Spring migrants arrive

 As you guys all know April and May are the months to be out and about. Last year I wasn't out and about but this year things are much better. 

Bolton at Easter was a brilliant family time and birding had to take a back seat, however I was able to squeeze in the odd twitch and a few walks.  I finally got to Rochdale and the peregrine falcon  was spotted on the town hall. Unfortunately they are not breeding there this year so it's a bit hit and miss. There is a web site with a camera trained on the nest but mostly it is empty as the falcons are breeding elsewhere in the town but occasionally the male pitches in and you might be lucky. They also have their own Facebook page. 

https://www.rochdaletownhall.co.uk/conservation/falcons

https://www.facebook.com/groups/RochdaleFalcons

Rochdale town hall

Phone shot I'm afraid, peregrine is sitting on the wee buttress down from the top.

Elton Reservoir had singing willow warbler and a nice walk. We went to Formby beach to paddle and build sandcastles and got gannet offshore, and on the way home detoured to Marshside RSPB for common sandpiper and pink-footed goose. (I also managed to miss a little ringed plover and a spoonbill).  A trip to Martin Mere only added a wheatear flying across the road. The reserve itself didn't offer a lot as you know from the previous post. We finally heard a tawny owl on the last night having missed it in February. I am also adding in carrion crow which was seen in February but escaped the list!

Back home and the coastal path finally turned up sandwich tern but also a singing whitethroat. Not an annual event but it was nice to see one again. I also got a swallow one evening hunting over Main Street in Bangor having not seen one at all last year. 

WOW had lots of  interesting birds as the breeding season got underway. The Mediterranean gulls are back in force with at least 4 pairs and possibly five. The little gull was still there into its fifth week. The most interesting observation concerns the sandwich terns. Normally we see the odd one or two early in the season but they don't stay. This year we have had over 30 who look like they are settling to breed (displaying, pair bonding, mutual feeding and mating). This follows on from the 60+ we had roosting at the end of the summer in 2024. We think they have re-located from Cockle Island in Groomsport which has been tern free so far this year. High tides seem to have washed out the nests last year so we think the terns have voted with their wings and moved to WOW. Common and arctic terns have both arrived and we have had the full suite of sand martin, house martin, swallow and swift hunting overhead. The wooded areas are full of singing birds and I added willow warbler and blackcap in the trees behind Hide 2.  Finally we also had a common sandpiper feeding in front of the window plus all the resident birds nesting. 

A trip up to Glenwherry for cuckoo drew a blank but we came back via Capanagh Wood and the Starbog Road and bingo, cuckoo seen and heard. A tidy spring list and there is still three weeks to go. 

Black-tailed godwits are colouring up nicely

Shovelers are sleeping

Mediterranean gulls on the platform

Sandwich terns on the platform

Nesting coot

Common sandpiper

The two shots of the nesting platform are screen shots taken from the camera on the platform as they are too far away for reasonable photographs. The camera is focused on a Mediterranean gull nest and it is giving good views of the pair. Hopefully the sandwich terns will breed as well.

2025
110: Little gull
111: Willow warbler
113: Gannet
114: Pink-footed goose
115: Common sandpiper
116: Wheatear
117: Tawny owl
118: Common tern
119: Swift
120: Whitethroat
121: Arctic tern
122: Cuckoo
123: House martin
124: Carrion crow (from February!!)

NDCP

52: Meadow pipit

53: Whitethroat

54: Sandwich tern

55: Swallow

WOW

75: Little gull

76: Willow warbler

77: Blackcap

78: Common tern

79: Swift

80: Swallow

81: Common sandpiper

82: Arctic tern

83: House martin

Spark bird - what's yours?

 A spark bird is the bird that started you birdwatching. Over Easter we ended up in Martin Mere WWT doing a duck hunt with the grandchildren. Unfortunately the ducks were hidden in the collection area so I was unable to get to any of the hides. I had Merlin on for some of the time and it registered a Cetti's warbler but I failed to hear or see it so it isn't on the list. What did spark my interest was the South American collection which contained some Chiloe wigeons and this was my spark bird back in 1974.

Chiloe wigeons at Martin Mere

The Golden duck!!

We were visiting a friend in Blagdon in Somerset and his dad owned and ran a chemist shop in Weston-Super-Mare. We went to visit him and he was selling binoculars. At that time I did not own a pair and usually borrowed my Dad's extremely heavy 10x50 if I wanted to see anything. I bought a pair of 8x30 binoculars for £13.50 and we went off to Chew Magna reservoir on the following day to try them out.  I saw and recognised a lot of the basic wildfowl - mallard, tufted duck, mute swan coot etc.. but there was one strange looking duck I did not know. Later that day we came across a bookshop which stocked a copy of  The Hamlyn Guide to birds of Britain and Europe by Bertel Bruun and Arthur Singer (which I still have by the way - see below) so I bought that and started looking for the strange duck and was a bit confused to find that the bird wasn't in the book. On returning home I now had binoculars and a book so I started to look for, identify and record birds and that was the start of a lifelong and very enjoyable hobby. It was another 13 years before I finally nailed the odd duck on Chew Magna reservoir - a Chiloe wigeon. It must have been an escape from a local wildfowl collection clearly doing its bit to confuse novice bird watchers.

Interestingly I started looking at birds locally in the autumn/winter of 1974/1975, but the records in my book show that I did not see a redshank until  August 1975 in Ballycastle. How could I have driven from Ards to Greyabbey to visit relatives and not seen a redshank along the shore? I ticked off new birds in the book with a date and a location, and it makes for interesting reading 50 years later.  Magpie is not recorded until February 1975 at Fair head - seems there weren't any in Bangor in those days!! Here's a couple of random pages and a battered cover to bring back birding memories. Doubtless some of you started with this book or owned a copy in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Finch page

Duck page

Working at an update on Bolton over Easter and patch updates since our return.  Listing will resume in the next post. Please feel free to name your spark bird in the comments.

A pre spring roundup

Thought it would be a good idea to have a quick update before even more spring migrants pitch in. As well as that we are in Bolton again over Easter so best to update before we go. I have already seen the odd migrant and even had a chiffchaff in January at WOW. A lone swallow at Portavoe was a nice bonus on April 1st. WOW produced sandwich terns and sand martins. The garden has been very quiet as warmer temperatures have encouraged the garden visitors to move on, fortunately the coastal path added lesser black-backed gull and meadow pipit.

WOW has been quiet although we are still recording all seven of our winter ducks, large flocks of black-tailed godwits starting to colour up and a pair of Mediterranean gulls finally made an appearance. The main excitement has been four of our class of 2021 ringed black-tailed godwits reappearing and the odd vagrant gull dropping in briefly (Iceland gull and little gull). There has also been a whimbrel on the back bank for about two weeks. The anti-gull measures from the last blog seem to have failed as the island is now back up to 100+ black-headed gulls . The 2 Mediterranean gulls also seem to be setting up home where they did last year. It looks like we are back to the drawing board in deterring the gulls. 

Not working as well?

Med gull was not worried at all

Up and close with the godwits

Blue over yellow

Red over blue

Colouring up for migration

Had trouble with this one, all our godwits have this on their right leg.

More breeding finery

We also have little grebes

................ and coots

We also had a trip to Larne to look for mandarin ducks but drew a blank. The river did produce grey heron, grey wagtail and .........dipper!! Considering I did not see one in 2023 and 2024 it was a bit ironic to see two in the space of  15 minutes.

Inver river, Larne

Late news from WOW as I went to press was that the little gull which has been hanging around finally turned up on a Thursday morning. Being a little gull there was no point in trying for a distant picture as it was right at the back all the time. 

2025

105: Whimbrel

106: Mediterranean gull

107: Sandwich tern

108: Sand martin

109: Swallow

110: Little gull

NDCP
50: Sparrowhawk
51: Lesser black-backed gull
52: Meadow pipit

WOW
71: Whimbrel
72: Mediterranean gull
73: Sandwich tern
74: Sand martin

75: Little gull

Better to be lucky than good

Before exciting dipper news, a quick update on the Bolton trip. I was able to get a trip round Elton Reservoir and came up with 29 species including Canada goose and ring-necked parakeet which are "English" ticks and a female kestrel which I should get at home. As most of you will know they are becoming increasingly rare and more difficult to get in Northern Ireland. It is nearly two years since I have seen one at home. 

The following day we were able to visit Pennington Flash which has an excellent bird feeding station and I had hopes of adding to the 2025 list. The Flash delivered with nuthatch, reed bunting, stock dove, willow tit, great spotted woodpecker and goosander. These are all regulars at the reserve, but not always seen in one visit. What was unexpected was not one but two great white egrets which gave excellent views from one of the hides. All in all a good hour's work, 37 species and a nice bowl of leek and potato soup in the café. 

Phone shot at Elton

Phone shot again

Pennington Flash great white egret and grey heron - another phone shot!

Finally got a trip to Burton Mere RSPB before heading home and added 32 species including Egyptian goose and yet another great white egret! 

Burton Mere great white egret

Black-tailed godwits

Burton Mere RSPB

Since our return, the North Down patch has added a soaring sparrowhawk and a singing greenfinch. WOW has also been quiet with nothing to get the pulse racing until this week when the Iceland gull finally had the decency to drop in on a Thursday morning and a whimbrel popped up on the grass bank at the back. As usual too far away for a good image so you are getting my usual "record shot" as well as a nice godwit and a view of the black headed gulls on the island starting in to their whole breeding routine. This week however the team put a stop to that with a deterrent scheme to try and stop the gulls nesting, so that the island is available for the later arriving terns. So far it seems to be working. 

Last week

This week

Nothing in the centre

Blackwit

Spot the Iceland gull

There it is!!

Definite lack of black on the primaries and tail.

A trip to Craigavon gave good views of a ring-necked duck along with 56 pochard all but three of them male!! No photos I'm afraid. The initial sighting was too far away and I didn't fancy lugging the scope round the one and a half mile walk for a closer view. You will have to make do with a nice scenic view of the northern balancing lake. 

I also managed a walk along the Divis trail as well, a walk I have been unable to do for quite some time. We had a sunny day, beautiful views over Belfast and two additions to the 2025 list - skylarks chasing and singing and 4 ravens doing what ravens do when the weather is good - chasing, rolling, playing and calling. As per usual I heard them before I saw them. 

Belfast from Divis viewpoint

The dipper then I hear you ask? After two years of dipping out (groan) with multiple visits to the Sixmilewater at Antrim, the Threemilewater at Mossley and five different spots in and around Bolton where I recorded Dippers in the past, I finally nailed one on the River Tonge ten minutes walk from base in Bolton in a spot I hadn't previously checked. I went back twice to try and get a photograph and it wasn't there!! Typical birding mantra - right place right time or as Gerry Murphy used to say on a Thursday morning at WOW, "Better to be lucky than good" 

NDCP

48: Kingfisher

49: Greenfinch

50: Sparrowhawk

WOW

69: Long-tailed tit

70: Iceland gull

71: Whimbrel

89: Kestrel

90: Canada goose

91: Ring-necked parakeet

92: Nuthatch

93: Stock dove

94: Reed bunting

95: Willow tit

96: Great white egret

97: Goosander

98: Great-spotted woodpecker

99: Dipper

100: Egyptian goose

101: Ring-necked duck

102: Iceland gull

103: Skylark

104: Raven

105: Whimbrel

Local update with Eowyn

We'll have a recap of recent events at WOW and the North Down patch, ready for a report from our first trip to England in 2025.

WOW survived storm Eowyn with a few trees down round the edge, but nothing serious or inconvenient. The main news is that the path to Hide 2 is open and it is bigger and better than we expected. We have got a 4+ metre path all the way down to the back gate with a wide turning circle and a view of the channel. 

View from the top

Turning circle at the bottom

Looking for birds in the channel

Shoveler couple

I added a couple of birds to the patch with the first lesser black-backed gulls and a nice flock of long-tailed tits. the avocet is still appearing off and on. It has been in three times - first for four days, then five and finally it has been back again for over a week. 

The local patch also survived storm Eowyn with minimal damage unless you are a golfer. Carnalea Golf Club lost their fence along the coastal path and over 40 trees, while Stricklands Glen lost three large trees and a smattering of smaller ones. 

200 yards of mesh fence!!

Strickland's tree

The garden has not really had anything strange or exciting except the blackcaps seem to be less belligerent than they were. The song thrush is still around along with bullfinches and long-tailed tits.  The Long Hole finally gave up the kingfisher - on a rising tide in the morning. 

I went to Lurgan Park and picked up a pochard and the long-staying red-crested pochard. It ticks a lot of lists - County Armagh, Northern Ireland, Ireland and 2025. I also went to Victoria Park for a walk and spotted this buzzard sitting along the Connswater at Airport Road - a bit out of its usual haunts, but flew off and seemed okay. 

Red-crested pochard

Red-crested pochard

Connswater buzzard

Off to sunny Bolton and a chance to get a lot of stuff I won't get here. Might even get a bit of heat if we are lucky. 

2025

84: Sparrowhawk

85: Pochard

86: Red-crested pochard

87: Kingfisher

88: Lesser black-backed gull

WOW

66: Dunlin

67: Goldeneye

68: Lesser black-backed gull

69: Long-tailed tit

NDCP

48: Kingfisher

The North Down patch +

Things have been building up nicely on the local patch with a few walks along the coast and a bit of time looking at the back garden. I am now up to 47 with a few nice surprises in the first week. Last year I struggled with a few species and was into the last week of the year before I finally nailed them. Here is a wee table to illustrate this:

      Species                    2024                                    2025

      Lapwing                  November 23rd       January 20th
      
      Mallard                   December 29th        January 4th                      

      Curlew                    December 29th        January 4th

      Grey wagtail           December 31st         January 4th

I have had 3 blackcap, 2 males and a female -  who are vigorously defending their chosen feeders.  All small birds are chased  from the feeders including the robin. Larger birds and ground feeders are ignored. The only small bird which has successfully fed is a male house sparrow who goes on the suet feeder and is left alone by the male. He also struggled to chase a gang of long-tailed tits The male defends the apple tree area, the female defends the rowan tree. Occasionally one or other will make a sortie into the other bird's area and all hell breaks loose for a second or two. It is usually the female who backs down and retreats.  This is affecting the Irish Garden Bird Survey as I am struggling to see tits and finches as no sooner do they turn up at a feeder than they are chased off. I genuinely think they have got the hint and are going elsewhere. Other than that I have seen the following in the garden with the maximum number in brackets: Robin (2), collared dove (1), herring gull (1), dunnock (2), blackbird (11), woodpigeon (2), magpie (3), hooded crow (2), jackdaw (3), goldfinch (3), coal tit (1), blue tit (2), great tit (1), starling (6), song thrush (1), goldcrest (1), rook (1), chaffinch (2), linnet (6) and bullfinch (2).

Blackcap(F)

Long-tailed tit

Blue tit

Linnets

Blackcap

Bullfinch

Linnet and blackcap showing mutual tolerance and respect

 for a change.

The coastal path has added the four mentioned above as well as eider, redshank, turnstone, ringed plover, dunlin, oystercatcher, purple sandpiper, black-headed gull, common gull, brent goose, moorhen, cormorant, shag, red-throated diver, grey heron, pied wagtail, rock pipit, black guillemot, great black-backed gull and wren.  

WOW has also racked up a few species since the last post. At this time of year it would be an odd week if I didn't turn up a new patch tick at WOW. Things will then settle down until the spring rush when I should get a wee boost again. Recent additions include  buzzard, snipe, mute swan, greylag goose, linnet, blue, great and coal tit, brent, greenfinch, dunlin, sparrowhawk and the star of the show an avocet which stayed around for four days. I had no faith in it at all so I went to see it on the Wednesday but Sod's law kicked in and it was still there on Thursday so we were able to get lots of visitors onto it as it fed, preened and roosted on the far side of the reserve. Hide 2 was closed as the contractors were laying down a nice new path as part of the works on D3. The good news is that it was a lot wider than we expected and it will go down to the channel. 

Ringed godwit - one of our regular visitors ringed at the reserve in April 2021

Usual blurry record shot

And again

Snipe

Snipe

Spot the avocet among the shelduck

New path to Hide 2

2025

78: Purple sandpiper
79: Rock pipit
80: Greenfinch
81: Avocet

82: Whooper swan 

83: Tree sparrow

84: Sparrowhawk

WOW

54: Buzzard

55: Linnet

56: Blue tit

57: Coal tit

58: Great tit

59: Brent goose

60: Greylag goose

61: Greenfinch

62: Avocet

63: Snipe

64: Mute swan

65: Sparrowhawk

66: Dunlin

NDCP

47 as outlined above