Paddy’s Dub.

For anyone interested, the re-routing of the A6 through Lough Beg’s meadows between The Creagh and Deer Park Road will be the subject of a discussion led by Chris Murphy and Doris Noe in the company of Extinction Rebellion at the Accidental Theatre, Shaftesbury Square, Belfast this Tuesday, 4 February, at 6pm. All welcome.

Rathlin Bird Report 2019

2019 was a simply outstanding year for birding on Rathlin. The total of 167 species recorded on the island not only smashed the number tallied in the previous years, but it also included a fantastic array of rare and unusual species that provided excitement throughout the year.

 Read all about it the Rathlin Bird Report 2019. It's a bumper edition for a bumper year!

 The report is free to download here: https://rathlinstickybeak.wordpress.com/2020/02/02/rathlin-bird-report-2019/

Ric Else & Hazel Watson

Bird News Sunday 2nd February

The drake Ring-necked Duck was still at Oxford Island, Co Armagh (Neal Warnock)

The drake American Wigeon was still at Culdaff, Co Donegal (Jeff Larkin).

The Ring-billed Gull was still at Carrickfergus. (Philip West).

A Mediterranean Gull and a hybrid Hooded x Carrion Crow were at Glynn in Larne Lough. (Gareth Platt).

Lough Beg today had 740 Whooper Swans, 2,000 Golden Plover, 1,000 Lapwing, 22 Ruff and 43 Little Egrets. A ringtail Hen Harrier was hunting between Church Island and Paddy’s Dub. (Chris Murphy & Doris Noe)

The Great White Egret was at Lough Beg (Richard Donaghey)

A female American Wigeon was at Dargan Bay, Belfast Lough (Birdguides)

Thanks to Jonny Rosborough for the pictures of the Red Grouse and to Gareth Platt for the pictures of the Mediterranean Gull and the Bar-tailed Godwit which was ringed in Holland:

Bird News Saturday 1st February

The Water Pipit was still at Ballyfrench Beach, Portavogie (Billy Miskelly).

The male Ring-necked Duck was still showing off the Kinnegoe hide at Oxford Island. (Mark Killops, Ed O'Hara).

The Ring-billed Gull was still at Antrim Road Waterworks in Belfast.

The Spoonbill, a Hen Harrier and a Merlin were all at Church Bay at Lough Beg. (Gerard McGeehan & Shirley Dunlop).

A single Snow Bunting was on Divis Mountain. (Paul Toner & Noel McKernan).

Thanks to Danny Gibson for the pictures of the Ring-necked Duck and to Thomas Campbell for the picture of the Yellowhammer:

Bird News Friday 31st January.

A single Snow Bunting was at Ramore Head.(John Clarke)

The male Long-tailed Duck still Back Lough,E'killen, 4th winter Glaucous Gull and juv Iceland Gull still E'killen dump.(Brad Robson)

Shillnavogey Rd had a Merlin  plus 2 Red Grouse, Oxford Island had a male Ring-necked Duck(Ed O'Hara)

The Great White Egret, Spoonbill, 26 Ruff and a ringtail Hen Harrier were at Lough Beg, Derry this morning. There was no sign of the Lesser Yellowlegs. (Neal Warnock)

Eider photo kindly sent in by Alastair McLean. The pic of the Buzzard sent in by David Clarke and bottom photo is of the Ring-necked Duck sent in by Ed O'Hara

Bird News Thursday 30th January

The Lesser Yellowlegs was seen again this morning in the south west corner of Lough Beg. The Spoonbill was also seen in flight along the west shore of Lough Beg. (Jeff Larkin).

Five Snow Buntings were in the Antrim Hills today. The three redhead Smew were still at Portmore Lough RSPB reserve.  (Brian McCloskey, Peter Philips, Ger Murray)

Thanks to Jeff for this picture of the Yellowlegs:

Bird News Wednesday 29th January

There was no sign of the Lesser Yellowlegs this afternoon at Lough Beg - however the Spoonbill was seen again with the Little Egret flock in Paddy's Dub and four Ruff were in the southwest corner (David Steele)

The hybrid/Lesser Scaup (still too distant to be certain) & 3 redhead Smew were still at Portmore Lough RSPB Reserve Antrim (Brad Robson)

Bird News Tuesday 28th January

A Lesser Yellowlegs was at Lough Beg this afternoon, found at 4pm and showed well up to 5pm, with Redshanks on the western shoreline in the bay directly opposite the first clump of poplar trees at Mullagh. (David Steele).

Bird News Monday 27th January

The Golden Eagle was seen again today in the Antrim Hills (Cecil Smyth)

More photographs of local birds are at: http://nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk/

Golden Eagle, Cecil Smyth:

Bird News Sunday 26th January

The Golden Eagle was seen again this morning in the Antrim Hills. Crossbills were seen at several sights in the Antrim hills. (Michael Latham)

Two Smew were at Portmore Lough (Neal Warnock).

A Spoonbill was at Lough Beg this afternoon. It is a first-winter (blackish tips to primaries) and was feeding in Paddy's Dub along with the Great White Egret and a record site flock of 50 Little Egrets. (David Steele).

Thanks to Michael Latham for the pictures of the Golden Eagle and to Wilf Swain for the picture of the Black-tailed Godwit:

Bird News Saturday 25th January

The drake Ring-necked Duck was still at Kinnego Bay, Oxford Island (Ed O’Hara)

A Black-throated Diver and 3 Red-throated Divers were at Carnlough (Gerard McGeehan / Shirley Dunlop)

3 Sandwich Terns were on the jetty at Portaferry this afternoon, along with a Carrion Crow and a Greenshank nearby. A Merlin was at Templecowey and 20 Shoveler at Ballyquentin Farm. (Chris Acheson)

The Water Pipit was still at Ballyfrench beach and at nearby Portavogie there were a Ruff, 6 Jack Snipe and a Mediterranean Gull. (Richard Weyl)

Three female Snew and a Hen Harrier were at RSPB Portmore (Brian Murphy \ Sandra McDowell)

Two Mediterranean Gulls were on Kinnegar Shore (Mike Ervine)

The male Long-tailed Duck was still at Enniskillen Back Lough; 1 4th yr Glaucous, 1 juv and 1 2nd winter Iceland Gull were at Enniskillen dump, 1 2nd winter  Iceland Gull flew past the cliffs at Bundoran Donegal and a Great Northern Diver was on Lower Lough Erne, Co Fermanagh (Brad Robson)

Approx 30 Waxwings were along Coleraine bypass immediately north of Asda this afternoon. 

Earlier, 180 Barnacles and 8 Chough were north of Malin village, the drake American Wigeon still at Culdaff, a single Pinkfoot and female Scaup at Inch, and 240 Greenland Whitefronts at Big Isle. (Richard Gray)

Ring-necked Duck, Ed O'Hara:

Smew, Sandra McDowell:

Redwing, Stephen Maxwell:

Redwing, Albert Boyle:

BIrd News Friday 24th January

8 Goosander, 5 male and 3 female were at Lough Island Reavey. (Billy Miskelly)

2 Snow Buntings were in Co Fermanagh on Knockmore. 16 Crossbills and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were in Belmore Forest. (Brad Robson).

A 2nd calendar year Glaucous Gull was roosting on Rathlin this evening. (Ric Else & Hazel Watson).

Thanks to Brad for the pictures of the Snow Buntings: