A Mealy Redpoll was visiting a garden in Culcavy, Hillsborough this morning. (Garry Armstrong).
A Little Egret was at the Floodgates, Newtownards. (Lindsey Hodges).
14 Waxwing were at Killfennan Valley Park in Waterside today. (Theo Campbell).
A male Blackcap has today joined the female bird which has been feeding in a garden in Glengormley all winter. (Philip McHaffie).
At Burial Island on the Outer Ards were 10 Manx shearwater, 5 Great-northern Diver, 2 Common Scoter and a Merlin. South of Gransha Point were 6 Black-throated Diver and 3 Great Northern Diver. A White Wagtail was in a flooded field at Ballydam NW of Portaferry (J618528). (Richard Weyl).
A trickle of migrants were arriving in and leaving NI, on Copeland Bird Observatory today including 2 Wheatear, 6 Goldcrest, 7 Fieldfare, 1 Siskin, 1Skylark, 1Greenfinch, 3 Chaffinch, 30 Meadow Pipits, 40 Hooded Crows going east and 1 Carrion Crow, 11 Twite were also present. A Coal Tit, a very rare spring migrant on Copeland, was also present. (Kerry Leonard).
6 Whooper Swans were in fields beside the River Bann, near the M1 between the Charlstown Road and the Derrycarne Road, Portadown this morning and another 4 were nearby in another field at about 10am this morning. (David McCormick).
2 Snipe were in a field at Whiterock and a Yellowhammer along Ballyhenry Road near Comber (Margaret Adamson).
Yesterday a Black Brant was at Ballykinler Point in Dundrum Inner Bay (Graham McElwaine).
Along the Newry Canal from Poyntzpass to Scarva today between 17:00 & 19:00 were 2 Chifchaffs, 2 Goldcrests, 4 Redwing, 28 Fieldfare, 20+ Tree Sparrows, c100 Linnet and a Treecreeper. At Lough Shark were 2 Swallow, 4 Sand Martin, 13 Whooper Swan, 2 Buzzard, 6 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Mute Swan, 100+ mixed Gulls, c30 Tufted Duck and 1 Grey Heron. (Fulton Somerville & Janet McKevitt).
A Crane flew north over Dublin this morning so it would be worth keeping an eye open for this bird anywhere in Northern Ireland.
Thanks to todays photographers, to Lindsey Hodges for the pictures of the drake Eider and the Little Egret, to Eric Phillips for the Goldcrest picture, to Margaret Adamson for the female Blackbird with aberrant plumage, to Robert Scott for the Glaucous Gull picture, to Adam Middleton for the Snipe picture, to Martina Boyle for the Buzzard picture and to Fulton Somerville for the picture of the Chiffchaff. You can see more NI bird pictures at
www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk
