Spring migrants trickling in.

 Things are moving at last on the coastal path as sandwich terns and lesser black-backed gulls return. I also saw the local grey wagtail, while the coastal path added a curlew and a  meadow pipit. There have been changes at the bottom of the garden, not fairies, but tree surgeons who removed four large conifers  in the garden behind ours. and suddenly there is light and space. Small birds seem unfazed, we will see how the magpies pigeons and doves react later in the year. Before and after shots follow.

WOW has been good without producing any exciting new birds. There is a mix of winter waders and ducks still present with nesting gulls and passage waders. We have had fun with ringed black-tailed godwits. 24 were ringed last year in April and we have seen 9 of them in the last two or three weeks. We assumed they stayed local but were amazed to find some of them have been reported in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Lancashire and North Wales. The ones below spent their time on this side of the Irish Sea - we think!!

This is LB-O(N=)

This is BN-O(=)

LB-O(=) Seems to have spent the winter in and around Belfast Lough, having been seen twice. BN-O(=) has also been seen around the Lough with three re-sightings.. With the godwits coming right up to the window it is fairly easy to read the rings, not as easy to get a clear picture in a feeding frenzy of 150+ godwits. The long staying ruff also comes over to feed and is colouring up nicely. There are 5 Mediterranean gulls, two pairs and a single. 

Ruff

Ruff

Med gull pair

Godwit jigsaw

They do like their millet

I'm adding in some of John Mason's pictures, first because his camera is far better than mine and secondly because I did see some of these birds but couldn't get good shots. He is able to get nice flight shots which is beyond my digi-scoping set up. Maybe I need a good camera?

Grey heron

Little egret and cormorant

Kestrel

Portmore Lough glossy ibis

Gannets at St John's Point

Stunning bird!!

Clea Lakes great white egret

Treecreeper at Rowallane

I did see the great white egret and the glosssy ibis. I also saw a treecreeper, but not that one! Gannets have eluded me so far but they are moving north to Ailsa Craig and it won't be long until we see them in Belfast Lough. 

 

2022

117: Treecreeper

118: Sandwich tern

119: Chiffchaff

North Down

47: Wren

48: Curlew

49: Meadow pipit

50/; Lesser black-backed gull

51: Sandwich tern

52: Grey wagtail

Belfast RSPB

62: Mediterranean gull