Richard Donaghey

✨ Rathlin Bird Report 2025 ✨ Our 8th annual report, as usual jam-packed with everything you wanted to know about the island's birds in 2025... and no doubt lots more that you never realised you wanted to know! Read it here - rathlinstickybeak.wordpress.com/2026/04/04/rat…

Finally a break in the weather to open the nets, but a short session before the impending arrival of Storm Dave, indicated by the blood red sunrise. The 1st returning Willow Warbler of the year was ringed in 2024. The 18 bird catch included 12 species with Blackcap & Chiffchaff

A real treat in the nets at Runkerry this morning with the first Pallas's Warbler ringed in NI and what I believe is just the fourth record. There were a few other migrants in the nets inc. a Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Redwing before departing at 9.

Although its still rather mild, autumn is in the air(& nets) with the first wave of arrivals from the north. Across 3 sessions, a total of 72 new birds were ringed on the Causeway Coast inc. 6 Redwing, 12 Blackbird, 3 Song Thrush, 6 Goldcrest, Sparrowhawk, Chiffchaff & 2 Blackcap

Nice October weekend at @CopelandBirdOb with a Marsh Harrier, Twite & Merlin + island scarce birds like Mistle Thrush, Coal Tit & Grey Plover. We ringed 72 new birds of 20 species - Skylark 2, Carrion Crow 2, Coal Tit, Sparrowhawk, Stonechat, GBBG, 4 Song Thrush, 4 Redpoll etc.

Pup season for the Grey Seals at @CopelandBirdOb 47 pups so far on Old Lighthouse Island with potentially a few more to come as autumn progresses. Just one fatality in the storms, but lots of marine litter dumped on the shores

A busy 24hrs at a sunny @CopelandBirdOb arriving late after the wind/rain. There were a few migrants passing through with Goldcrests, Chiffchaff in the nets, and the start of the finch migration. Lots of Grey Seal pups, BN dolphins, Peregrine, Hen Harrier and lots more on show

A little more wader action before the rain tonight produced 20 birds, including 3 Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Knot, 2 Ringed Plover, 8 Dunlin and 4 Redshank.

Wader ringing on the Bann Estuary was tricky last night with the big tide flooding the marsh, but the team of 10 manged a catch of 2 Curlew Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 9 Dunlin and 14 Redshank. A Short-eared Owl and Osprey were present while setting up

It was a hot, pesky fly filled evening for the years 1st wader ringing session, but we were rewarded for our efforts. The catch was modest, but it had a nice mix, including 5 Curlew, 3 Ruff, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Black-tailed Godwit & 3 Redshank. We caught 16 Swallows prior

A belated 1st visit of the year to Lough Neagh failed to show a return of the mega Sedge Warbler numbers for the 3rd consecutive year. Prior to this, catches of 150+ Sedge was possible & overall morning catches topping 220 (more nets & ringers). A pleasurable morning all the same

@peediepuss @BritGeoSurvey @GeolSurvIE @GeoSurveyNI Thanks Martin, I was debating if it was part of a plastic climbing wall! I had decided to crack it, and that convinced me it was rock

@CausewayBirds @BritGeoSurvey @GeolSurvIE @GeoSurveyNI This is a piece of bonfire plastic. An old beach fire, to incinerate plastics, causes unburned plastic to 'pool' below. When tide returns this 'caked' material floats away, eventually breaking up & eroding into 'fake rocks' like this.

More seabirds this morning, this time ringing terns in Co.Donegal. A total of 35 Sandwich Terns were colour ringed, and a dozen Common Terns metal ringed. Keep an eye out for the colour rings on a shore near you in the coming months.

Seabird survey season on the North Coast of NI.

@MarkSmyth1960 @_BTO I'd guess a private collection/zoo with a closed ring like that

@_BTO who would ring a stork like this x.com/PrecipiceNewto…

@maddyhine280 @NRonBirdObs Any chance you can DM the details of the traps? Maybe they are just the larger tent spring traps?

It was nice to try out the new spring traps this morning and catch some Turnstone! ☀️ @NRonBirdObs

Our response to the column in the Belfast Telegraph today (belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/column…): Wild Belfast celebrates both human diversity and biological diversity. The gross conflations made in this article do a grave disservice not only to the meaningful conversations about diversity

Ringing in the Sperrin Mountains ystd & Causeway Coast this morning produced ~35 birds inc. the 1st Grasshopper (2) & Sedge Warblers of the year. Willow Warblers made up half the numbers, while a small fall of Blackcap today produced 6. 1 of 3 Cuckoos present ystd slipped the net

First proper spring migration visit of the year on the Causeway Coast with a modest catch of 17 birds in the easterly winds, included a Blackcap & 5 Willow Warbler. Other migrants around were 7 Wheatear, 3 Sand Martin, 1 White Wagtail & 5+ more WilWa. Follow on BlueSky

🎉The 2024 Rathlin Bird Report is here! Another action-packed year of birding on the island, with no shortage of good stuff to cram into our 7th annual report. Available now at rathlinstickybeak.wordpress.com/2025/03/29/rat…