144. Yellowhammer
(You may or may not notice this is the same number as before. Somebody pointed out that I had linnet on my list twice.
Finally I have seen a Yellowhammer. I have never seen one in Northern Ireland. I have been asking over the last couple of months where I might find them and have been out specifically looking for them. I was told below Scrabo Tower I might find them and nearer to home I was told of a few places. So on my way home from work (of course via the Belfast Hide, which is six minutes from work) I was thinking I must look at all birds on the telephone wires and within thirty seconds of thinking it and about five hundred yards from my friends David and Celia I saw a bird singing from the top of a telegraph pole. I pulled the car over opened the sunroof and bingo there was an adult male yellowhammer singing its heart out.
Three days ago on saturday I received a text from Joe Lamont to say he had found a Franklins Gull at the Whitehouse Lagoon. As it arrived in the evening and I was 30 miles away in Strangford I decided not to bother. As driving to Belfast twice in a day can be tiresome and not to mention the cost of petrol nowadays. Anyway I was on duty at the RSPB hide on Sunday afternoon and during which time I heard that it had been seen again by another birder Phil. So I headed off there after work. I hadnt been there before so took a wee while finding it but the row of birders with scopes alerted me to the fact I must be in the right place. I seem to have a habit of turning up within a few minutes of a rarity flying off and for them not too return.
As I cant upload images at present I will post and add images at a later date.
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