Winter hiatus

 

Teal

As winter proper approaches there is really nothing much to add. Both patches have staggered to a halt, WOW is very quiet, no trips are planned and generally there is not a lot going on bird wise. I have managed to miss a couple of boat trips to Lough Beg and Belfast Lough and the shorter days curtail birding. However there are a few pluses - the garden is starting to pull in visitors, the feeders are up and the Birdwatch Ireland survey has kicked off. 

Another plus was the sudden arrival of six ruddy shelduck at Kiltonga, a small wildfowl pond outside Newtownards. They were not ringed but appear to have been "dumped" by someone from a private collection. Not sure they are capable of flying but  they haven't been seen for a week or two. The question is do they go on the 2025 list or not? I actually saw a ruddy shelduck at Strangford Lough back in the 1980s. At that time we thought it was a fence hopper from the nearby WWT reserve, but they said they didn't have any in their collection so it is on the Northern Ireland and County Down lists already.

Highlights from the garden so far have been bullfinch, greenfinch and 7/8 linnet. I am still looking for a treecreeper for the 2025 list and it looks like a long walk round Castle Park is needed. In two weeks time the nights will be on the turn and and in three weeks David and I will be hoping to kick off 2026 with our annual jolly round Strangford Lough. I'll add a few pictures from WOW and the garden as I know you all like pictures as much as I like lists. 

Mallard

Headless cormorant

There it is!!

First year bird

Roosting curlew

Gadwall refusing to co-operate

Bullfinch is back

and goldfinch

and chaffinch

STOP PRESS!

Amble from Helen's Bay home last weekend saw a red-breasted merganser at Crawfordsburn - not on the patch - but closer to home two patch ticks - a great crested grebe offshore  and a single whooper swan swimming round Smelt Mill Bay. First ever on the patch and no idea why it was there. I have had mute swan in flight once, but never whooper. Just again proves the old adage - anything can turn up anywhere!

2025 list

153: Flamingo

154: (Ruddy shelduck?)

NDCP
61: Guillemot

62: Razorbill

63: Greylag goose

64: Great-crested grebe

65: Whooper swan

WOW

97: Kingfisher