Bird News Saturday 13th April

The Black-necked Grebe was still off the Waterside viewing platform at Oxford Island, an Osprey was fishing in Kinnegoe Bay in the early afternoon, a Common Sandpiper was on the shore behind the Discovery Centre, good numbers of Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Swallow were present and 3 House Martin were also seen. (Ed O'Hara)

Another Osprey was on the shore of Lough Neagh, seen from the hide at Randalstown Forest. An inland Kittiwake was also seen on the Lough. (Jeff Larkin / Michael Jackson)

A Goshawk spent most of the day at Copeland Bird Observatory. Also noted over the day were 80 Goldcrest, 3 Wheatear, 10 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, 40 Blackbird, 30 Robin, 18 Fieldfare, 7 Redwing, 6 Song Thrush, 30 Skylark moving west in 2/3s, 3 Swallow, a House Martin, 2 Sandwich Tern and 6 Chaffinch (David Galbraith)

Along the Tyrone shore of Lough Neagh 5 Swallow, 200 Golden Plover and 8 Gadwall were at Blackers Rock (Godfrey McRoberts)

2 Common Tern, a Peregrine, 2 Willow Warbler and a Swallow were at the RSPB Belfast Harbour Reserve (Adam Middleton/Margaret Adamson). A Common Sandpiper and Jay were also seen there (Gerard McGeehan)

5/6 Waxwing were feeding on berries in a garden along Holywood Road in Belfast and 4 Buzzard were over the Four Winds in Newtownbreda (David Clarke)

2 Sand Martins, 4 Chiffchaff, 9 Swallow, 3 Blackcap and 400 Scaup were between Ballyronan Marina and Traad Point Lough Neagh this morning between 10-11am.
(Ciaran Burns).

6+ Sand Martin's and 3 Swallow's feeding over the Lower Bann at the Loughan, Coleraine. (Richard Donaghey)

A Little Egret was along the Comber Greenway at Dundonald this morning. (Jenny Pyper)

A Short-eared Owl and a Whimbrel were at Ballyquintin Point (Richard Weyl)

2 Common Sandpiper, 6 Purple Sandpiper and a Sanderling were along the shore at Ballycastle. (Neal Warnock)

The Common Tern and two Willow Warblers were at RSPB Belfast Harbour Reserve (Adam Middleton)

2 Swallow were on the Comber Greenway (Stephen Maxwell)

Thanks to Ed O'Hara for these pictures from Oxford Island of the fishing Osprey, the Black-necked Grebe and the Common Sandpiper. The bottom photograph is from Michael Jackson of the Osprey at Randalstown Forest.

Bird News Friday 12th April

The Black-necked Grebe was still showing well at Oxford Island this morning, 2 Swallow and a Willow Warbler were also seen. (Frank Carroll).

About 20 Waxwings were at a garden off the Ormeau Road, Belfast this morning. (Robert Scott).

A Red-throated Diver was at Lough Shark, Co Down. (Joe Devlin).

Two Waxwings were in Birch Drive, Bangor, this afternoon. (Kerry Leonard/Joan Leonard).

Killard this evening had 2 Swallow, 5 Wheatear, a Common Sandpiper, a Jack Snipe, 10 Goldcrest in the gorse, a Curlew and a Grey Plover. (Craig Nash).

12 Crossbill were feeding on larch cones near the Priest's Bridge in Tollymore Forest Park (Ann McComb).    

A Swallow was at Lower Lough Erne Islands RSPB Reserve (Brad Robson).    

On Tuesday 12 Waxwing were at Ardglanagh near Ballysaggart Lough in Tyrone (Darryl McConnell).

2 male Wheatear were in the snow at Slieve Croob in Co. Down this afternoon. (Adam McClure).

Rathlin Island had 3 Chiffchaff, 3 Greenshank, a Jack Snipe, 15 Goldcrest, 2 Merlin, 14 Fieldfare, 5 Redwing including 1 in song, 22 Wheatear and a Sand Martin. (Neal Warnock).

A Chiffchaff was at Ardglass golf course, 2 Wheatear (male and female) at Killough coastguard, a Chiffchaff and Goldcrest at Kelly's Wood, 18 Fieldfare and a Redwing in the fields beside the wood and 3 Goldcrest, 4 migrant Song Thrush and a Chiffchaff at St John's Point (Tim Murphy).   

At Island Magee a Sandwich Tern, Red-throated Diver, adult Mediterranean Gull, 7 Wheatear and Common Sandpiper were at Brown's Bay (Cameron Moore).

Thanks to today's photographers, to Alistair Prentice for the picture of the Mistle Thrush, to Stuart McKee for the picture of the Common Tern at the Belfast Lough RSPB reserve, to Mervyn Campbell for the picture of the Goldcrest, to Noel Austin for the picture of the Coot,to Wilbert Hollinger for the picture of the Long-tailed Tits, to David Hill for the picture of twoBlackcaps, to Stephen Maxwell for the picture of the Treecreeper and to Alex Coroliu for the picture of the partial albino Oystercatcher. You can see more NI bird pictures at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk