Meditterean Gull is not a rare bird now in Northern Ireland but it used to be! The first five published records are below:

One: Belfast Lough, County’s Down/Antrim, 1st September 1956. Ruttledge 1958.
One: Copeland Islands, County Down, 27th August 1958. Ruttledge 1959.
One: Kinnegar, Holywood, County Down, 6th September 1958. Ruttledge 1959.
One: Immature. Quoile Pondage NNR, Downpatrick, County Down, 27th February 1973. Preston 1973.
One: Immature. Portstewart, County Londonderry, 28th March to 14th April 1974. Preston 1976.

This first winter bird was at Greencastle, Lough Foyle on Sunday.

Lesser Yellowlegs

The rather delightful Lesser Yellowlegs found by Derek Brennan on Friday was in the channel at Myroe all weekend.

 

The 18th Lesser Yellowlegs for Northern Ireland the first record was a bird at Lough Beg on 24th May 1958!

 

There is one published record for Myroe Levels:

1999. One: Juvenile. Myroe Levels, Lough Foyle, County Londonderry, 10th to 19th October (Davy Hunter et al.). NIBA 2001.

 

There are two unpublished county records:

One: Balls Point / Roe Estuary on 7th and 8th December 2001.

One: Lough Beg, 19th September 2010

Other published county records are below:

1981

One: Juvenile. Bann Estuary, Coleraine, County Londonderry, 24th to 30th August (W. Laird et al.). NIBRC 1982.

1992

One: Lough Beg NNR, County Londonderry, 22nd April to 10th May (Matthew Tickner et al.). NIBA 1993.

1999

Lough Beg NNR, County Londonderry:

One: Adult. Church Island, 9th September (David Steele, Laurence Morgan et al.). NIBA 2001.

One: Adult. Mullagh, 17th to 24th September (David Steele, Laurence Morgan et al.). NIBA 2001.

2008

One: Adult. Lough Beg NNR, County Londonderry, 3rd to 17th June (Matthew Tickner et al.). Fahy 2010.

 

Ring Necked Duck

A male Ring Necked Duck had returned to the Quoile Pondage, Downpatrick yesterday spending most of the time just off the hide with a small flock of Tufted Duck.
This individual first appeared as a first-winter at Lough Cowey, Portaferry on 1st January 2011 and has returned to the lakes around County Down every year since. Its first appearance at the Quoile was on 21st October 2011 when it only stayed two days. It wasn't seen at the Quoile again until 23rd May 2014, wasn't seen in 2015 but reappeared on 22nd November 2016 and has been annual since.

Ring Necked Duck is a rare bird in County Down with below the only published records probably only involving five individuals.

1988

One: Female. Corbet Lake, Banbridge, County Down, 24th January to 2nd March (Graham McIlwaine et al.). NIBA 1992.
One: Female. Shanrod Lake, Banbridge, County Down, 13th March (Graham McIlwaine et al.).  NIBA 1992.

1990

One: Male. Ellis's Gut, Lough Neagh, Lurgan, County Down, 12th to 27th May (Oscar Campbell). Irish Birds 1993.

1991

One: Male. Ellis’s Gut, Lough Neagh, Lurgan, County Down, 5th to 6th May (Chris Murphy). NIBA 1993.

1997

One: Male. Lough Money, Downpatrick, County Down, 14th February to 5th March (Geoff Campbell et al.). Milne & O'Sullivan 1998.

One: Male. Ellis Gut, Lough Neagh, County Down, 23rd May (David Knight). NIBA 1999.

1998

McCauley’s Lough, Dromara, County Down:

One: Male. 6th February (Ian Jackson). NIBA 2000.
One: Male. 15th to 25th December (Ian Jackson et al.). NIBA 2000.

1999

Begny Lough, Dromara, County Down:
One: Male. 1st January (David Nixon). NIBA 2001.
One: Male. 13th to 23rd January (David Nixon et al.). NIBA 2001.

One: Male. McAuley’s Lough, Dromara, County Down, 10th January (David Nixon). NIBA 2001.

 

2005

One: Female. Quoile Pondage NNR, Downpatrick, County Down 22nd November into 2006 (David Knight et al.). NIBA 2008a.

 

2006

One: Female. Quoile Pondage NNR, Downpatrick, County Down, 1st January (David Knight et al.). Milne & McAdams 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kumliens Gull

 This adult Kumliens Gull has chosen to spend another winter at Moville!

WHITE RUMPED SANDPIPER

 One of the juvenile / first winter White Rumped Sandpipers at the Roe Estuary on Sunday. At least two were present although three have been present most of November