Northern Ireland Local Patch (1 Viewer)

Roger&out · Mar 20, 2005

Tully said:
Good to meet you today Roger. In addition to yours, I got a nice Kestrel on my way home. Got a quick snatch of it hovering through the windscreen, but needless to say it was gone before I got a decent shot. Did the MacDonald's do the trick?

Hi Tully
Yes it was nice to meet, and the MacDonald's sufficed.
The Ring necked was a very good find, well done.

Everybody else!!!!!!
Guess who else was at Portmore yesterday, although we left quite early as there was no sign of Smew, Ruddy or Lesser scaup.

Did any of you see the big beautiful flock of Golden Plovers flying above the greylag meadows.

Derek, were you by any chance the guy with the wonderful print of the waxwing?

Norma, were you one of the ladies taking the bench out into the sun to enjoy your lunch?

I was in a red jacket and baseball cap.

Roger :h?:

nepp · Mar 20, 2005

Roger&out said:
Norma, were you one of the ladies taking the bench out into the sun to enjoy your lunch?

I was in a red jacket and baseball cap.

Roger :h?:

Hi Roger
Yes I was the one in the brown coat or as Derek puts it "in full winter plumage"...I think we'll have to start wearing badges! You must have been in the hide at the same time as us because your group left to go for a walk.

Tully - what luck to spot the ring necked duck and get a picture of it. Now I know what to look for guess where I'll be during the week? I'll be seeing Ray on Wed and no doubt he will act very cool and superior!!

-) only joking!

Norma

DEREK CHARLES · Mar 21, 2005

Hello Roger.
I arrived in the hide at the same time as Norma and her freind and was standing at the left hand side of the hide.To be honest i did not take much notice of who else was in the hide,but i am sure i will meet you soon enough.
All the best
Derek

nepp · Mar 23, 2005

Hi folks
I went to Craigavon Lake North today (twice) to see if I could spot our ring necked duck but no sign. Of course it might still be there but wasn't showing for me. (sadly)

Loads of tufties, pochard and fine GC grebes.

Norma

DEREK CHARLES · Mar 23, 2005

Hello Norma,i checked Craigavon Lakes and Oxford Island yesterday and i had exactly the same luck as you!
Do you think there is any truth in the rumour that it was last seen with Tully chaseing it with a shotgun!

Tully · Mar 24, 2005

Yes I admit I shot it, but with something heavier than a shotgun. I used a Canon!

DEREK CHARLES · Mar 24, 2005

Hi Tully.And a good job you made of it too!
All the best
Derek

Roger&out · Mar 25, 2005

Hi everyone,

was at Blanketnook this morning, bright sunshine, water flat and lovely views of
2 Slavonian (Horned) Grebes they were in transition plumage with one in particular getting very close to full summer plumage, beautiful birds.
plus
2 Greenshank
70 -80 Black Tailed Godwits
2 Shoveller
4 Red-breasted Mergansers
and a Sparrowhawk being severely harassed by a Hooded Crow

There were also all the usual stuff but worth mentioning were a least 12 Reed Buntings.

It really felt like a really lovely Spring day.

Rgds Roger

DEREK CHARLES · Mar 25, 2005

Hello everyone.
I hear the Ring Necked Duck has been refound at Oxford Island.
Hope it hangs about for a while as i am away to the south for a few days birdwatching.Will try for the Short Billed Dowitcher in Dublin and who knows what else!
Well done on the grebes Roger!
All the best
Derek

Roger&out · Mar 26, 2005

Hi everyone,

was out for a family walk, yesterday tea-time, at Inch Levels and saw my first two Sandwich Terns of the summer.

Rgds Roger

nepp · Mar 27, 2005

Bann Estuary

Hi folks,
Yesterday we went to the Bann estuary and spotted 4 brownish birds amongst the dunlin as we walked from the hide along the shore towards the sand dunes on the golf course.
The birds had a strong pale supercillium, a pale colour wash that stopped abruptly half way down the breast. They were slimmer than the dunlin but about the same size. Smaller than nearby ringed plover. They flew off and I caught a white rump and faint wing bar.

What do you think? In fact why don't some of you go to the Bann and see if you can find them?!!

Norma

Roger&out · Mar 28, 2005

nepp said:
Hi folks,
Yesterday we went to the Bann estuary and spotted 4 brownish birds amongst the dunlin as we walked from the hide along the shore towards the sand dunes on the golf course.
The birds had a strong pale supercillium, a pale colour wash that stopped abruptly half way down the breast. They were slimmer than the dunlin but about the same size. Smaller than nearby ringed plover. They flew off and I caught a white rump and faint wing bar.

What do you think? In fact why don't some of you go to the Bann and see if you can find them?!!

Norma

Hi Norma,
could be Curlew Sandpiper, but I need to know more about the bill and about the colour of the pale wash before I could be certain.

Had a quick run out to Myroe this afternoon, the only thing worth mentioning
700+ Greylags
43 Brent

2 Wheatears

Rgds Roger

nepp · Apr 3, 2005

Altnahinch Dam, Co Antrim

Yesterday we drove up to the Antrim Plateau and along a lonely road high up we came across a red grouse in all its finery unhurriedly walking across the road just like a hen!
It joined 2 others before they silently flew off.

Down the road by the forest we watched a merlin which came and sat near us on a fence and stared at us through the car windows.

At the dam we saw 4 crossbills, a willow warbler and a bullfinch.

At the Barmouth, on the Bann, saw 2 sandwich terns and a pair of grey wagtails.

All in all it was a super day out.

Norma

DEREK CHARLES · Apr 3, 2005

Hello Norma,Great day out yesterday.Red Grouse,Merlin and Crossbills are 3 hard to see birds in Northern Ireland.
I was at the Bann Estury myself this morning.There was a huge flock of approx 3000 Golden Plovers assembled many in their summer frocks.Birds just seemed to keep dropping out of the sky.Good numbers of Dunlins,Redshanks,Sanderlings and Ringed Plovers were also present.The first winter Iceland Gull was also seen.
At Myroe i observed skiens of Greylags flying high all heading north,at least 650 i counted in about an hour.65 were still present in the fields getting in a bit of last minute feeding before they decide to quit our country also! 2 Great Northern Divers were offshore.
At Porna locks near Kilrea there was one female swallow with the sand martins and 2 grey wagtails went bouncing past.But i do wish someone would tell the weather winter is over.
All the best
Derek

nepp · Apr 3, 2005

Del Charles said:
I was at the Bann Estury myself this morning.There was a huge flock of approx 3000 Golden Plovers assembled many in their summer frocks.Birds just seemed to keep dropping out of the sky.Good numbers of Dunlins,Redshanks,Sanderlings and Ringed Plovers were also present.The first winter Iceland Gull was also seen.
At Myroe i observed skiens of Greylags flying high all heading north,at least 650 i counted in about an hour.65 were still present in the fields getting in a bit of last minute feeding before they decide to quit our country also! 2 Great Northern Divers were offshore.
At Porna locks near Kilrea there was one female swallow with the sand martins and 2 grey wagtails went bouncing past.But i do wish someone would tell the weather winter is over.
All the best
Derek

Hi Derek
Yesterday at the Bann Estuary we could see only 1 golden plover!..never mind 3000.
Today at Oxford Island we got 3 swallows and a black cap. Also willow warblers and chiffchaff.
At Dundrum, Co Down we had 9 greenshank in the same river.

Norma

DEREK CHARLES · Apr 3, 2005

Hello Norma,
I heard a willow warbler singing last week but never seen him! Chiffchaffs are calling all around Randlestown! Great flock of Greenshank.They must flock together in spring before they head north as i saw several flocks of 5/6 last week in Dublin Bay.In winter you only ever seem to see them in one or twos!
Bad luck on the Golden Plover yesterday as they look very splendid in their summer kit.
All the best
Derek

nepp · Apr 3, 2005

Del Charles said:
Hello Norma,
Bad luck on the Golden Plover yesterday as they look very splendid in their summer kit.
All the best
Derek

Derek
We saw a flock of 3000 golden plover last week at the Bann Estuary - so I think they were hiding from us yesterday!

N.

Tully · Apr 5, 2005

Hi Folks,
I see you’ve all been busy. I’ve been having major PC problems and am just about ready to toss my laptop through the nearest window.
Now that the Horse Trials have started, my time is limited but on my way to Tyrella on Easter Saturday, I took 30mins at Dundrum bay. While I tried to decipher, Redshank from Knot et al against the light, a kind fellow from the N Trust stopped with me and filled me in with a lot of the best spots. As a result I headed back on E Monday but managed to get the tide wrong. However, I did get a reasonable pic of a Ringed Plover amongst some Redshank across the road from the Police Station in Newcastle. He said I may find Purple Sandpiper there. However, the pic I took hoping to be it is, I think, a Turnstone. Hopefully I will get it on here for your expert opinion in the near future.
I also got Black Guillemot out towards the Bloody Bridge.

After a hike across the Dunes at Murlough Bay, I got 24 Seals on the sand on the Ballykinlar side, Common Scoter out to sea and several birds which I think were Redfronted Divers. They were too far for a picture, but searching the book gives me few alternatives.

On Tuesday I took a quick run out to Islandmagee. (never been there before). On the way got some pics of Turnstone at Carrick. At Portmuck harbour I had Four Eider, Guillemot, what looked like Razorbills at quite a distance Rock Pipit (see pic) and another bird, closer this time which might be Redfronted Diver. No doubt when you see the picture I’ll be wrong. Still I’m trying to learn.

RockyRacoon · Apr 5, 2005

Is that a littoralis Rock Pipit by any chance ?

Nice pic anyway!

Tully · Apr 5, 2005

Jake Apps said:
Is that a littoralis Rock Pipit by any chance ?

Nice pic anyway!

Jake See here for ID
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=30970

Cheers

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