Beautiful day today, more like summer than spring. Went to Islandhill, but very little about. The highlight was my first sandwich terns of the season. I've got my new PC up and running bar a few glitches.
Weather - sunny with heavy showers, no wind.
Quoile Pondage - water levels not as high as the last visit, but still high. Gadwell, shelduck, mallard, wigeon, teal, black-tailed godwits, redshank, mute swan, little gull (lovely, this was only my second sighting, 1st sighting was here in 2002), black-headed gull, swallow, sand martin, house martin, great crested grebe, moorhen, coot, magpie, golden plover, lesser black-backed gull, tufted duck, red-breasted merganiser, garganey.
Causeway to Quoile Pondage - brent geese.
Cloghy Rocks - grey heron, cormorant, red-breasted merganiser, herring gull, black-headed gull, greater black-backed gull, brent geese, oystercatcher. Common seals.
Killard Point Nature Reserve - there is an old sand martin nesting colony here. After seeing the sand martins earlier I had hoped to see them here, but there was no sign of activity. Birds seen - willow warbler, rock pipit, brent geese, greylag geese, shelduck, oystercatcher, swallow, pied wagtail, starling, red-breasted merganiser (never seen as many in old day before), black-headed gull, herring gull, common tern (one with fish in mouth mobbed by herring gull but tern won!).
Strangford - after seeing common terns at Killard I headed to the harbour as terns normally nest on the small island, but none to be seen. Birds seen - brent geese, oystercatcher, redshank, shag, goldfinch, rooks.
Once again I had to go away on business, this time to Glasgow. So early this morning the scope and bins were put in the car in the hope that the flight would be on time and I could call round to the Reserve. And it was! Unfortunately the light wasn't any better than last week, but at least the wind wasn't blowing straight into the hide. Birds of prey are frequently seen at the Reserve, but with the exception of a kestrel quite some time again my visits and theirs never seemed to have synchronised. The drought was broken tonight with a common buzzard. Whilst I appreciate that this isn't a rare bird I think I was as excited as the first time I saw a buzzard. Other birds seen - mute swan, mallard, shelduck, scaup, teal, wigeon, black-tailed godwits, grey heron, lapwing, black-headed gull, lesser black-backed gull, greater black-backed gull, herring gull, glaucous gull, coot, moorhen, dunlin, golden plover, curlew, jackdaw, hooded crow, carrion crow, magpie, common sandpiper, snipe, and little grebe. Didn't see any small birds. But, as with last week, plenty of rabbits.
Got a couple of nice photos (for me) of some of the shelduck. Still haven't got the PC sorted out.
Thanks for your encouragement Ver.
Comber - Newtownards - yellowhammer (twice in 2 days!!), pheasant.
Ards Peninsula - brent geese, oystercatcher, curlew, redshank, greenfinch, pied wagtail, black-headed and herring gulls
Weather - overcast, mild, no wind
Whitehouse Lagoon - herring gull, black-headed gull, shelduck, oystercatcher, curlew, redshank, great black-backed gull, mistle thrush
Carrickergus - black-headed gull, herring gull, curlew, oystercatcher, eider duck (2 groups), red-breasted merganiser (pair diving in unison)
Island Magee - eider duck, yellowhammer
Well the plane was late, and so by the time I got to the Reserve the light was nearly gone. A cold north wind was blowing straight into the hide. So, all in all not as good as usual. Birds seen - magpie, pied wagtail, reed bunting, coal tit, grey heron, selduck, mallard, black-tailed godwit, mute swan, coot, morrhen, herring gull, black-headed gull, lesser black-backed gull, wigeon, teal, pochard, shoveller and lapwing. Oh, and plenty of rabbits.
After reading everyone's blogs I'm afraid mine is a bit tame, but I enjoy what I can see. Today was a milestone for me, for the first time since I fell in December I was able to travel down to Dublin, allbeit for work. The train journey is approximately 2 hours long from Belfast to Dublin. It pases through some nice countryside, plus in some sections near the Irish Sea Coast. It is beautiful on a sunny day like today (well between the hail showers). Mind you there was a very cold ne wind. The primroses in places are lovely.
Malahide - oystercatchers, dunlin, knot, brent geese, curlew, black-headed and herring gulls, shelduck and my first swallow of the summer!
River Liffey - 2 pairs of cormorants.
Nr Pontzpass - whooper swans and grey heron.
Balancing Lakes - tufted duck, mute swan, mallard
At various points of journey - kestrel, mute swans all paired off with one sitting on nest.
Tomorrow I'm heading to Leeds on business. I've put the telescope and binoculars in the boot in case the flight is on time and I can call in at the RSPB Belfast Harbour Reserve.