Hedges of the field beside the WI Hall cut to within an inch of their life--Ruth and Ernie Hunter

Buzzards seen in Rasharkin--Michelle and Lorna

Male sparrowhawk at Myroe, also three buzzards, redshank, greenshank, bar-tailed godwit, yellow hammer, tree sparrow, brent geese, song sparrow!--Thomas Campbell

Two cormorants at Ballyronan Marina ---Hazel Thomson

Approx 15 yellow hammers on farm at Ballygillen Road Coagh---Tom Scott

Four lapwing on outskirts of Castlecaulfield and a snipe on an electricty pole!--Glenda Hall

Grey squirrel at Newmills Primary School--Summer Hall

Sparrowhawks displaying early February at multiple places in Co Antrim--one at 300 feet abpove a local farm---------Kevin Rice

The  numbers species of birds seen in my garden in Magherafelt during this year's Big Garden Birdwatch--at the time I was still feeding sunflower hearts, meal worms and suet pellets after the recent cold snap. I only feed for a few weeks during cold snaps as otherwise I get problems with Trichomonosis despite scrupulous feeder hygiene.

Goldfinch 7

Coal tit 2

Blue tit 1

Chaffinch 9

Blackbird 2

House sparrow 4

Great tit 2

Starling 3

Robin 1

Dunnock 1

Woodpigeon 1

On Thursday 1st January 2026 Ernie and Ruth Hunter did a BSBI New Year Plant Hunt at Ballyronan Marina and Play Area and submitted the following records of wildplants seen to be in flower to BSBI:-

Ivy

Daisy

Pot Marigold--probable originally a garden escapee but is now propagating.

Shepherd's-purse

Hairy Bitter-cress

Ivy-leaved Toadflax on the back of the wall along the road.

Dove's-foot Cranesbill

Red Dead-nettle

Nipplewort

Oxeye Daisy

Pineapple Weed

Annual Meadow-grass

Creeping Buttercup

Groundsel

Smooth Sow-thistle

Common Chickweed

Dandelion

Gorse

Common Field Speedwell on the edge of the Marina in front of the Marina Centre

Rooks inspecting and repairing nests at Ballyronan Wood--Christmas Day--Ernie and Ruth Hunter

Redwing, Fieldfare and Reed Bunting in a field along Dreenan Road--Boxing Day --Claire Hassan

Little egret visiting Annaginny Lane for 3 days--10th-13th January. A dead otter seen on the A29 road and another dead otter on the Brackaville Road near Newmills----Alan Abraham.

Two Greenfinch near Orritor on 6th Jan ---Anon

Golden Eagle photographed flying over the Antrim Jills on 10th January---Kevin Rice

Dolphins (4-6) in River Foyle seen from the Peace Bridge on 11th January---Alan Aitken

Greenfinches, Siskens, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Sparrows, Blackbirds, Robin, Thrushes, Coaltits in garden at feeders in Moneymore---Anon

Male Juvenile Buzzard resident in Main Street Castlecaulfield often perches in our garden for the past 3 months. Male Great-spotted Woodpecker on garden feeder in November and December , also Long-tailed tits, redpolls, and goldfinches in January ---Glenda Hall.

Yellowhammers--Ballygillen Road---Tom Scott

See Bann Boat Trip report 22nd Nov 2025 from Alan and Charlene Abraham as a separate entry below.

Sparrowhawk along Drummond Road-----Roy and Kathryn Nelson

Dippers and Grey Heron seen on River Walk Lissan House as well as a flock of Long-tail Tits at Lissan. Also 20 Goldfinch and 2 Long-tail Tits on garden feeder at home--Sharon Loughrin

Rook, Robins and Woodpigeons in my garden in Cookstown--ANON

Starling murmuration observed at the Albert Bridge in Belfast-----ANON

Alan 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 

Read more: Bann Boat Trip Sat 22nd November 2025

Six wasp nests in the roof space in our house in Magherafelt--wasps still active in November as recently so mild--Ruth and Ernie Hunter

Red-breasted merganser, redshank,greenshank, oystercatcher, black-tailed godwit, bar-tailed godwit,  pergrine falcon, female sparrowhawk, snow bunting, ringed plover, and a rarity - a white-rumped sandpiper all at Myroe Limavady--Thomas Campbell.

The flock of "crows" seen roosting at dusk on Coolnafranky Estate seem much larger than previous--anonymous.

Male great-spotted woodpecker in  garden Main Street Castlecaulfield Tues 11th Nov--Glenda Hall

Woodpecker and log-tailed tits Castlecaulfield--Maureen Hall.

Dead molls fingers fungus in large numbers over a front lawn in Portstewart--Ruth Hunter

Treecreeper at  Killymuck--Kathryn Nelson

Flocks of up to 18-20 pheasants on the roadside near Glenarm. Red squirrel in Polepatrick Park Magherafelt. Earthstar fungi in our garden in Magherafelt, stump puffball and common funnel fungi at Springhill NT Estate --Archie and Hazel Thomson.

Common Funnel                  +                 Stump Puffball--photos by Archie Thomson

Otter, red deer stags fighting, herd of red deer, fox, bats (unseasonal mild weather recently), redpolls on evening primrose seeds, flocks of redwings, sparrowhawk, kesterl, buzzard collided with the kitchen window, flock of 15 long-tailed tits, 9 great tits seen in one area at one time, coal tits, blue tits, chaffinches, 13 greenfinches, bulfinches, goldfinches, house sparrows, tree sparrows, robins, jays, all types of corvids, blackbirds, whooper swans, pied wagtails, wrens, buzzards, all near Cookstown--McQuaid Family

Dippers, grey wagtails, blue tits, great tits, jays, either red squirrel or pine marten running along a beech branch at Wellbrook Beetling Mill--McQuaid family

Dead grey squirrel on Coalisland Road Dungannon, a dead grey squirrel on road near Newmills, dead pine marten on road near Cohannon Inn, a hare videoed running along Feagarron Road--Mc Quaid family

On holiday near Ballywalter--at Seal Bay saw pod of dolphins, 15 adult grey seals, and 2 pups , curlews, oystercatchers, various gulls, grey herons, coot, cormorants, mute swans, turnstones, brent geese, various duck. At Mount Stewart saw tree sparrows, buzzards, robins, kestrel. --McQuaid Family.

Annaginny Farm Park:-Sparrowhawk killed two woodpigeons. Pair of buzzards regularly flying overhead. Four kingfishers on the lakes---Alan Abraham

12th October 2025:- near Cohannon Inn pine marten dead on the road. 14th October grey squirrel at Drum Manor. 12th October badger and mouse seen at the Argory. 14th October flock of long-tail tits on willow near Rock. Nearby a jay, coal tits. Also four buzzards observed flying overhead at the same time. and near the river closeby chaffinch, blue tits, great tits, bullfinch, dippers, ducks, grey wagtail and a fox.---The McQuaid Family

Up to 10 long-tail tits on an apple tree Two buzzards feeding on worms while I was ploughing. Great Mullein growing between barn steps--Alan derby

Red squirrel --Drum Manor Forest Park (seen late Sept) Also 2 pairs of buzzards near Newmills--anon

Hedgehog seen twice in September eating cat food in a shed in Chapel Street, Cookstown

"Hawks" in Moneneany Forest, Fox on Lissan Road, Red squirrel in Castlewellan Forest. Loads of ladybirds on patio decking. Damselflies at Beaghmore Circle walkway. Rooks at Tullyhogue Fort. Badger in outskirts of Armagh.

3rd October 2025 at 17.35pm Sparrowhawk landed on the roof of the birdtable. A male chaffinch was on the birdtable at the time---anon

20th Sept --little egrets on Dundrum Bay. 27th Sept --red squirrel near Parnell's Bridge in Tullymore Forest

13th October--herd of red deer in the field beside Desertcreat WI Hall--Ruth and Ernie Hunter

This was our first lecture night of the season and there were lots of notable wildlife sightinings over the summer break. 

Red squirrel seen for the first time at Lissan House Estate and another red squirrel was sighted near the Rock by the McQuaide family again for the first time.

A Corncrake seen and videoed in a back garden to the north of Cookstown on 22nd August !!-Sharon Loughrin.

An Irish Hare raised a family of leverets in a field at Hollyhill. Moved on when the field was harvested--Danny Costelloe

A mallard duck and nine ducklings seen swimming downstream in the Ballinderry River at Cabin Wood. Worry about their survival after they get to the heavily polluted green Lough Neagh--Mike McGrath

At Myroe, Magilligan and the Barmouth I saw redshank, greenshank, golden plover, common sandpipers, sparrowhawks, peregrine falcons, black-tailed godwits, white egrets, common gulls, Artic terns, Sandwich terns, coomon terns, gannets, black guillemots, osprey and common seal --Thomas Campbell 

At Annaginny Fishery and Park Farm--a  family of otters--the two adults and three pups. Also a family of kingfishers-the two  adults and two chicks. Two families of hedgehogs. Variety of butterfly and bat species.--Alan and Charlene Abraham

Near Rock a red squirrel was seen for first time by us on 1st September, also we saw locally over the summer months:- spotted flycatchers, willow warblers, dippers, duck, grey wagtail, red deer, common buzzards, hares, fox, owl, honey bees, hover flies, sparrowhawk watching our kittens!, coal tit, kingfisher, badger, blue tit,  great tit, heron, stoat, jays, gold finch, long-tailed tits, bullfinch, thrush, holly blue, small tortoiseshell, peacock and "cabbage white" butterflies  In Sperrins we also saw kestrel, heron and cormorant--Kellie, LouLou and Bonnie McQuaid.

Near Newmills --jay, great-spotted woodpecker, hedgehog, foxes, badgers, heron, dippers, sparrows, finches, tits, coots, little grebes, moorhens --Terence and Violet gamble

At Rock near a flax field --jays seen--Barbara Kelso.

Ballindrum near Moneymore over July and August woodpecker at bird table, sparrowhawk, common buzzards, sparrows, siskens, greenfinches, blue tits, gold finches, blackbirds, robin, two hedgehogs an  adult and a hoglet, bats--Ruth Burch 

Do Bumblebees Direct Other Bees in Their Nest to Flowers?

By Michael Mullan

Do bumblebees, like honeybees, guide their nestmates to flowers brimming with nectar and pollen? Honeybees are well known for their waggle dance, an extraordinary behavior that tells other bees the exact direction and distance to rich food sources. But when it comes to bumblebees, things work quite differently. This brief article summarizes some recent research on one of most people favourite insect.

No Waggle Dance—But Other Clues

Bumblebees don’t perform dances or detailed signals about where to find flowers. Instead, their communication is more subtle, encouraging nestmates to forage without telling them exactly where to go.

Watching the Honey Pots

Inside a bumblebee nest, food is stored in small wax containers called honey pots. When nectar is added—especially fresh, high-quality nectar—the hive becomes busier, and more bees take off to forage. This acts as a kind of “colony thermostat”: when resources inside rise, it nudges more bees to look for food, even though no one points them in a specific direction.

Excited Runs and Buzzing Wings

A bumblebee returning from a rewarding trip often performs an “excited run”, dashing around the nest and buzzing her wings more than usual. This lively behavior seems to energize others, triggering them to leave the nest and search for flowers on their own.

The Power of Scents

Bumblebees also rely on pheromones, chemical signals released from glands on their abdomen. When a successful forager comes back, these scents spread through the nest and stir up foraging activity. They may even help other bees recognize floral odors carried back in nectar.

Learning by Watching

Bumblebees are good imitators. If one bee is seen visiting a certain kind of flower, another bee is more likely to choose the same type later. This is called social learning—a kind of “monkey see, monkey do”—but it doesn’t involve direct instructions.

Flowers have electric fields

Even the flowers themselves send signals. Plants and flowers have a negative electric charge, while bees acquire a positive charge as they fly. Bees can detect the electric fields around flowers and can even sense if a flower has been recently visited by another bee, as a landing bee reduces the flower's charge. This helps them decide if a flower is likely to have nectar or not That helps them decide whether a flower is worth the effort, even without a message from another bee.

Sharing?

Unlike honeybees, bumblebees  don’t seem to share. When two bees meet on a flower, they usually compete—often one bee pushes the other away. Only a small fraction of encounters end with both bees feeding together. This suggests that bumblebees prefer to keep their own routes rather than pool information with the group.

The Bottom Line

So, do bumblebees direct other bees to flowers? The answer is no—at least not in the precise way honeybees do. Bumblebees rely on indirect hints: a buzz of excitement, a whiff of pheromones, or the rising level of nectar inside the nest. These cues get others moving, but each bee must find her own flowers.

In the end, bumblebees are more like independent adventurers than team navigators—guided by subtle signals and personal experience, rather than detailed directions from their nestmates.

Some good news. On 22nd August 2025 a corncrake was seen and videoed in a back garden just outside Cookstown. This is a garden with an area left for nature and with fields nearby that are not intensively farmed. So who knows what might happen in future!

Glenn and Sharon Junk have had two encounters with bats recently.

One on the left on the wall outside Allen's Pharmacy 

One on the right on a worktop!

If removing bats from inside the house it is recommended to use thick gloves or a thick towel to prevent being bitten.

If bitten seek medical help.

1st April --Swallows nesting in Edmund Slaine's garage in Cookstown also saw Great spotted woodpecker.

Sunday 6th April Wildlife Wander Group saw swallows flying over Cabin Wood

Lots of swallows over Ballygillen---Tom Scott

27th March 2025--Swallows, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk + 8th April Orange Tip Butterfly all at Newmills, Dungannon --Charles and Violet Gamble

Lots of tadpoles in wildlife pond in a garden at Annaginny

Sunday 6th April--swallows, badger,fox, long-tailed tit, grey wagtail, dippers, shield bug, Orange-tip butterflie, Mink, Stoat, Small tortoiseshell butterfly, Treecreeper,Chiffchaff, Red deer. ---Kellie McQuaid.

Great spotted woodpecker, Siskens and Greenfinches---Ruth Pickering

Two Yellowhammers----Alan Derby

Late March Sparrowhawk in garden. 5th-7th April 2025--Swallows, Hollyblue butterfly in garden, Siskins and Redpolls on bird feeder in Draperstown area-------------Claire Hassan

Kellie McQuaid reports seen at various Mid Ulster locations:-Barn Owl, 3 Woodcock, Redpoll, Greenfinches, Long-tailed tit, Bullfinches, Buzzard, Badgers, Red Deer, Mink, Stoat prints, Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Robins, Blue tits, Chaffinch, Treecreeper, Cormorant, Bats--seen in March!

Anonymous report of Sparrowhawk at Newmills.

Alison Kirk reports White Wagtail at Tobermore.

Anonymous report of frog spawn in garden pond seen 4th March Also 3 tulips in bloom

Sharon Loughrin reports Goldfinches, Chaffinch, Blue tit, Great tit, Coal tit, Long-tail tit, Dunnock, Sparrow in her garden and on bird feeders at Lower Claggan. Also on 10th March two  Lesser Redpolls seen. Sharon's Merlin App picked up Yellowhammer on 11th March. 

The following wildlife sightings were recorded by members at our meeting on Tuesday 11th Feb 2025

1. Emyvale "wildlife area",Co Monaghan-- Pine Marten, Jay, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Blue tits, Woodpecker, Female Sparrowhawk ---Thomas Campbell.
2. Annaginny Fishery and Coalisland Canal--little Egrets. Also GS Woodpecker on bird feeder at house along the A 29 road.--- Charlene Abraham
3. Near Lissan --male and female Great-spotted Woodpeckers.---Anon
4. Tobermore garden--6 Bullfinch and flock of Long-tailed Tits--Alison Kirk
5. To south of Cookstown--21 Red deer--Brian Griffin
6. Field adjacent to Springhill Road, Moneymore--Hare--Barbara Kelso
7. Rural garden near  Moneymore--Goldfinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Blackbirds, Robin, Sparrow, Mistle Thrushes, Siskens, Chaffinches, Magpies and a Sparrowhawk--Ruth Burch
8. Draperstown garden--Sisken, Redpolls and Goldfinches on bird feeders--Claire Hassan
9. Rural garden near Ballyronan--5 long-tailed Tits on bird feeder. Also first Lesser Celendine in flower today 11th Feb--Alan Derby
10. Loup--5 jays and 10 Yellowhammers---Tom Scott

I did the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch in my back garden on Sunday 26th January 2025 (two days after Storm Eowyn) 

The Treecreeper, Redpolls and Greenfinches were the highlight of my morning. Full list seen in 1 hour:-

Chaffinch 11

Robin        1

Blackbird   4

Goldfinch  4

House Sparrow 4

Treecreeper  1

Great Tit    1

Starling     3

Woodpigeon  2

Magpie  2

Long-tail Tit  1

Blue Tit     1

Redpoll  2

Greenfinch 2

I only feed birds for very short periods during very cold frosty weather and was tailing off feeding after the recent cold snap. If I feed for longer than a couple of weeks I encounter problems with Trichomonosis despite scrupulous feeder hygiene. This is a a horrible disease that kills chaffinches and devastated the greenfinch population of Britain and Ireland in 2006.

Ernie Hunter Chairperson CWT

For BSBI New Year Plant Hunt--An annual survey to record wild plants in flower at the turn of the year.

It is suspected with climate warming that more plants are now flowering in mid winter.

At Ballyronan Marina and Play Area we recorded in flower:- Daisy, Groundsel, Chickweed, Annual Meadow Grass, Pineappleweed, Shepherd's-purse, Smooth Cat's-ear, Dandelion, Charlock, Mayweed, Oxeye daisy, Cow Parsley and Hairy Bittercress.

Records submitted to BSBI

Ruth and Ernie Hunter

Myroe:-Whooper Swans, Redshank, Greenshank, Little Egret, Red-breasted Merganser, Brent Geese, White-tailed sea Eagle and Lapwing--Thomas Campbell.

Glenarm Forest:- Red Squirrel seen on 3rd Dec --Archie and Hazel Thomson.

Ballygillen:-  7 Yellowhammer, 12 Blackbirds and 60 Fieldfares--Sean O'Kane.

Annaginny Fishery:- 3 Kingfishers, Jay, 4 Ravens, Grey Heron and an Otter--Alan Abraham.

"Lissan area" :- Great-spotted Woodpecker--first sighting since the summer. Also female Bullfinch.

Fluted Birds Nest Fungus--present in Ballyronan Wood. Thanks to Debbie Nelson NIFG who initially found this. Photos by Ernest Hunter

Candlesnuff Fungus at Ballyronan Wood:-photo Ernest Hunter

Robins are very territorial birds so it was unusual to see three of them together and tolerating each other!

The video below was taken by Sharon Loughrin and shows a Pine Marten scampering on a roof at Lissan House.

Mistle Thrush nest building. Ballyronan. Photograph taken by Dr Slawomir Strazynski. 

Mistle Thrush. Ballyronan. Photograph submitted by Dr Slawomir Strazynski. 

Purple Sandpiper. Ramore Head, Portrush. Photograph submitted by Dr Slawomir Strazynski. 

Pheasant visiting a back garden in Magherafelt. Picture taken by Dr Slawomir Strazynski.