Waxwingbombycilla Garrulus 1956 1957 1958 1959 1961 1962 1963
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Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus (Breeds northern regions of Europe and North America). The Waxwing is an eruptional immigrant from Scandinavia which invades Britain and Ireland in those years when the berry harvest fails in Northern Europe. It used to come roughly in a ten-year cycle. It was not until the winter of 1849 that the Waxwing appeared in any numbers in Ireland. There was none reported from Northern Ireland during the British invasions of 1866 and 1872, but it was during the invasion of 1892, it was first reported from Co. Armagh In 1903, 1913, 1923, 1946 and 1954.Waxwings arrived in Northern Ireland in considerable numbers and in the irruption of 1963 in which a large number invaded the country, a flock of 75 birds were seen feeding on the berries of a Cotoneaster tree in a garden at Shandon Park, Belfast. So many berries were being dropped by the birds it was like “red rain”, Deane 1965c. Some further details may be read in Deane 1983. Other occurrences in Northern Ireland prior to 1954 are to be found in Kennedy, Ruttledge & Scroope 1954. Records of Waxwings in Northern Ireland 1952 - 1999: 1956 One: Ardmore, Lough Neagh, County Armagh, 8th November. Ruttledge 1958. 1957 One: Downpatrick marshes, Downpatrick, County Down, 5th November. Ruttledge 1958. One: Bangor, County Down, 11th December. Ruttledge 1958. Four: Portadown, County Armagh, 14th December. Ruttledge 1958. One: Omagh, County Tyrone, 23rd December. Ruttledge 1958. Six: Near Portadown, County Armagh during the winter. Ruttledge 1959. 1958 Two: De La Salle House, Downpatrick, County Down, January. Ruttledge 1958. Six: Ward Park, Bangor, County Down, February. Ruttledge 1958. Three: Bangor, County Down, March. Ruttledge 1958. Two: Greenisland, County Antrim, 9th January. Ruttledge 1958. Up to nine frequented the University area, Belfast, County Antrim, 30th January - 9th February Ruttledge 1958. 1959 In March birds [12] were reported from County Down. Ruttledge 1960. In April birds were reported from County Antrim [10 were at Greenisland on 4th April]. Ruttledge 1960. In November birds were reported from Belfast, Co. Antrim/Down. Ruttledge 1960. Twelve: Near Marino, Holywood, County Down, 22nd March [see above]. USPB Bull. No. 2 1961 One: Antrim town, County Antrim, 1st February. Ruttledge 1962. 1962 Two: Stranmillis, Belfast, County Antrim, 15th January - 2nd February. Ruttledge 1962. 1963 Three: Near Banbridge, County Down, 18th December. Ruttledge 1964. Waxwing © Derek Charles & Andrew Crory, 'Rare and Scarce Birds of Northern Ireland’. www.rareandscarcebirdsni.com 1964 A number of records mostly from County Down but also from Cos. Antrim, Londonderry, Armagh and Fermanagh (see Ruttledge 1965 for further details). 1965 12: Armagh City, County Armagh, 20th February. AFNS Report 1966. Ten: Navan, County Armagh, April. AFNS Report 1966. Four: Darby's Bridge, County Armagh during Easter. AFNS Report 1966. Between October and December at least 400 were around Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. Ruttledge 1965. Flocks were noted from County Tyrone and Ballydrain, Comber, County Down around November. Deane 1965b,c. 12: Lurgan, County Armagh, 2nd December. AFNS Report 1966. Waxwings were reported to be in their "hundreds" along the railway line between Portadown and Annaghmore, County Armagh, December. AFNS Report 1966. A flock of 400 was reported from the Mental Hospital, Antrim, County Antrim with a flock of 150 nearby at Dunadry, County Antrim [no date]. USPB Field Reports 1965. 1966 Reports from Cos. Down, Antrim, Londonderry. Ruttledge 1967. 50: Edenderry, County Down, 8th November. Ruttledge 1967. 15: Carrickfergus, County Antrim. Ruttledge 1967. Up to fourteen: Greenisland, County Antrim, 3rd - 27th December. Ruttledge 1967. Three were near Newtownabbey, County Antrim, 22nd April. Ruttledge 1968. Two: Jordanstown Park, Carrickfergus, County Antrim, 4th April. Ruttledge 1968. One or two were at Jordanstown, County Antrim, 13th - 19th April. Ruttledge 1968. 12: Belfast Castle, County Antrim, 6th April. Ruttledge 1968. 31: Belfast, County Antrim, 19th February (pers. obs.). 1967 A scattering of records mostly from the east coast of Ireland. Ruttledge 1968. 37: Glenarm, County Antrim, 11th December. Ruttledge 1968. 1968 52: County Tyrone, 25th January. Ruttledge 1970. 25: Rathmore, County Antrim. Ruttledge 1970. Eight: Laurelvale, County Armagh, February. AFNS Report 1967/68. Three were near Belfast [prob. Co. Down] on 6th May (Ruttledge 1970). Two were at Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim on 11th May (Ruttledge 1970). 1970 An invasion year with not all records documented; Counties supplying records included Antrim and Tyrone. Ruttledge 1971. Up to 22: Moylinn, County Armagh, 15th November to the end of the year. AFNS Report 1970. 15: Richill, County Armagh, 15th November. AFNS Report 1970. Nine: Armagh Museum, County Armagh, 25th – 26th November. AFNS Report 1966. Waxwing © Derek Charles & Andrew Crory, 'Rare and Scarce Birds of Northern Ireland’. www.rareandscarcebirdsni.com 1971 Fairly widespread in small numbers early in the year in Cos. Antrim, Down and Tyrone with some flocks of about 30 birds, one flock of 80 - 90 birds and a flock of 110 birds at Bellevue, Antrim Road, Belfast, County Antrim. Ruttledge 1972. Eight: Lurgan, County Armagh, 20th February. AFNS Report 1971. One: Portadown, County Armagh, 19th February. AFNS Report 1971. 1972 23: Ballycarry, County Antrim, 23rd January with 15 there on the 29th. Preston 1973. One: Greenisland, County Antrim, 29th January to early February. Preston 1973. One: Bachelor's Walk, Portadown, County Armagh, 20th March. AFNS Report 1972. 1973 One: Greenisland, County Antrim, 10th - 19th March. Preston 1974. 1974 Two: Greenisland, County Antrim, 11th February. Preston 1975. Up to 25: Ballycastle, County Antrim, November - 28th December. Preston 1975. Five: Portadown, County Armagh, 6th - 18th November. Preston 1975. Six: Gosford, County Armagh, Co. Armagh; four 21st November, with six subsequently which remained into 1975 (AFNS Report 1974). 1975 One: Greenisland, County Antrim, 25th January. Preston 1976. Ten: Masserene Golf Club, Antrim, County Antrim, 13th April. Preston 1976. 16: Ballycastle, County Antrim; one 26th October with 15 at the same location on 29th November and three or four to the end of the year. Preston 1976. 1976 Three: Holywood, County Down, 25th March to early April. Preston 1978. 1977 One: Fortwilliam Golf Club, Belfast, County Antrim, 28th January. Preston 1978. 1978 11: Armagh City, County Armagh, 30th November. Preston 1979. 1979 One: Portadown, County Armagh, 12th January. Preston 1980. 1980 One: Larne, County Antrim, 19th November. NIBRC 1982. One: Limavady, County Londonderry, 3rd February. NIBRC 1982. 1981 One: Seacliff Road, Bangor, County Down, 24th December. NIBRC 1982. Two: Ward Park, Bangor, County Down, 29th December remaining into 1982. NIBRC 1982. Waxwing © Derek Charles & Andrew Crory, 'Rare and Scarce Birds of Northern Ireland’. www.rareandscarcebirdsni.com 1982 One: Donaghmore, County Tyrone, 11th January. NIBRC 1987. Four: Coleraine, County Londonderry, 11th January. NIBRC 1987. One: Braniel Estate, Belfast, County Down, 30th January. NIBRC 1987. 1986 One: Omagh, County Tyrone, 8th February. NIBA 1992. One: Bangor, County Down, 23rd December - 2nd January 1987. NIBA 1992. 1987 One: Newtownabbey, County Antrim, 17th - 19th January. NIBA 1992. One: Whitehouse, County Antrim, 19th January. NIBA 1992. Two: Larne, County Antrim, 17th - 19th February. NIBA 1992. 1988 One: Larne, County Antrim, 19th January. NIBA 1992. One: Ballymagorry, Strabane, County Tyrone, 22nd November. NIBA 1992. Nine: Dundrum Road, Newcastle, County Down, 18th December, three remaining in the Newcastle area until the 28th December. NIBA 1992. One: Carrickfergus, County Antrim, December into 1989. NIBA 1992. 1989 Nine: Annalong, County Down, 3rd January. NIBA 1992. Six: Killyleagh, County Down, 14th - 21st January NIBA 1992. 20: Greenisland, County Antrim, 22nd and 29th January NIBA 1992. Three: Coleraine, County Londonderry, 29th January NIBA 1992. Up to four: Carrickfergus, County Antrim: one 8th February increasing to four by the 10th February NIBA 1992. 15: Antrim, County Antrim, 15th February NIBA 1992. One: Londonderry, County Londonderry, 21st February. NIBA 1992. 19: Bangor, County Down; three 3rd March increased to a peak of 16 3rd - 8th April with eight remaining to 18th April NIBA 1992. One: Strangford, County Down, 17th March NIBA 1992. 11: Carnmoney, County Antrim, 2nd April. NIBA 1992. Six: Drumgor, Craigavon, County Armagh, 20th February. AFNS Report 1989. One: Lurgan, County Armagh, 11th March to the end of the month NIBA 1994. 32: Larne, County Antrim; 30 5th February with singles 13th March and 22nd April NIBA 1992. 15: Ballycarry, County Antrim, 11th March NIBA 1993. 1990 15: Bangor, County Down, 22nd November increasing to 19 on 25th November with seven remaining to 3rd December. NIBA 1992. Three: Newcastle, County Down, 25th November. NIBA 1992. 39: Coleraine, County Londonderry, 2nd December. NIBA 1992. A number were at Kinnegoe, County Armagh, March. AFNS Report 1990. 15: Portadown Railway Station, County Armagh during the winter of 1990/91. AFNS Report 1990. Waxwing © Derek Charles & Andrew Crory, 'Rare and Scarce Birds of Northern Ireland’. www.rareandscarcebirdsni.com 1991 A major influx year with 350 (possibly 400) birds being recorded; most records were from Cos. Antrim and Down with smaller numbers from the other counties (With the exception of Fermanagh were none appear to have been