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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Northern Ireland Local Patch (1 Viewer)

South Down

Hi Derek,
I've a feeling that the police might have advised people to stay indoors today because the wind was so strong. Yesterday when I was watching the snow buntings there was fork lightning and thunder. I hear that early this morning a man was lucky to be alive when lightning wrecked his house, bringing down the upstairs ceilings and blowing his electric appliances off the wall.

So despite that sort of weather our bird class still braved the elements.
We started with the snow buntings which weren't performing so well as yesterday although they were joined by a grey wagtail.

Warrenpoint produced some great crested grebes, brent, little grebe and common guillemots. ...and 5 scaup which were a first for me so I like your picture especially today!

Greencastle was terrible yet beautiful in the storm. The sea was completely white tossing the anchored lifeboat and some fishing boats fiercely in the choppy sea. I wish I'd had my camera. Spotted greenshank, brent geese and wigeon were about all we could see through the spume.

Dundrum Bay was slightly more sheltered and apart from the usual waders we saw a red legged bird with a mottled back. Long thin bill - pale below and paler than redshank....yes it was a single spotted redshank. Don't think I'd have picked it out on my own.

At the Quoile Pondage hide were greenshank, o'catchers, greylag, goldeneye, pochard, wigeon, teal, mallard and gadwall. Also black tailed godwit and lapwing.
Total for the day was 49 and that wasn't counting blackbird or thrushes.

Norma
 
Hi guys I've just registered and hope that you can help me out with some advice. I am studying a degree in film studies and have just bought a new digital camcorder and would like to do some wildlife filming. I would like some advice as to the best sites to see kingfisher and foxes in the Ballymena area. I have recently been visiting the ECOS nature reserve on a regular basis and have been told that both of these have been sited there, but as yet I havn't seen anything. Can you give me some tips?

I've also got a quiery regarding grey herons. Everyday on the train, I pass a field in Coleraine where groups of heron (up to 30) congregate. I have never known this to be a bird that groups. It is not just adults, there are also some juvenille birds. The field is out the back of a factory and there is no river or lake near by, its just a boring old field really! Can you shed some light on why they would be doing this?

Many thanks, Johnny
 
Johnny Mack said:
best sites to see kingfisher and foxes in the Ballymena area.

Welcome to the forum Johnny. It's nice to have another member from NI.

I am not a wildlife photographer but I would think that patience must be the answer here. Are you prepared to spend hours waiting for your quarry?

I know that there is a fox which can be seen regularly at the RSPB reserve in Belfast harbour. I have seen it quite a few times because it likes to hunt the tasty ducks. As for a kingfisher - I only ever see these as a flash and quite rarely at that.

Norma
 
Hello Johnny,welcome!
Foxes are very widespread in the Ballymena area.I see them often in the early morning at many locations{including the ecos park} but as Norma said unless you are going to "stake" out locations you will struggle to get footage as they are very wary when humans are around.As Norma said {again} the RSPB reserve at Belfast is the best place for prolonged views.
Kingfishers i am sure are locally common at Ballymena too.Any sizeable river should hold birds but it does mean haveing to walk along river banks.Most times all that happens is that you can hear their distinctive call and then see a flash of blue.I see them often on the River Maine at Randlestown and The Sixmilewater at Antrim.
Regarding the Herons they often form loose flocks.They will often feed in fields and ditches but you will probably find it is just a safe place for birds to rest.
Welcome again and please become a regular on Birdforumn.Derek
 
RSPB Harbour

Hi
Today I had a quick visit to the harbour reserve. Caught a pair of redpoll in the trees at the entrance. My first sighting this year.
In the reserve was the single goosander that has been overwintering; plenty of black tailed godwits - some coming into breeding plumage, also teal, wigeon, snipe, shelduck and reed buntings. An argentatus (?) herring gull was pointed out...it looked the same size as a greater black backed gull. During the week they had a single waxwing. The water level is quite high after the weekend rain. Out on the lough a scan with the binoculars produced 3 red breasted merganser, a party of shelduck and a male goldeneye.

Do you think there is anyone else around in NI who would like to post their sightings?

Norma
 
Thanks for the welcome! And in answering your question, yes I'm prepared to stake out to try an catch a glimpse of them. I'm planning on making an early rise, hopefully next week, one morning to make it to the ecos before sunrise to see if there is any activity. Where exactly should I be looking in the park for the foxes? are there any particular regions? I ask because as you know it is quite large and the phrase 'needle in haystack' does sound appropriate!

My friend and I have also planned to take a trip down to the field in Coleraine to try and photograph the heron group so I will post any good photos if I get any.

Again, thanks for the warm welcome, I'll keep returning.
Take care, Johnny
 
Hello Norma and Johnny! Norma i think there are not that many active birdwatchers in the North but there are a lot of occassional watchers who surely could post every now and then!Great to see you getting stuck into the gulls Norma.One note of warning is relying on Gull size for identification especially the large species! There is such a huge variation in sizes you would not believe and you have to use a combination of factors and even then some birds you cannot put a name to!
Johnny,i have seen Foxes several times at the bridge crossing the river as you enter the park and once just dandering along road as unconcerned as you like! Good luck with the hunting and please keep us informed of your progress.
All the Best Derek
Ps Norma an Argantatus Herring Gull just for you!
 

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apologies for not posting on this thread (or any other for that matter) for a while but i dont get too many opportunities to log on or bird watch.

i went for a walk this morning and was surprised to see a lone carrion crow on groomsport beach. this is the second time i have seen one in northern ireland. how unusual is it to see / what experience do you have of seeing carrion crow in NI?

i too have seen kingfishers on sixmilewater in antrim johnny. if you walk along the canal from the antrim forum you may be lucky, and even if you dont see any kingfishers the part of the canal that bends 90 degrees just after the football pitches would make for some nice filming.

good luck

@
 
Hi Ampersand! Carrion Crow is probably an uncommon but regular visitor to Northern Ireland.I know it has been recorded in that part of North Down fairly frequently and is probably under recorded.Still i think you should report it to flightline 02891467408 as they keep a note of all records.Good spot by the way.That also is the same spot in Antrim where i see the Kingfishers and i have also seen them on Lough Neagh itself!
Norma nothing gets past you women! I would like to answer that i am up that early looking for owls and foxes but the truth is i normally wake up around 5am as i leave to go to the gym at 5.45.I know i am nuts before you say it!
But my early morning trips to the gym have produced sightings of Long Eared Owl,Woodcock and many Foxes including one dandering down Randlestown main street one morning!
All the best
Derek
 
Hi Folks,
Just a note to say how much I have enjoyed following this thread. Now that my scope has arrived I hope to participate a little from my base in the Antrim area. Keep up the interesting reports
Tully
 
Hello All,welcome Tully.Fabulous story today.I took my mother shopping in Ballymena this morning when near 9.30am i got a call from my friend Mike.I could not take it in what he said"there is a Snowy Owl at Longfield point" i then proceeded to do my headless chicken routine but basically this involved getting mother home,getting my gear and meeting Mike at Antrim.With Mike in the car we proceeded on our way probably breaking a few of the local bye laws and with some instructions from birders on site we soon arrived.And there it was sitting on a post at the far end of the field.Although it was a good distance away it was still an absouloutly magnificent beast and i urge anyone who has the chance to try and get to see it.I hope it hangs around to let everyone enjoy it!
I am off for a chinease to celebrate!
All the best
Derek
 

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Hello Tully, Delighted to hear you've acquired a scope and I look forward to seeing some of your photos....you'll put my wee blurred images to shame!

Derek,
I am thrilled to read your news of the snowy owl at Longfield. ...and you got a picture! Well done Derek. How's your poor mother though? Did she feel like an "owl has-been"? ;)

I went to the Blackwater at Caledon to find 11 greenland whitefronted geese, loads of whooper swans and greylags and 2 pink footed geese.The visit to Oxford Island produced little grebe, wigeon, displaying great crested grebes and goldeneye, pochard, gadwall, and even more whooper swans and greylags.

We were delighted to find the Greenland white fronts....after a lot of searching. Perhaps not so thrilling as your snowy owl Derek.

I did see a tufted duck I'd spotted a few weeks ago with peculiar markings and even managed to get a (blurred) photo. It has normal tufted appearance on the right side but the white is only in 2 smaller patches on left...instead of one solid patch.


Norma
 

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Hello Norma,i think you're duck may well just be aTufted Duck with unusual markings and maybe not a hybrid but it is hard to tell from you're photo!
Anyway this morning i decided for the 12th time to try for the Green Winged Teal at Larne and yes you have guessed it for the 12th time i failed,only Common Teal.So it was round to Carrick where the Ring Billed Gull was giveing fantastic views at the carpark and i even got a couple of cracking photos!
Then at Whitehouse i say the other resident Ring Billed Gull,3 Iceland and 1 big ugly Glaucous Gull.At Dargan Bay i had 5 Iceland and a Glaucous Gull and at the Northforehore Tip i saw 8 Iceland and 3 Glaucous Gulls including the adult Iceland Gull that Norma had saw previously at the RSPB reserve.It has a damaged wing but seems to be surviveing ok!
All the Best
Derek
 

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Hi everyone, been a while but flu, followed by foreign non-birding visitors curtailed my own birding in Jan - early Feb. I have, however, been getting out this last couple of weeks.

Highlights

3rd Feb Mountcharles County Donegal
8 Great Northern Divers of which 5 first winter
1 Red Throated Diver
2 Black Throated Diver
Killybegs County Donegal
20 + Glaucous Gulls
11 + Iceland Gulls
12th Feb Belfast RSPB
2 Iceland 1(1 Adult)
2 Ruff
20th Feb Longfield Point
Snowy Owl

Like the photograph of the owl Derek and your others on Irishbirding site.
http://www.irishbirding.com/birdnews.html

Rgds and Good birding
Roger
 
Hello Roger,very good totals from Donegal.I was up i think on the 5th to Mountcharles and Killybegs.I was lucky enough to have perfectly calm conditions at Mountcharles and saw 16 Black Throated Divers ,the most i have ever seen there and the best views from there as well.I had lesser numbers of Gulls than you but i missed the Kumliens Gull,which i was hopeing for.Did you see it?
I am in Derry tomorrow on business and if i have time i will nip into Culmore tip and pop in to see the owl as well!
At Myroe on Saturday we had 400Greylags and 22 Whitefronts but views were distant so it might be worth checking for Bean Geese if you are about the area.
All the best
Derek
 
Roger&out said:
Hi everyone, been a while but flu, followed by foreign non-birding visitors curtailed my own birding in Jan - early Feb. I have, however, been getting out this last couple of weeks.
Roger

Delighted to see you back online Roger. You see quite different birds up there in the North from what I am seeing in the SE. I'll have to take a visit up to Eglinton at the weekend. I hope that Snowy Owl stays put! She's hardly likely to fly North in all this bad weather.

Norma
 
Hi Derek,
my day at Mountcharles was quite breezy and the sea choppy, but got good views of the GNDs in particular.

The northern gull counts were good, certainly more than I had seen previously. I saw 1 possible Kumliens but it was in the body of the gulls on the mudflats just south of Killybegs. I didn't get clear enough views of it to be absolutely sure, the onset of darkness meant that I couldn't confirm it, so I'm not claiming it, even though I was hoping to see it.

I am hoping to get out to Longfield again on Saturday, and then on to Myroe, so I'll look out for Beans.

Rgds Roger
 
nepp said:
Delighted to see you back online Roger. You see quite different birds up there in the North from what I am seeing in the SE. I'll have to take a visit up to Eglinton at the weekend. I hope that Snowy Owl stays put! She's hardly likely to fly North in all this bad weather.

Norma

Thanks Norma,

nice to be back. Yes our birds are somewhat different, and everybody is hoping that the Snowy Owl hangs around. Did you read Derek's latest post, 22 Whitefronted Geese. Have you seen them yet??? Hopefully you might see them at the weekend if you get up this far.

Roger
 
Hello Roger and Norma,the Geese were seen again yeterday and should stay about for a while and hopefully Snowy will stay at least until Norma sees it!
Roger i went to Killybegs to try and see the Kumliens but didn't see it.I am sure if you have been following Normas thread these last few months you will know i am a bit of a gull freak! Kumliens has been on the top of my list this year but i have so far missed out.I dipped the Greencastle bird twice once by just a matter of hours and i had a possible at Culmore but inexperience led me to blow it! I have pictures if you are interested.My freind Mike and i have been keeping a close eye on Belfast and the surroundind area but have so far drawn a blank but it has been a fabulous winter for Iceland Gulls so with all the experience we have got we should be ready to nail the next one.
All the best
Derek
 
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