Island Images

03/06/2026

The common guillemot or common murre (Uria aalge) is a seabird and a member of the Auk family. They have a large distribution range across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They even breed along the Gobbins and Isle of Muck cliffs.

The "bridled" variety is a genetic mutation of the guillemot. It is not a separate species or subspecies, but a variation (morph) distinguished by a thin white ring around the eye that extends back as a white line.

The mutation is exceedingly rare in the southern parts of the species' range. In southern England and Wales, bridled birds make up less than 1% to 2% of the population.

The percentage increases steadily as you move north. By the time you reach northern UK colonies in Shetland and Orkney, the frequency jumps to 10% to 26%.

Here are comparison images taken recently, showing the variation, courtesy of JBirds - Birding by Boat!

©️Island Images

03/06/2026

The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) remains one of Northern Ireland's most common garden birds, it has historically faced significant declines of about 34% since the mid-1990s.

Fledgling being fed.

28/05/2026

A few images from the Antrim Hills this week (May 2026).

Not the best quality, but records nevertheless 👍

©️Island Images

21/05/2026

The latest Winter Gull Survey revealed that over the two decades since the last count, the total number of gulls wintering in the UK has decreased from 3.9 million to just under 2.5 million! 📉

Over the last 20 years ⬇️
📌 Black-headed Gull has declined by almost half.
📌 Common Gull numbers fell by 26%.
📌 Lesser Black-backed Gull is down by 47%.
📌 Great Black-backed Gull has declined by 66%!
📌 There is some good news, as Herring Gull remained largely stable over the last 20 years, but there were some regional differences, with the species declining in Scotland.

Why is this happening? 🤔
A combination of Bird Flu, changes in land use and agricultural practices, climate change, and updates in waste management and fisheries discards practices are affecting populations.

By understanding the problems gulls are facing, we can hope to reverse some of the negative trends. Thank you to all volunteers who counted nationally important roost sites over the winters of 2023/24 and 2024/25.

📖 Read the report https://www.bto.org/WinGSReport

Natural England | Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales | NatureScot | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

04/05/2026

One of my favourite pictures. Taken in St James’s Park, London. This is not a wild bird, but an introduced species.

First introduced to the park in 1664 as a gift from the Russian Ambassador, over 40 pelicans have since called the park home.

Eastern white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) aka great white pelican. Not to be confused with the western or American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) of the Americas.

fans

©️Island Images

25/04/2026

Are you ready for the Dawn Chorus?

Bird song identifier:

15 common bird sounds for beginners

Get to grips with the songs of some of the most common birds you’re likely to hear in your garden or local area.

Ever hear a bird song but aren’t sure which bird it was? Explore the RSPB’s Bird Song Identifier & boost your bird song recognition skills for 15 common species

19/04/2026

A few finch type birds in the garden this afternoon!

How lucky are we?

14/04/2026