Rare birds spotted at Belfast's Window on Wildlife

Last modified: 24 April 2017

 
A pair of rare birds have been spotted at the RSPB’s Belfast Window on Wildlife (WOW) nature reserve.

Avocets, which are the symbol of the nature conservation charity, aren’t resident in Ireland so the arrival of the unusual visitors on Sunday had birdwatchers flocking to the Belfast Harbour Estate to catch a glimpse.

It’s not known where they have travelled from, although investigations are underway to trace the coloured rings spotted on the leg of one of the birds.

Chris Sturgeon, warden at Belfast WOW, said: “I couldn’t believe it when one of my colleagues got in touch with the news. I arrived early this morning and they’re still here, with reports they have been seen mating!

“There’s no reason why they couldn’t breed successfully here. The reserve is in great condition and there is ideal feeding habitat for wading birds.”

These distinctively-patterned black and white waders have a long up-curved beak, perfect for foraging in the mud for insects, crustaceans and worms.



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Rare foreign gull breeds after nesting in city harbour

By Frances Burscough

PUBLISHED08/07/2016

Britain may be heading out of the EU, but a rare Mediterranean gull - a species normally found around the shores of Greece, Turkey and the Black Sea - has taken residence at the Harbour Estate in Belfast Docks and successfully bred for the first time in the city.

Although Mediterranean gulls are notoriously difficult to identify because of their similarity to the common Black-headed gull, this one happened to nest in full view of Northern Ireland's most knowledgeable bird experts at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve - and it certainly ruffled a few feathers in the process.

In fact, twitchers from all over Ireland have been flocking to the Airport Road West reserve to catch a glimpse of the bird ever since.

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A Coo for Belfast pupils as they win bid to name bird on satellite-tracked epic flight

By Linda Stewart

We've avidly followed the adventures of Chris the Cuckoo - and now it's the turn of Coo.

The male cuckoo, which is currently making its way south through Africa, has been named by pupils at a school in the Belfast Hills.

The P1 and P2 pupils at Ballymacward Primary School beat off competition from schools across the UK to name a cuckoo fitted with a satellite tag by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

They are now following his intrepid voyage via an online tracker, which reveals how Coo is making his way from the UK to his overwintering site in the Congo rainforest.

BTO says it is trying to discover why the UK has lost over two-thirds of its breeding cuckoos during the last 25 years by gleaning information on the routes they take to Africa.

Until recently scientists had no idea where cuckoos went in winter, with only one record dating back to the 1930s.

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Enraged seagull assails public - and reporter - in central Belfast street

The RSPB has advised the public to steer clear of seagull chicks they find in towns or cities, after particularly aggressive displays by an adult gull in Belfast.

The avian charity said it is aware of the bird making a nuisance of itself between Adelaide Street and Alfred Street in the city centre, but said the situation is unlikely to last long – adding that the swooping bird is essentially harmless.

The creature has been dive-bombing passers-by for a couple of days in a bid to scare the “predators” away from its chick, which could be seen waddling about on the streets, vainly flapping its wings.

Susan Kula from the RSPB had heard about this and other such instances.

She said: “Gulls are nesting more and more these days in the city centre. Predator-free nesting sites on rooftops and easy access to food in the city centre means it’s a perfect location to raise their young.

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