Rathlin Island

We had a couple of nights on Rathlin which gave another nine firsts for the year. As well as hearing corncrake on all of the three days we also visited the seabird centre and walked round the new Craigmacagan trail, which is quite handy to Church Bay and is a superb walk of 2km. It has a lot of habitats in a small area - farmland, grassland, gorse, peat, coast and lake. Highly recommended if you have an hour or two before the ferry or fancy a loop walk to or from Rue Point. Here are a few shots from Craigmacagan.

The map

Bird's foot trefoil, primrose and bluebells at the same time?

More bluebells

Craigmacagan Lough

East light

The birds seen included sedge warbler, whitethroat, meadow pipit, skylark (singing), linnet, common gull, oystercatcher and stonechat plus corncrake along the road on the way back. You pass quite close to a common gull colony with nesting birds, please do not go near it i.e. stay on the path and do not wander onto the beach. You are bird people you know better than Joe Public!!

The seabird centre added all the expected seabirds, plus great skua and a golden hare which gave distant views from the car park. 

Fulmar

Guillemots on the stacks

Upside down lighthouse

2022

134: Manx shearwater

135: Kittiwake

136: Corncrake

137: Razorbill

138: Puffin

139: Great skua

140: Sedge warbler

141: Whitethroat

North Down

57: Gannet

Belfast RSPB

70: Gannet

Almost summer

Suddenly realised its been a while since I put anything up, so here is a round up of the last few weeks. Unfortunately like the queen I am having mobility issues and have not been walking well or far. That means I am loath to carry the scope so photographs are confined to WOW or nice views. 

The coastal path has added a few expected birds, indeed on one day I managed swallow, reed bunting and wheatear. With an offshore gannet and a couple of swifts over the house the list is up to 57.

WOW has also added gannet and swift as well as swallow, but no passerines as I was struggling to walk and Kinnegar is too rough underfoot. Unless next week!! These shots are a selection from the last three weeks at WOW all taken from the observation room.

Mediterranean gull

ditto

Common tern

Wigeon

Greylag

Shoveler

Moorhen

Black-tailed godwit

Gadwall

I have also managed a few outings to Antrim and Whitehead which added cuckoo, dipper and house martin to the 2022 list.

There was also a couple of days on Rathlin which gave another nine firsts for the year, but I will put up a separate post for that one - I don't want to overload you!!

2022
127: Common tern

128: Wheatear

129: Cuckoo

130: Dipper

131: Swift

132: Gannet

133: House martin

North Down 
52: Grey wagtail

53: Wheatear

54: Swallow

55: Reed bunting

56: Swift

57: Gannet

Belfast RSPB
67: Whimbrel

68: Swallow

69: Swift

70: Gannet