Bird Records for 2017

Records shown in RED have not yet been accepted by NIBRC. If you have any information on these sightings, we would be pleased to receive further information:


SPECIES LOCATION/COUNTY DATE OBSERVER
Lesser Scaup Belfast Lough/Down 18th January Stuart McKee.
Gyrfalcon Gawleys Gate/Armagh 20th January Rob Martin
American Wigeon Dundrum Inn. Bay 4th March David Nixon
Yellow-browed Warbler Copeland Bird Obs. 11th March Chris Acheson
Water Pipit Millisle 9th April Richard Weyl
Long-billed Dowitcher Quoile pondage 24th April Tony Donaldson
Dotterel Myroe/L'derry 30th April Neal Warnock
Little Ringed Plover Lough Beg. 2nd May Davy Hunter
Black Stork Rathlin Island 11th May Richard Else
White-winged Black Tern Lough Beg. 11th May David Steele
Montagu's Harrer Lough Beg. 16th May Chris Murphy
Temmincks Stint Lough Beg. 26th May Billy Miskelly
Bonapartes Gull Bar Mouth/L'derry 16th June Birds Ireland
Little Ringed Plover Lough Beg. 23rd June David Steele
Golden Oriole (heard only) Ballyroney/Down 9th July Dave Allen
Bonapartes Gull Whitehead/Antrim 20th July Cameron Moore
American Golden Plover Myroe/L'derry 30th August Hill Dick
Buff-breasted Sandpiper Myroe/L'derry 31st August Jeff Larkin
Red-necked Grebe Mullagh 8th September David Steele
Buff-breasted Sandpiper(2) Myroe/L'derry 10th September Michael Latham
Pectoral Sandpiper Quoile pondage 17th September Billy Miskelly
American Golden Plover Myroe/L'derry 3rd October David Nixon/Trevor Wilkinson
Wryneck Copeland Bird Obs. 8th October CBO
Firecrest Kearney/Down 17th October Ian Graham
Grey-bellied Brant Strangford Lough 17th October Tom Ennis/Tony Dodds
American Golden Plover Bann Estuary.Derry 22nd October Stuart McKee.
Red-necked Grebe Bann Estuary.Derry 23rd October Colin Guy
White-rumped Sandpiper Lough Beg/Derry 29th October David Steele
White-rumped Sandpiper Lough Beg. 31st October David Steele

Red-flanked Bluetail - A species new to Northern Ireland

Red-flanked Bluetail was a new and unexpected bird for Northern Ireland in an autumn of rare birds. It was originally found on the evening of Saturday 8th October by Tim Murphy, just reward for the many hours that he has put in birding at St Johns Point and Kellys Wood. The bird was then present first thing the following morning. However it was then prone to disappearing for long periods but over the following days it was seen by most birders who visited Kellys Wood. The last report of the bird was the 13th October.

This bird represented the first record for NI and the sixth for the island of Ireland. The species has enjoyed a westward population expansion in Scandinavia in recent years but it was still an unexpected record.

Gerard Murray:

James O'Neill:


Baird's Sandpipers in 2016

Baird's Sandpiper is an extremely rare wader in NI with only 4 accepted records prior to 2016. However 2016 was marked by a further two records, including one very long staying bird.

The first bird was found on the 3rd September 2016 at Myroe and present until at least the 1st October 2016. The second bird was found by Neal Warnock at RSPB WOW on the 23rd September. Both birds were juveniles and at times showed well. The Belfast bird could however go missing in the vegetation for long periods of time.

Whilst 2016 was a good year in the UK and Ireland for Baird's Sandpiper, this was not the case for other nearctic waders. For example, there was only a single report of a Buff Breasted Sandpiper in 2016 for NI.

Baird's Sandpiper, Myroe, Garry Armstrong:



New Committee Member - Stuart McKee

We are pleased to announce that Stuart McKee has joined the Northern Ireland Rare Bird Committee.

Stuart is an extremely experienced, knowledgeably and familiar birder in Northern Ireland. He has found may rarities in his time and has an active interest in bird recording in bird recording. Indeed he is one of the few birders in the field who still keeps notebooks!

Bird Records for 2016

Records shown in RED have not yet been accepted by NIBRC. If you have any information on these sightings, we would be pleased to receive further information:

Species Location County Date
Reporter/Observer
Glossy Ibis River Bann Antrim 17/01/2016 Seamus Burns
Glossy Ibis Ballinary, Lurgan Armagh 23/01/2016 Ed O'Hara
Great White Egret Caledon Armagh 25/01/2016 per NIBARC
Lesser Scaup Dargan Bay,Belfast Antrim 06/02/2016 to 23/02/2016 per NIBARC \ Derek Charles
AmericanWigeon Dargan Bay Antrim 26/03/2016 Per NIBARC
Belted Kingfisher River Bann L’Derry 22/04/2016 Jonathon Roberts
Glossy Ibis Portmore Lough Armagh 01/05/2016 Kate McAlistair/Marta Barberis
Night Heron Dromantine Lake Down 18/05/2016 Mary-Ann MacRae
Red-rumped Swallow Murlough Down 31/05/2016 Garry Wilkinson
Temminck’s Stint Myroe L’Derry 31/07/2016 Phillip West
White-rumped Sandpiper Belfast Down 03/08/2016 Gerard McGeehan
Bairds Sandpiper Myroe L'Derry 03/09/2016 per NIBARC
White rumped Sandpiper Myroe L'Derry 13/09/2016 Jeff Larkin
Tree Pipit Killough Down 14/09/2016 Tim Murphy
Common Yellowthroat Bann Estuary L'Derry 18/09/2016 Stuart McKee
Buff Breasted Sandpiper Myroe L'Derry 21/09/2016 Jeff Larkin
Bairds Sandpiper RSPB WOW, Belfast Down 23/09/2016 Neal Warnock
Red Flanked Bluetail Kellys Wood,St Johns Down 08/10/2016 Tim Murphy
Red-breasted Flycatcher Kearney Down 08/10/2016 Stuart McKee
Common Crane Lough Macnean Fermanagh 09/10/2016 Brad Robson
White-winged Black Tern  Portmore Lough Armagh 18/10/2016 Gavin Ferguson
Great White Egret Lowery Bay Fermanagh 20/10/2016 Anmy Burns
Isabelline Shrike Murlough Down 04/11/2016 Dan Baillie
Great White Egrets (2) Lower Lough Erne Fermanagh 29/11/2016 Brad Robson

New Committee Member - Neal Warnock

Following the sad passing of Martin Garner, we are pleased to advise that Neal Warnock has joined the Records Committee. Neal will be familiar to many birders in Ireland, where he is perhaps best known for finding a Baillon’s Crake on Great Saltee Island in March 2012.  Other past finds include the first Woodchat Shrike for Galway and closer to home, Red-backed Shrike, Red-footed Falcon, Bonaparte’s Gull and Fea’s type Petrel in County Antrim.

Neal is an avid seawatcher and patch birder and spends most of his time birding Larne Lough and Rathlin Island. Neal has a wealth of birdwatching experience in parts of Europe, Africa and North and South America. He previously worked for BirdWatch Ireland in County Offaly and currently works as a Conservation Advisor for the RSPB, with a focus on breeding waders in the Glenwherry area of the Antrim Hills.

We welcome Neal and are confident that he will be able to make a valuable contribution.


Ian Graham, Records Secretary