Recent Sightings 17th May 2021
The following sightings were taken on Monday from the reserve at Castle Espie on a receding tide. A pair of Sandwich Terns have joined the Black-headed gulls and the Common terns on the island in the Saline lagoon. Sandwich terns nest on the wider lough and prefer to nest with other colonial species such as Black-headed gulls and Castle Espie reserve would definitely be a suitable nesting location for these birds should they choose to reside with us. Sandwich terns are distinguished from other terns by their larger size, black cap, with a little tuft and their black bill and legs. In flight looking up they will appear almost all white apart from the wing tips and their call is a deeper ‘grating’ call than our other local terns. These birds are mainly a summer visitor to these shores but you do occasionally see some birds over the winter on the Lough. Wetland sites like Strangford Lough as well as others across the country, many of which are protected as important roosting and staging sites, are really important for significant numbers of tern species including the Sandwich tern.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Mallard 6, Lesser black-backed gull 3, Light-bellied brent goose 32, Black-headed gull 11, Herring gull 1, Little egret 1, Goldeneye 1
Main lake - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 5, Swallow 1, Black-headed gull 60, Tufted duck 4, Greylag goose 4, Gadwall 1, Coot 1
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory garden and Visitor Centre
Lesser black-backed gull 1, Black-headed gull 22, Tufted duck 1, Mallard 5, Jackdaw 2
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-headed gull 4, Shelduck 2
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Mallard 10, Black-headed gull 235, Moorhen 4, Swallow 1, Tufted duck 4, Shelduck 1, Sedge warbler 1, Gadwall 2, Gadwall 1, Sedge warbler 1
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Black-headed gull 78, Common tern 3, Moorhen 2, Tufted duck 4
Brickworks
Blackbird 1, Jackdaw 1, Blue tit 1, Wren 1
Limestone Lake
Little grebe 1
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Reed bunting 1
Peninsula Field
Jackdaw 4, Blue tit 1, Wren 1, Blackbird 1
Woodland
Blackbird, Wren, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Great tit, Robin, Blue tit, Wood pigeon, Goldcrest, Willow warbler, Blackcap, Goldfinch, Jackdaw, Hooded crow
Image: Jonathon Clarke
