The coronavirus edition

Like the rest of the UK, Spain and Italy the you know what has hit the fan and even a walk out and a bit of birding is now being seen as irresponsible. Last week we went on a couple of excursions with a picnic and walked in lonely places. This week we are not even sure if we can do that anymore. We have been told by family we should be staying inside at all costs so even a walk along the coastal path is in doubt. WOW has shut up shop and my notion of birding the patch by wandering around for a couple of hours on a Thursday morning looks off limits.  It looks increasingly likely that birding will be garden based and I will miss out on all sorts of spring lovelies.

So a quick update and a few pictures and we'll see what happens. The Bangor patch added lesser black-backed gull and meadow pipit while the excellent visibility and flat calm made scoping Belfast Lough easier than usual and threw up a red-throated diver.  We also had an interesting flock of 40 birds which were a mix of great-crested grebes and red-breasted mergansers.  Hide 1 at WOW had a pair of little grebes which we have not seen from the observation room. We thought they had vanished from the reserve but we also saw two from Hide 2 so there may be two pairs on the reserve. Our self isolation car trip to Portavogie gave up the long staying water pipit at Ballyfrench beach in wet and gloomy conditions. Other than that there has not been a lot to report. Apparently chiffchaffs are being widely reported - but not by me!! Hopefully see you on the oher side of Corvid 19 although why crows have anything to do with it is beyond me.

Turnstones at Whiteabbey

Hide 1 view

Hide 1 little grebe, one of a pair

Hide 2 view

2020
120: Water pipit

Bangor West
53: Lesser black-backed gull
54: Meadow pipit

Belfast WOW

67: Red-throated diver

A hint of spring?

For the first time in 2020 I went to walk the coastal path into Bangor and it finally felt, looked and sounded like a spring day. Birdsong filled the air, the sun shone and daffodils were in blooom. No migrants as yet but a grey heron on the rocks brightened the day. WOW on Thursday provided over 50 species if you count the waders and geese at Kinnegar. The highlight was the return of the Mediterranean gulls to the tern island. They were first noted on 1st March  and we had two around the reserve. We also had the first ruff of the spring as well as a few guilllemots in the channel. The black-headed gulls are finally showing an interest in nesting and there were over 60 in and around the islands. The team at WOW are looking to preserve a part of the island for the terns which arrive later so it will be interesting to see if they are successful. Last year there were over 500 gull nests before the terns arrived so any chance of roseates and arctics hanging around was minimal. I also added a pair of dippers to the list at Mossley as well as slavonian grebe and long-tailed duck off Macedon Point in Whiteabbey. Thanks to Stuart who happened to be there with his scope. I picked up the three ducks but would have struggled to find the grebes.

All in all it looks as if the worst of the winter has moved on. Here on the east coast of Northern Ireland we have not had a really long cold spell but it has been a trifle wet so the reserve is well filled up and ready for the summer visitors. The winter ducks are still with us plus a red-breasted merganser which seems to be finding something to eat. Here are a few shots to brighten your day. .

Hauxley

Hauxley

WOW

Merganser at WOW

Med gull at WOW

2020
115: Meadow pipit
116: Dipper 
117: Slavonian grebe
118: Long-tailed duck
119: Mediterranean gull

Bangor West
52: Grey heron

Belfast WOW

64: Mediterranean gull

65: Ruff

66: Guillemot