Citizen science and garden birdwatching

Returning home I was back at WOW with high water levels and 6 ringed black-tailed godwits to look at. The reserve is still in a late winter stage with all seven ducks, flocks of roosting waders and singing robins. To date the only sign of spring is an increase in the number of black-headed gulls coming to the two nesting platforms. Mediterranean gulls have been noted, but not by me. The list remains at 59 as I have mopped up all the winter species I can reasonably expect. 

The ringed godwits are all part of the ringing programme at the reserve in April 2021. Some have been noted away from the reserve in Whitehouse and Kinnegar as well as a few records from Wales. All part of the great citizen science project which is vey satisfying to take part in. Thanks to Gareth Platt who keeps an eye on our sightings.

The garden has also hit a late winter stage with fewer birds at the feeders and the last week of the Irish Garden bird survey which runs for the three winter months. Basically much like last year with all the expected species. Excitement this year was provided by a single jay, single treecreeper, 5 blackcaps, 4 siskins, 6 linnets and two redpolls. I managed 30 species over the 13 weeks of the survey and blackbird was again the most numerous on the list. I was able to add sparrowhawk to the list and could have removed a woodpigeon as when I returned from England this was the sight which greeted me in the garden. 

The high tide roost on Seacliff Road finally produced patch ticks of purple sandpiper and dunlin. Today a swallow and a common tern were reported at WOW which is a tad early for both species. Seems that climate change has kicked in following the warmest February on record. 

Female siskin

Long-tailed tit

Male siskin

Female siskin at the niger feeder

While I was in England there were a couple of tasty birds in and around Portmore Lough so we took a run up to have a look. They were both seen well. The great white egret is now a regular visitor to Northern Ireland - Portmore has had 5 this winter. Cattle egret is also a more regular visitor and this one had attached itself to the only cow on Brankins Island Road which made it easy enough to find but not as easy to photograph as it kept hiding behind it in the reedy sedge.  

Cattle egret hidden behind the hedge close to the road.

Great white egret is easier to see

House sparrows

Cattle egret further away but still hard to see

Tree sparrow

Next week we are off again to Bolton to cover the taxi runs as the grand-children are in school. Hopefully we will be able to take in the odd bird reserve!!

2024
117: Nuthatch
118: Cattle egret
116: Great white egret

WOW

59 Eider duck

NDCP

43: Goldcrest

44: Dunlin

45: Purple sandpiper

WOW delivers..........again......and again.

As the autumn migration started in earnest we were hoping for a few nice waders as the water levels were spot on - especially compared to August 2018. Tern numbers remain high despite predation by lesser black-backed gulls. Roseate terns have drifted north from the Rockabill colony and we have breeding success from shelduck, shoveler, mallard, coot, moorhen and mute swan. We also have had regular sightings of swallows, sand martins, house martins and swift all hunting over the reserve at the same time. The following photographs give a flavour of what we have had recently starting with the complete and utter patch gold megatick - a cattle egret - which appeared one Thursday and was gone by Friday.

Initial call was "Oh look there is a little egret between two herons beside Hide 2".

Max zoom did not help much as it roosted with it's back to us.

 Only when it started to preen did we realise that it did not have a thin black bill and it did not look right for a little egret. We called it in as a possible cattle egret and about 30 minutes later changed this to definite as it started to move about. There followed a rush to Hide 2 for better shots,

No doubt, check the head and neck plumage.

Always struggled to see the feet, but hey you can't have everything.

The nice ruff up at the window was sort of overlooked!!

We have also had little stint, up to seven ruff, roseate terns and three curlew sandpipers. Thursday September 12th provided two late swift, my latest ever as well as knot, whimbrel, sandwich tern and still up to 50 common terns. A smattering of images gives a flavour of the return wader migration over the last month as well as a stunning wheatear on a walk up Divis - one of four we saw very close together. Add to that one on the North Down Coastal Path and it was a good autumn for wheatears.

Little egret for comparision

Lapwing and curlew sandpiper

Common tern and black-headed gull, I didn't think they were that different in size.

Curlew sandpiper

Curlew sandpiper photobombing a lapwing

Sandwich tern

Ruff

Dunlin and little stint in setting sun

Little stint

Wheatear on Divis walk

Wheatear on Divis walk

Wheatear by David Miller - he of the better camera than mine!!

Small tortoiseshell on Divis walk

Along the coastal path today there were large numbers of gannets, razorbills, eider, gulls and terns all feeding frantically just off shore with one ot two guillemot as well, quite a spectacle. All in all autumn has well and truly kicked in and hopefully there will be a few more nice birds before things settle down for the winter.

2019
148: Cattle egret
149: Roseate tern
150: Little stint
151: Curlew sandpiper

Bangor West
65: Wheatear

Belfast WOW
90: Cattle egret
91: Roseate tern
92: Little stint
93: Curlew sandpiper