Rustic bunting and 2021 wrap

 A rustic bunting I hear you say, have you been to Japan? Well actually, no, I've been to my birding pal's garden in Carnalea.  Said bird being totally lost ended up in a garden on the edge of Bangor which happens to be David Miller's feeding station. Yes my birding pal has a lifer in his back garden, only the second ever in Northern Ireland. This is the same David Miller of the good camera whose photographs feature in my blog quite regularly, and they are about to feature yet again. He noticed a strange bunting in his garden, took a few snaps of the "reed bunting", and then when he got a better look decided it wasn't a reed bunting at all but something else. More photos and checking features left him with a rustic bunting which he realised was an absolute mega tick if he was correct. He fired photos to NI birds who confirmed his suspicions and then he had to decide whether to sit on it or open it up to local birders. He graciously decided to put the news out and on Boxing Day night at 2.00 am rigged up a temporary hide at the side of his house so as visitors could come and view the bird without disturbing his privacy. Since Monday morning a stream of birders from all over Ireland have turned up to view the bird and appreciated the way David has set up viewing. He even had an English birder who came over on the Liverpool ferry to see it!! 

Bird is usually on the ground on the bank below the hedge

Your view

Approach from the drive.

These are the pictures David sent to NIBirds for confirmation of the identity. There are lots more on the NIbirds webpage and also on the NIBirds pictures page, have a look as every bird photographer was able to fill their boots. A lot of them, including me, will be back next week to put it on our 2022 list. I might even take a few pictures myself!!

With all the excitement of the rustic bunting the last week or so has not produced an awful lot to write home about, but both patches turned up a few late visitors to wrap up the year on a high. WOW has been dull and damp most of the time but a nice siskin flock passed through and I finally added bullfinch, goldcrest and long-tailed tit. There is more work going on which means the birds are moving about or disappearing. The following shots give a flavour.

Hide 2 view in the rain

Mallards have no fear

Essential weeding on the islands

The costal path and garden have also been a bit dull and damp but there have been good numbers of divers and sea ducks around and I have managed to find a stonechat, common scoter, black-throated diver and on December 31st a red-throated diver.

Hopefully heading round Strangford on New Year's Day to kick start the 2022 list, until the next post I wish all readers and followers a happy, prosperous and bird-filled 2022. 

2021:

157: Common scoter

158: Black-throated diver

159: Rustic bunting

NDCP

70: Common scoter

71: Black-throated diver

72: Stonechat

73: Red-throated diver

WOW

87: Carrion crow

88: Long-tailed tit

89: Bullfinch

90: Siskin

91: Goldcrest