Steady work and progress

A couple of visits to WOW and a walk along the coastal path helped to add a few ticks to the patches. The Long Hole in Bangor produced a rock pipit and a good variety of waders and shore birds. The little egret was too far off the patch to count being at the eastern end of Ballyholme beach.

WOW addedl lesser black back, great crested grebe, linnet and an unseasonal chiffchafff at Kinnegar which unfortunately was not singing. Signs of spring abound with the next stage of the camera installation being put in place and the tern island weeded and decorated to keep the gulls off. There are windows which have to be met and tides which have to be worked round never mind lack of daylight.

Cable ready for digging in

Ropes and CDs

The low tide allows millet to be spread under the window and this attracted 3 reed buntings on Thursday and black-tailed godwits on Sunday.

Mr Bunting

Mr & Mrs Bunting

Black-tailed godwits

 If you look carefully you will see our old friend from Iceland back again. Nice to see him returning and bringing a lot of his friends with him.  He was last seen at WOW on10th November and I mentioned him here:

http://bangorwestndcp.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/visitor-from-iceland.html

A quick walk along the coastal path yesterday added heron, mallard and grey wagtail. The four mallard were on the pond at the top of the Glen. While I was scanning the beach five minutes later they flew overhead towards the Marina and disappeared. Just goes to show - right place right time!! WOW today produced 39 species but only added little grebe and carrion crow to the list. Mind you carrion crow was a first for the reserve which also had 2 mergansers and a cormorant  fishing inside the reserve.

Mallard on the pond in Stricklands Glen

Off to England tonight with the scope and the binoculars. Firstly to Bolton for family duties and then to Cramlington in the North-East for the dawn to dusk yomp round Cresswell, Druridge and Hauxley. Report will follow but not for a couple of weeks. I hope to do some incidental birding on the way - watch this space!!

Bangor West

48: Rock pipit
49: Mallard
50: grey wagtail 
51: Grey heron
  
Belfast WOW

57: Lesser black-backed gull
58: Great crested grebe
59: Linnet
60: Chiffchaff 
61 Little grebe
62: Carrion crow

2017
97: Lesser black-backed gull
98: Chiffchaff