Day trip to Cairnryan

You read it correctly, I took a day trip to Cairnryan with the NIOC and a minibus tour of birding sites in and around Stranraer. The logistics involved a 0520 alarm, meeting at the Stena terminal at 0630, the 0730 sailing to Cairnryan and then various stops in and around Stranraer to look for raptors and seabirds. We finished at a harrier roost at dusk (1730) before heading back for the 1930 ferry to Belfast. I arrived back in Bangor at 2230 17 hours after leaving. 

Thanks to the NIOC and Gary Wilkinson  (for organising and driving). Despite my lack of mobility I was well looked after and the nature of the trip meant I could take a full part as there wasn't a great deal of walking involved. Bird wise we started on the ferry at first light, then drove round Loch Ryan with various stops at viewpoints where we could set up scopes and scan. With 13 ace birders on board as well as me, we didn't miss much. I decided to forget about the digi scoping and just enjoy the birds. There were plenty of photographers aboard and hopefully they will post on the J Birds Facebook page, when they do you will get a link to view them. Here's a few shots from the phone

Lunch stop at the Wig, scopes still primed for action

White Loch, Castle Kennedy

Broadstone Road viewing Loch Ryan

I managed 66 species on the day and definitely missed at least 10 spotted by others in the group, such as robin and pied wagtail. The list included 16 year firsts and three to add to my Scotland list. Difficult to pick a bird of the day when we saw 6 raptors (4 red kites, 2 buzzards, 3 hen harriers, 2 peregrines, 2 sparrowhawks and a kestrel) and 6 geese. (brent, barnacle, white fronts, pinkfeet, Canada and greylag). However two golden plovers and two grey plovers at the Wig were beautifully lit by a low winter sun and it would be difficult to go past these birds for top spot. Mind you four common scoters less than 50 m from the shore was a good spot as well. 

Back in the local patches there has not been anything to add to the WOW list. The ringed black-tailed godwit appeared again but the bird feeder in the garden came up trumps with a pair of siskins and a pair of redpolls on successive days. I genuinely can't remember the last time I saw either of these in the garden, certainly not last winter. I usually pick them up on the feeders at WOW but haven't seen any this winter. Traditionally they pop up on feeders in February/March when natural food is running out so there is still time to see them at WOW. The attached photos were a bonus as I have been setting the digiscope stuff up to get photos of the garden birds for this blog, and this week it came up trumps. Both of these guys will count towards the Irish Garden Bird count as well. There are three weeks to go and still time for the bullfinch to drop in. 

Greenfinch - never more than one

Siskin (M)

Linnet

Jackdaw

Siskin (F)

Redpoll (F)

Chaffinch & Redpoll (F)

2024

87: Purple sandpiper

88: Siskin

89: Fulmar

90: Gannet

91: Golden plover

92: Kestrel

93: Red kite

94: Scaup

95: Common Scoter

96: Peregrine falcon

97: Great northern diver

98: Grey plover

99: Pink-footed goose

100: Canada goose

101: Barnacle goose

102: White-fronted goose

103: Woodcock

104: Hen harrier

105: Lesser redpoll

WOW

55: Great black-backed gull

NDCP

40: Greenfinch

41: Siskin

42: Lesser Redpoll