Rare Bird Records 2021

The following records for 2021 have been or are under assessment. If you have any details on these sightings (particualrly those shown as 'Not Proven'), or notice any ommissions or corrections, please let us know:

Species	Location \ County	Date	Observer(s)	Overall Verdict
Red-necked Grebe	Belfast Lough	01-Jan-21	Stuart McKee	Accepted
Sinensis Cormorant	Belfast Waterworks	16-Jan-21	Stuart McKee \ Tom Ennis	Accepted
Caspian Gull	Clea Lake, Co Armagh	21-Jan-21	Brian McCloskey	Accepted
Kumliens Gull	Clea Lake, Co Armagh	07-Feb-21	Brian McCloskey	Accepted
Ross's Gull	Killough	18-Feb-21	Chris Murphy	Accepted
American Wigeon	Glynn	07/03/2021 - 30/3/21	Cameron Moore	Accepted
Lesser Scaup	Portmore Lough	19-Mar-21	Wilton Farrelly	Accepted
Lesser Whitethroat	Garden, Coleraine	24-Mar-21	Anon	Accepted
Russian White-fronted Goose	Ecos Centre	11-Apr-21	Jeff Larkin	Accepted
Lesser Scaup	Lough Erne Resort	14-Apr-21	Brad Robson	Accepted
Little Ringed Plover	Paddys Dubh, Lough Beg	13-Apr-21	David Steele	Accepted
Lesser Scaup	Portmore Lough	11-Jun-21	Garry Armstrong	Accepted
Bonapartes Gull	Lough Beg	26-Jun-21	David Steele	Accepted
Montagu's Harrier	Antrim Hills	July 2021	Michael Latham	Accepted
Bonaparte's Gull	Kinnegar Shore, Belfast	29-Aug-21	Stuart McKee	Accepted
Dotterel	Swatragh	26-Aug-21	Clive Mellon	Accepted
Little Ringed Plover	Lady Bay, Lough Neagh \ Portmore	04-Sep-21	Garry Armstrong	Accepted
Long-billed Dowitcher (Ad)	Lough Beg	20-Sep-21	David Steele	Accepted
Buff-breasted Sandpiper x 2	Myroe	16-Sep-21	Stuart McKee \ Hal McCullough	Accepted
Little Ringed Plover	Myroe	17-Sep-21	Jeff Larkin	Accepted
Dotterel	Lomond Rd, Limavady	29-Sep-21	Stuart McKee \ Garry Armstrong	Accepted
Lesser Yellowlegs	Lough Beg	4th October	David Steele	Accepted
Long-billed Dowitcher	Portmore Lough	5th - 6th October	Martin Deehan	Accepted
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	Lough Beg	9th -10th October	David Steele	Accepted
Long-billed Dowitcher	Bann Estuary	10th - 22nd October	John Clarke	Accepted
Long-billed Dowitcher (Juv)	Lough Beg	4th -29th October	David Steele	Accepted
Lesser Whitethroat	Bangor	- 31st December	Sean Wensley	Accepted
Bonaparte's Gull	Ballycarry \ Larne	24th - 25th December	Garry Armstrong \ Oscar Campbell \ Neal Warnock	Accepted
Rustic Bunting	Carnalea, Bangor	22nd - 31st December	David Miller	Accepted
Black-bellied Dipper	Downhill Forest	06-Mar-21	Theo Campbell	Not Proven
Bonapartes Gull	Ballyfrench, Co Down	30-Mar-21	Billy Miskelly	Not Proven
Red-necked Grebe	Kircubbin	03-Apr-21	Garry Armstrong	Not Proven
Blue-headed Wagtail	RSPB WoW	08-May-21	Garry Armstrong, Bob Watts, Tom Ennis	Not Proven
Hobby	Glenariff	06-Jul-21	David Steele	Not Proven
Lesser Whitethroat	Ligoneil Dams, Co Antrim	16-Jul-21	Dermot Hughes et al	Not Proven
Hobby	Carrickfergus	23-Jul-21	George Stewart	Not Proven
Great Shearwater	Rinagree Point, Portstewart		John Clarke	Not Proven
Bairds Sandpiper	Myroe	12-Sep-21	Garry Armstrong	Not Proven
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	Ballykelly	10th October	Garry Armstrong	Not Proven
Tundra Bean Goose	Ballykelly	17th October	Stuart McKee \ Hal McCullough	Not Proven
Glossy Ibis	Lagan Valley Hospital	9th December	Garry Wilkinson	Not Proven
Lesser Scaup	Ardmore, Lough Neagh	12th - 15th December	Garry Armstrong  \ Bob Watts	Not Proven

Black-browed Albatross - A species new to Northern Ireland

On the 9th September 2020, Ollie Padget, whilst seawatching at Copeland Bird Observatory, picked up a Black-browed Albatross flying south at 18:25. The bird was observed for four minutes and seen by a fellow birder.

No photographs of the bird were obtained but a detailed note \ description was made that evening and subsequently submitted for assessment.

At least one Black-browed Albatross had been recorded in the summer of 2020 in Britain and it ranged widely so is possibly the same bird.