Half term report

Off to England next week so decided to do an update of the two patches before I go. 

WOW has been ticking over steadily and this was the first week I did not find a new species for the year.  I finally got a cormorant and am still missing starling! This year we are getting lots of snipe with a high count of 36. There have also been up to 200 lapwing. The reserve has settled into a late winter pattern and in a couple of weeks we will see the black-headed gulls staking their claim to nest sites. We already have a bit of birdsong and the shelduck are displaying - spring is rolling in. Here's a few photos.

Shelduck with feeding buzzard behind

Snipe

Curlew with snipe up behind

Coot and moorhen id challenge

Mallard

Shoveler

Teal

The North Down patch has seen a few expected species finally on the list - heron, goldcrest, mallard, grey wagtail, house sparrow and finally a jay. I didn't see one last year and one popped into the garden briefly last week. The Irish garden bird survey is nearing its end so that means winter is almost over. I'll post a summary next time but here's a few pictures to be going on with.

Blackcap(M)

Blackcap (F)

Blackbird, there have been as many as nine.

Elsewhere we have had a few grand days out which usually involve a drive, picnic or lunch, nice walk, coffee and home via a takeaway meal. These are often themed round available birds and recently have included Newcastle (common scoter, black redstart, great northern diver), Randalstown (goosander, treecreeper) and Reedy Flats in County Armagh (golden plover, hen harrier).  

Phone shot of a goosander on the River Maine

Hopefully we will get a few goodies in Northumberland and Lancashire and Richard's garden might turn up a woodpecker and a nuthatch.  Watch this space.

2023

92: Razorbill
93: Peregrine
94: Common scoter
95:Black redstart
96: Great northern diver
97: Jay
98: Golden plover
99: Hen harrier
100: Goosander
101: Treecreeper

NDCP

46: Razorbill

47: Goldcrest

48: Sparrowhawk

49: House sparrow

50: Mallard

51: Jay

52: Grey wagtail

53: Grey heron

WOW

60: Red-breasted merganser

61: Great-crested grebe

62: Black guillemot

63: Peregrine

64: Cormorant