EnglishAlan and Charlene Abraham went on a boat trip down the Lower River Bann on Saturday 22nd November. This is Alan's report from that trip.
Charlene and I made our way to Newferry on a damp and foggy morning. We arrived to a boat full of people with all the camera gear, they were all crammed into the back of the boat to brave the weather and get the best shots of the day. We were met by Jim Wells who organised the trip, the Captain and his co-pilot. Everyone apart from the photographers had a warm and comfortable spot inside the spacious cabin where we could look out on the river at our leisure.
Bird Sightings were as follows:-
1 Little Egret
2 Mallards
1 Great-crested Grebe
26 Whooper Swans
1 Mallard
Approx 90 small birds floating on the watewr in the distance species unknown
1 Cygnet
1 Cormorant
1 Hen Harrier
1 Cormorant
42 Whooper Swans in a field
1 female Long-tailed Duck
1 Cormorant
Time 10.50 am
1 Cormorant flying
1 Whooper Swan looked unwell (suspected bird flu--reported to DAERA)
2 Cormorants on posts
1 Great Northern Diver
1 Little Egret flying
70 Whooper Swans in a field
Flock of Lapwings
1 Sandpiper
20 Mute Swans in the water
1 Grey Heron
Flock of Snipe
Flock of Lapwings
1 Egret flying (? species)
4 Lapwings flying
1 Magpie flying
Flock of swans on the water
1 Blackbird
At Blue Bridge
Flock of swans in a field with cows
1 Kingfisher
1 Mistle Thrush
1 Grey Heron
1 Kingfisher on the bank
6 Redwing
1 Robin
1 Grey Heron
10:48 Under Blue Bridge
1 Woodpigeon
1 Grey Heron
1 Bluetit
6 Long-tailed tits
3 Woodpigeons
Boat turned at the flood gates to the eel traps
1 Cormorant
4 Grey Heron
1 Little Egret
Return back under the bridge
1 Kingfisher
1 Goldcrest
2 Kingfishers flying
1 Grey Heron flying
1 Kingfisher sitting in a tree
2 Kingfishers flying
4 Swans flying? species
1 Cormorant flying
1 Female Blackbird
1 Little Egret
1 Cormorant flying
1 Little Egret sleeping on the bank at the steps.
1 Golden Plover
1 Kingfisher on a branch
1 Little Egret
Mallard nest boxes observed
1 Coot
1 Morrhen
1 Widgeon
1 Goldeneye
A large flock of duck in distance--too far to identify.
1 Great-crested Grebe
11.25 on return to Newferry
1 Cormorant diving --swallowed a fish whole
1 Great Northern Diver
1 Cormorant
6 Golden Plovers
3 Cormorants--1 diving, 1 on water, 1 flying
1 Long-tailed duck
1 Cormorant
12:00 Noon Lough Beg and Church Island
4 Little Grebe
1 Great-crested Grebe
River Bann
1 Teal
1 Goldeneye
5 gadwall
1 Little Egret in the car park
1 Carrion Crpw
50 swans in the field --mixture of whooper and mute swans
12:12 pm passing jetty to go to the end of the wood
1 Hooded Crow
Flock of small unidentified birds in the trees
2 Cormorant
2 Mallard
1 Kingfisher
1 Black-tailed Godwit
1 Hooded Crow
Flock of Lapwing
Flock of Sandpipers--? species
2 Cormorant
1 Grey Heron in a tree
1 Kingfisher on a branch
46 Swans in a field --mixture of Mute and Whooper
The boat can hold 47 passengers. The boat is warm and comfortable inside with tea, coffee and biscuits available. The weather was somewhat against the photographers with fog causing poor light. But the fog lifted during the morning.
The trip yielded an impressive 42 bird species. The number of Kingfishers recorded above is astounding.
Trip report by Alan Abraham