Bird News Sunday 23rd March

A Laughing Gull was seen at Groomsport this morning (Anthony McGeehan) The bird was looked for this afternoon up until 14.30 but no trace. This is the first bird since the very approachable one in July 2010 at Ballycastle.

The Cattle Egret was on the island at Hillsborough Lake this morning until 8.45 am (Frank Carroll)

In Donegal, 4 Slavonian Grebes were at Shellfield, 2 female Goosanders and a leucistic Redshank at Thorn, Letterkenny and the Red-necked Grebe at Inch (Chris Ingram)

A male Mealy Redpoll was in a garden at Richhill, Co.Armagh. (Andrew Poots)

The drake American Wigeon was seen again at Reedy Flats and two Glossy Ibis flew by (Birdguides)

The Siberian Chiffchaff was seen at the Memorial Tree, Oxford Island (Birdguides)

A first-year Golden Eagle was at the Sperrins. It was watched for two hours over the hills south of Sperrin Junction (Larry Toal)

14 Ruff and 950 Golden Plover were at the Creagh near Toome (Davod Steele)

A Chiffchaff was at Kinnegar waterworks (Karl Hamilton)

3 Brambling and a Siskin were in a garden along Brunswick Road in Bangor.

Thanks to Karl Martin for this pic of a Kestrel, Andrew Poots for the Mealy Redpoll, Dick Glasgow for the Goldfinch and Derek Polley for the male Brambling. You can see more bird pics at www.nibirdpics.blogspot.co.uk