Update and Belfast WOW

The local patch is still producing new birds - purple sandpiper, common gull, goldeneye and great black backed gull were added recently. As well as a moorhen the marina produced a carrion crow. 


The garden turned up the fourth sparrowhawk sighting of the year a female which sat in the evergreens behind the garden long enough for me to to go upstairs, set up the scope and camera and get a couple of photos. I have seen the male twice and the female twice.

 Belfast WOW on Thursday morning came up with 43 species to kick off 2016 on the second patch. 39 at the reserve and 4 at Kinnegar shore. Highlights were 1 red-breasted merganser, 4 reed bunting, 1 snipe, 2 redpoll and 6 siskin. Sparrowhawk and buzzard put in an appearance, the latter eating a female wigeon whilst fending off hoodies and magpies. Once the buzzard lost interest there was a general free for all dominated by an immature great black back.

 

Hungry buzzard

 2016 totals: 
76 Golden plover
77  Purple sandpiper
78  Snipe
79 Reed bunting

NDCP patch :
42 Goldeneye
43 Great black-backed gull
44 Common gull
45 Purple sandpiper
46 Carrion crow


WOW patch:
1 Grey heron, mute swan, shelduck, wigeon, mallard, teal, shoveler, tufted duck, red-breasted merganser, sparrowhawk, buzzard, moorhen, coot, oystercatcher, lapwing, dunlin, snipe, blackwit, curlew, redshank, turnstone, black-headed gull, herring gull, common gull, great black-backed gull, woodpigeon, wren, robin, blackbird, song thrush, mistle thrush, coal tit, blue tit, great tit, magpie, hooded crow, starling, chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, siskin, redpoll, 43 reed bunting.