Northern Ireland

Birdwatchers descend on Ballymena to catch sight of rare American visitor

A Common Nighthawk from America has found a temporary new home outside Ballymena in Co Antrim. Picture by Mark Marlow
A Common Nighthawk from America has found a temporary new home outside Ballymena in Co Antrim. Picture by Mark Marlow A Common Nighthawk from America has found a temporary new home outside Ballymena in Co Antrim. Picture by Mark Marlow

MORE than a thousand birdwatchers have descended on Co Antrim to catch sight of a rare American visitor.

A lone Common Nighthawk is roosting in Galgorm, outside Ballymena.

Experts believe the Nighthawk - only the third ever seen in Ireland - was blown across the Atlantic by a storm several weeks ago.

The male bird, which typically sleeps for most of the day before feeding at dusk, was first spotted along the River Maine.

In flight, the nocturnal bird, a member of the nightjar family, shows distinctive white flashes on its wings.

Ian Graham from the Northern Ireland Birdwatchers' Association said it was first spotted by a man fishing on the river.

"We thought it could be a Nightjar, which is a rare enough bird itself, but it's actually a Common Nighthawk from America," he said.

Mr Graham said the bird was migrating from North America to South America when it was blown off-course.

It appears to be healthy, despite its long journey.

"At the moment it's feeding on flies and moths," he said.

"When the food dries up it'll move on. These birds are programmed to migrate south so it'll continue to do that. Who knows where it will end up?"

Mr Graham said the association had been contacted by dozens of birdwatchers, including some in England.

"It's good for the birdwatchers to see it but it's a bit of a sad story for the bird," he said.

"It'll never get back to America. It'll never mate."

In recent days, several American birds have landed in Ireland following last week's Storm Lorenzo.

Other confirmed sightings have included a Baltimore Oriole, a Black and White Warbler, and a handful of Red-Eyed Vireos.

A Least Bittern, a small American bird which is a member of the heron family, was found in a Co Kerry garden but died shortly afterwards.