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Northern Ireland Local Patch (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter nepp
- Start date
aegithalos
Well-known member
Tomorrow (21st June) there will be a bike 'rally' along the Outer Ards: 700 bikes plus associated hangers-on, marshals etc on 100km of road between Bangor and Portaferry, 10am - 6pm, along a route that appears to follow the coast all the way round. It may not be the best day to search for royal terns or anything else in that area. See e.g. http://www.northdowncc.com/.
Keith
Keith
I have a lost think racing pigeon trying to live on my garage roof this week past. Showing pictures in the hope someone might reconize it and want it back. It has a red tag on one foot and green tag on the other and very healthy looking but very nervous with people. It does not eat bread at all but likes a mixture of bird seeds. It is always watching the peanut feeder a lot. I rang RSPCA who asked me to catch it, read the numbers and ring a number for lost pigeons in England but it is not used to humans at all and I sure as heck couldnt catch it anyway even if it was. They also asked me to make sure it was getting water but it had already found that up on my roof and probably why staying here. I was hoping it would join the dozens of large Woodpigeons in woods nearby but not so far. He just feeds with the Sparrows etc on ground and not one bit agressive with them. Another colleague at work has a Pheasant of some sort living on her roof presently and wondering what to do also.
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If you can't catch the pigeon I would just leave it and it might make it's way home? Pheasant is a strange one on the roof tho.
Everybody see this from Donna and Noel:-O
"We think the birds are house martins"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsline/content/articles/2009/06/16/ottys_birds_1week_feature.shtml
Everybody see this from Donna and Noel:-O
"We think the birds are house martins"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsline/content/articles/2009/06/16/ottys_birds_1week_feature.shtml
Yes hoping he will find his home soon as he is flying off places during day now so probably exploring although so far keeps returning for food. The other lady called it a very colourful Pheasant and I would have thought her husband might have a good idea of sort of bird. She was ringing RSPCA and indeed another person talked last summer about beautiful large white Pheasants or something like that around their sheds in Whitecross Co. Armagh all summer long. We are still waiting on pictures as a few of us were puzzled about her large white birds too.
My fathers friend says there is a Pigeon Club in Newry and they will come and take him away. They saw another lost one at Carlingford Marina yesterday and going to take him seeds as probably hungry too. I think I have begun a lost pigeon club. My one is very fond of his freedom and high roofs and no notion of getting close to humans presently.
I'm writing a report on the Birds of Oxford Island. The main source of info is personal observations from 2005-2009 but there are some other people's sightings also included for this period.
I've also looked through archives from the Discovery Centre dating from 1977-1991 and included a lot of data from this period. I'd appreciate any records from the period 1992-2004. Unusual species, high counts, interesting behaviour etc. would be welcome.
Reasonably pleased with the report so far but thought I might as well attempt to make it as complete as possible including all rarities noted in the past ten years or so etc.
If anybody has any records I'd be very grateful if you could PM me them, thank-you.
Stephen.
I've also looked through archives from the Discovery Centre dating from 1977-1991 and included a lot of data from this period. I'd appreciate any records from the period 1992-2004. Unusual species, high counts, interesting behaviour etc. would be welcome.
Reasonably pleased with the report so far but thought I might as well attempt to make it as complete as possible including all rarities noted in the past ten years or so etc.
If anybody has any records I'd be very grateful if you could PM me them, thank-you.
Stephen.
Derek Polley
Well-known member
Had great trouble yesterday finding a dipper. :C:Where have they all gone? Scoured the two rivers in Glenariff, bits of Glendun including the Bryvore Bridge area where i have seen them in the past but no luck. Eventually went to Glynn and guess what, nothing!! Did get lovely views of a flotted spycatcher or possibly two, chaffinces, goldfinches, house sparrows and grey wagtails but of dippers not a hint. Are numbers falling, rivers too polluted or acidic to support necessary food or what? Either that or bad luck and bad timing as they are keeping their heads down and feeding young - therefore I should see them? Help and advice needed:scribe:
On a happier note I did see hen harrier male quartering and female flying with prey so it was not all bad
On a happier note I did see hen harrier male quartering and female flying with prey so it was not all bad
Had great trouble yesterday finding a dipper. :C:Where have they all gone? Scoured the two rivers in Glenariff, bits of Glendun including the Bryvore Bridge area where i have seen them in the past but no luck. Eventually went to Glynn and guess what, nothing!! Did get lovely views of a flotted spycatcher or possibly two, chaffinces, goldfinches, house sparrows and grey wagtails but of dippers not a hint. Are numbers falling, rivers too polluted or acidic to support necessary food or what? Either that or bad luck and bad timing as they are keeping their heads down and feeding young - therefore I should see them? Help and advice needed:scribe:
On a happier note I did see hen harrier male quartering and female flying with prey so it was not all bad
River Cusher south of Tandragee at Clare Glen is good for dippers and I've seen them at Sixmilewater near Antrim as well.
Can anyone tell me what is this bird with the black what I would describe as a garland around its stomach. I know its not a great picture and hope to get more as coming to seed feeder only regularly. I think they also have quite big yellowish beaks and puzzling me as do not look like Sparrows.
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I saw two of the most stunning bright yellow/dark stripe on head birds slightly hidden in the foliage of my clematis and then four days later saw a flock of about four or five what I think might be Yellowhammers very high in Hawthorn tree. I could see them all on one high Hawthorn branch dotted below each other quite close, such a lovely sight I will never forget. They were so shocking yellow from kitchen window, got binoculars out and looked to me like Yellowhammers or Serins only other bird resembling them or at least only really yellow birds like them in book. They were gone before I even picked up camera. Yesterday one brief sighting of one and I called my daughter and she saw it flying up into the Ash tree but said she could easily see it as so bright yellow. I wonder if anyone else has seen anything like Yellowhammers about or similar birds. I thought I saw two in woods desperate high up near here last month.
I saw another small flock of birds very close together briefly today with really noticeable black markings like ridges all down sides of their pale chest. I do not recall having seen these birds before either.
I saw another small flock of birds very close together briefly today with really noticeable black markings like ridges all down sides of their pale chest. I do not recall having seen these birds before either.
Thanks and what I thought initially today also until I noticed they are quite a bit bigger with big black eyes. I have seen them alongside Sparrows today and noticeably bigger than male Sparrows even and quite cross birds even chasing Starlings which surprised me. One came on a closer feeder and aggressively chased a Starling away and it was then that I noticed the big black eye. The female Sparrows seem smaller with plain chests and these birds have all some kind of black markings on their chest though on some it is really much more noticeable like a black garland down low around belly as well as flecks of black up sides of chest. There seems to be no definite pattern to the black markings (but seem to be same kind of birds) and could be a bunch of flecks down on middle of chest and on another it could be over to the side or both sides and then the occasional one has this garland shape of black all around belly. I actually havent a clue what a female Sparrows eye is like as never noticed them odd. Dont ask me why but one reminded me of a mouse or small rat on the feeder and they are not exactly a handsome bird but not unlike female Sparrows either until you see black chest markings.
I put out four half large tumblers of seeds in the seed feeder yesterday and they cleared the lot so very hungry........I think less colouful backs than Sparrows but a beautiful tail with hint of pale golden yellow on inside of it when one opened it out. I just immediately saw this pale golden yellow colour down the outer sides of inside of tail plus also yellowy colour in a line down centre of inside of tail as well and very curved tail at bottom from binoculars. Its not easy to get close to them at all apart from the brave one who came to close feeder to chase away a young Starling. It was then I saw the odd black eye and the hint of golden yellow on inside of tail. I think I have one picture of back of one (think its back of one) and looks bigger than male Sparrow nearby.
Ptarmi
Dick Glasgow
Lucky you! :t:
I haven't seen Yellowhammers for twenty years & miss them, as they were so common back in the 50s & 60s when I started getting interested in Birdwatching.
If you see them again, chase them in my direction PLEASE!
Cheers
Dick
aegithalos
Well-known member
Lucky you! :t:
I haven't seen Yellowhammers for twenty years & miss them, as they were so common back in the 50s & 60s when I started getting interested in Birdwatching.
If you see them again, chase them in my direction PLEASE!
Cheers
Dick
Try along the outer Ards peninsula, along any lane at least from Kircubbin southwards. Lough Cowey area is good, also Ballyquintin - Portaferry. They come to my feeder in Kircubbin. So, they are hanging in there!
Keith
Sorry can't think what it would be.
I am still laughing ............... twice I heard it recently probably like a mellow nice squeaky sound but definitely will check in case a budding musician amongst my neighbours children next time I hear it......... I read a bird book concentrating on sounds without even looking at photos and mellow described it also. Had a Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler about. :-O:-O
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