Busy Day...

It is now late afternoon on Christmas Day, and having just completed this post, I must wish all my readers 'A Merry Christmas'.

 

I had hoped to publish this post yesterday, but I've been running slightly behind schedual.  I lost two days this week, having promised my next door neighbour, that I would power hose the flag stones along the front of her house, and also the steps leading up to her front door.  These were two days, where I should have been working on my post.  I must admit, I had a fair old job on my hand, as those flag stones were covered with a thick layer of moss and lichens.  When finished, I was told that I was amazing, and the flag stones looked like brand new.

 

Earlier today, I headed off to the Connswater Shopping Centre in Belfast, to see if I could record my Christmas Day Gull.  With all of the shops closed, it's my best time to lure the gulls into the car park, where I try to record one particular Norwegian Black-headed Gull which is colour-ringed.  The result - I got it.  I had an interesting day in Belfast, as I also re-sighted a few others from the past, and even managed to read a few metals rings as well, some of which, are first re-sightings.  All will be revealed in my next post.

 

Now, I shall begin the process of selecting today's photos for labelling and editing, and there are plenty of metal rings that need cropped and stitched back together.  There's spreadsheet entries to complete, durations to work out, and BTO submissions to make.

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Black-headed Gulls at Antrim Marina - Monday 21st December 2020

Having managed to get out on both Saturday and Sunday, my weekly visit to Antrim Marina, was made on Monday 21st December.  Arriving just after 9am, a good number of Black-headed Gulls were already present, with most birds perched on the long wooden jetty.  The conditions were very dull with light rain, with a not too breezy wind blowing in from Lough Neagh.  To my relief, no further work was undertaken on the long wooden jetty, so the gulls were largely undisturbed.  By 11am, somewhere between 150 and 200 Black-headed Gulls were dotted around the area, which didn't help with my efforts to read the rings.  As well as the jetty, some gulls foraged for worms where the former cafe once stood.  A digger, is being used there, as the site is being turned into another car parking area, which I don't think is really neccessary.  Other gulls were standing at the car park towards the caravan site, so were too far away to watch as well.

On my previous visit, I caught and ringed a further four Black-headed Gulls, which meant I was on the lookout today, for 38 colour-ringed birds, having either being ringed or re-sighted this winter.  Of those 38 birds, I recorded 25 during my latest visit, though I'm pretty sure that I missed a few, which no doubt, were just a short distance away.

Other than that, the visit was fairly good, and the dredging operations have now moved out as far as the entrance to the Lough.  The gulls, are taking all of this in their stride quite well now, which was of great use to me.  No more returnees were recorded today, and a further four gulls were caught and ringed.  The first two were adults, now rung -   2FFP  and   2FFT , whilst the second two were juvenile/1st winter birds, rung   2FFV  and   2FFX .  Interestingly, I have yet to catch any second year birds.  Although some do come in quite close to me, they appear too wary at the moment.  I think full adults, are so used to people, they have no fear in close approach, whilst juveniles are so hungry, they take a chance.  The total for my next visit has now increased to 42 birds.

 

The three photos below, are the first to be taken of two birds ringed here last week, whilst   2FFP  was caught and ringed today.

 

Black-headed Gull  -    2FFJ   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (21 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Adult, on the 14th December 2020, at Antrim Marina)

 

Black-headed Gull  -    2FFL   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (21 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 14th December 2020, at Antrim Marina)

 

Black-headed Gull  -    2FFP   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (21 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Adult, Today (21st December 2020), at Antrim Marina)

 

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls at Antrim Marina - Monday 21st December 2020

2AAN	2CJT	2CSB	2FDV	2ABK	2AAR	2CSA	2CSR	2FFL
2FDT	2CSL	2ABN	2FFA	2BRA	2FDK	2CSK	2CTC	2FDJ
2ABL	2FFJ	2AAK	2FFH	2CSJ	2FFC	2AAB

Black-headed Gulls Recorded or Ringed this Autumn/Winter, but Absent on the 21st December 2020

2AAA	2ABA	2AAV	2ABS	2ACV	2BRD	2CSX
2CTA	2FDP	2FDX	2FFF	2FFK	2FFN

Black-headed Gulls Caught and Ringed During this Autumn/Winter

2FDP	2FDT	2FDV	2FFA	2FDX	2FFC	2FFF	2FFH
2FFJ	2FFK	2FFL	2FFN	2FFP	2FFT	2FFV	2FFX

 

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

The Mute Swans were a great source of interest today.  On my arrival, just six cygnets and one adult were present, the adult being a female.  Among these six cygnets, one was colour-ringed -  NJZ , whilst a second juvenile had the metal ring -   Z78580 .  At 9:40, a second pair of adults arrived in from the Lough, and five minutes later a third pair arrived from up-river along with one cygnet.  This took the total to 5 adults, and seven cygnets.  At 10:37, a further pair along with two cynets, also arrived from upriver, and one of those two cygnets was ringed -   NJY .  At this point, I conducted another head count, to find I had 9 cygnets, which was fine, but now I had 10 adults, so three had slipped in un-noticed.  Worse still, when I made another head count at midday, I missed a further two adults arriving, as I now had 12 adults and 9 cygnets.  The digger which is used to unload the silt from the barge, is obstructing my view upriver, therefore the swans are slipping in un-noticed.  None of the adults were ringed, but with an overall total of 21 swans, this is by far the highest total so far this winter.  All three ringed juveniles, mentioned above, were ringed by Debbie Nelson and Aidan Crean, on the 15th November 2020.

 

Common Gull numbers were down this week, with a maximum total of 5 adults and 1 juvenile.  The Scottish-rung female did not show up today.  The adult Herring Gull appeared very late this morning, arriving just after 11am.

 

Just 13 Mallards were counted on my arrival, and by 10am, I made a head count totalling 22 birds.  By 11am, the total had risen to just over 40 birds, which thereafter was fairly constant.

 

Other species noted, were 12 Jackdaws, 1 Hooded Crow, 1 Magpie, and a pair of Pied Wagtails.

 

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Saturday 19th December 2020

Saturday was a poor day weather wise, as it was very dull, and there were frequent showers of rain, some of which were prolonged.  The tides were also not in my favour, as I prefer to look for rings on a receding tide, rather than an incoming tide, as it was today.  Wondering where to go, to keep both myself and my optical equipment dry, I eventually decided to head for the Myroe Levels, at Lough Foyle in County Londonderry.  Here, I could remain in my car, and scope the Whooper Swans, Brent Geese and waders, perhaps re-sighting a few birds from past years.

Arriving at Myroe Levels, I drove slowly around the track beside the sea wall, scoping the birds as I went along.  Whooper Swans were the first birds of note, with around 100 feeding on the potatoes which had been left behind after harvesting.  Scoping through them, I spotted two with Yellow Darvics.  I easily captured the code -   L7K , on a bird fairly near to me, but failed on the more distant second bird.  I tried for that second bird later in the afternoon, but this time, there were no Darvic's to be seen at all.

As with all Whooper Swans, 'Ring Readers', no doubt hope their colour-ring sightings originate in Iceland, but good numbers are caught and ringed at British reserves in the winter, the majority by members of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.  I emailed Kane Brides to report my sighting, and in his reply, I was in for quite a surprise.    L7K , had actually been caught and ringed here in Northern Ireland, as a juvenile, on the 17th December 2019 at Toomebridge, which is also in County Londonderry.  Toomebridge is situated at the northern end of Lough Neagh, and the fields are a regular wintering haunt for Whooper Swans.

I then checked out the BTO's Online Ringing Database, to discover a few Whooper Swans are ringed in Northern Ireland each year, something I'd never looked at before.  After ringing,   L7K  was re-sighted on five occasions from the 18th January 2020, until the 8th March 2020, still at Toomebridge, after which time it had not been seen until now.  The distance between Toomebridge and the Myroe levels, is just 50 miles / 31 kms (NW), but surely the bird spent the past summer in Iceland!!  The duration since being ringed, is now 1 year and 2 days, but hopefully, I'll come across this one again in the future. 

 

Whooper Swan  -    L7K   -  Myroe Levels, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (19 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 17th December 2019, at Toomebridge, Co. Londonderry)

 

Moving on further round the track, I came upon a largish flock of Brent Geese, possible numbering around 300 birds altogether.  At present, I'm not really interested in Brents, but more about that can be read below.  In the same field, which is at least the length of three football pitches, were Oystercatchers, Curlews, and away at the far end, good numbers of both Lapwings and Golden Plovers.  Scoping through the birds closest to me, no rings were spotted on the Curlews, but I did get two colour-ringed Oystercatchers.

After returning home, and checking my spreadsheet, both Oystercatchers were new sightings for me, and I knew both were from Iceland.  The first bird, ringed Red over Yellow on the left leg, with a yellow ring on the right leg, was from the beginning of the Icelandic colour-ringing study, at which time a coloured-flag was also placed onto the birds right leg.  The use of coloured-flags was dis-continued, as many of the birds managed to lose or pull off the flags, as in the case of this bird that I recorded today.  Instead, a solid coded colour-ring is used nowadays, as with my second Oystercatcher sighting below.

I emailed Böddi in Iceland, to report both sightings.  I was not really expecting a result with this first bird, seeing as it had lost it's colour-flag.  On the 22nd August 2020, I spotted an Oystercatcher at Kinnegar Beach, on Belfast Lough, which had also lost a colour-flag.  Ringed - Orange over Black, on the left leg, with an Orange ring on the right leg, Boddi explained, that there were a few possibilities for that bird, so it was not possible to say when and where it had been ringed.

 

This time I was lucky, as Böddi, was able to confirm both of my sightings.  My bird was missing a Green-flag, and was caught and ringed as a breeding male, on the 9th June 2015, at Merkjá in the south of the island.  I'm still waiting for an offical distance from the BTO, but I estimate it to be 1,189 kms / 744 miles (SE), and the duration since ringing, is 5 years, 6 months and 10 days.  My sighting of RY-GfY, was the first outside of Iceland, and the birds history can be read (here).

 

Oystercatcher  -  RY-(Gf)Y  -  Myroe Levels, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (19 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as an Adult Breeding Male, on the 9th June 2015, at Merkjá, Fljótshlíð, Ranga., Southern Iceland)

 

My second Ostercatcher, was more straightforward.  Another first sighting outside of Iceland - Orange over White - White (TA), was ringed as a breeding adult on the 1st June 2018, at Kirkjubólsvöllur (golfcourse), in SW Iceland.  Again, I'm waiting for an offical distance from the BTO, but I estimate it as 1,324 kms / 822 miles (SE), and the duration since ringing, 2 years, 6 months and 18 days.  The bird has had few re-sightings, though the full history can be read (here).

My thanks goes to Böddi once again, who supplied the PDF Files for both of my Oystercatchers.

 

Oystercatcher  -  OW-W(TA)  -  Myroe Levels, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (19 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Breeding Adult, on the 1st June 2018, at Kirkjubólsvöllur (golfcourse), SW Iceland)

 

Despite a large number of Brent Geese being present, I'm reluctant to record these nowadays, as I've been getting nothing back for more recent sightings.  Graham McElwaine, was the ringing co-ordinator for the Irish Brent Goose Research Group, but gave up that role, as a new 'Online' reporting system was supposed to go 'Live' in 2019.  Despite apologies, and links on how to report sightings, it's dis-heartening not to receive any sort of data in return.

Anyway, today I recorded 10 colour-ringed Brents, though there were far more ringed birds present.  On returning home, and checking the codes on my spreadsheet, I had seven new sightings, and three re-sightings of birds that I recorded here last January.  As for the three re-sightings, I have not received anything for these birds.  Among the seven new birds, was one bearing a metal ring, which I know would likely have been ringed in Iceland.  Brents, that are caught and ringed, on the island of Ireland, are not metal-rung.

I contacted Graham, who was able to provide details for two birds, including the Icelandic-rung - Blue (J), Yellow (Z).  B(J)Y(Z), was ringed as an un-sexed adult, on the 19th May 2015, at Jörfavegur in south-west Iceland, which is a distance of 1,302 kms / 809 miles (SE), to the Myroe Levels.  Of interest among the re-sighting history for this bird, is that most sightings had been reported on the west coast of Ireland, specifically in the counties of Galway and Sligo, as well as back home in Iceland.  The details only go back to May 2018, but at the minute, this appears to be the first time that B(J)Y(Z), has been recorded in Northern Ireland.  Hopefully, some day I'll receive some more information from those that now deal with Brent Goose sightings.  The duration since being ringed, is 5 years and 7 months exactly.  My thanks goes to Graham for providing me with some data.

I spent the whole afternoon on the levels, hoping that some of the more distant birds, especially the Lapwings and Golden Plovers, would come nearer to me.  Having been spooked on numerous occasions, these birds kept returning to the far end of the field.  Nonetheless, I was happy enough with my new ring sightings.

 

Brent Goose  -  B(J)-Y(Z)  -  Myroe Levels, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (19 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Adult, on the 19th May 2015, at Jörfavegur, SW Iceland)

 

Despite a large number of Brent Geese being present, I'm reluctant to record these nowadays, as I've been getting nothing back for more recent sightings.  Graham McElwaine, was the ringing co-ordinator for the Irish Brent Goose Research Group, but gave up that role, as a new 'Online' reporting system was supposed to go 'Live' in 2019.  Despite apologies, and links on how to report sightings, it's dis-heartening not to receive any sort of data in return.

Anyway, today I recorded 10 colour-ringed Brents, though there were far more ringed birds present.  On returning home, and checking the codes on my spreadsheet, I had seven new sightings, and three re-sightings of birds that I recorded here last January, and I have not received anything for these birds.  Among the seven new birds, was one bearing a metal ring, which I know would likely have been ringed in Iceland.  Brents, that are caught and ringed, on the island of Ireland, are not metal-rung.

I contacted Graham, who was able to provide details for two birds, including the Icelandic-rung - Blue (J), Yellow (Z).  B(J)Y(Z), was ringed as an un-sexed adult, on the 19th May 2015, at Jörfavegur in south-west Iceland, which is a distance of 1,302 kms / 809 miles (SE), to the Myroe Levels.  Of interest among the re-sighting history for this bird, is that most sightings had been reported on the west coast of Ireland, specifically in the counties of Galway and Sligo, as well as back home in Iceland.  The details only go back to May 2018, but at the minute, this appears to be the first time that B(J)Y(Z), has been recorded in Northern Ireland.  Hopefully, some day I'll receive some more information from those that now deal with Brent Goose sightings.  The duration since being ringed, is 5 years and 7 months exactly.  My thanks goes to Graham for providing me with some data.

I spent the whole afternoon on the levels, hoping that some of the more distant birds, especially the Lapwings and Golden Plovers, would come nearer to me.  Having been spooked on numerous occasions, these birds kept returning to the far end of the field.  Nonetheless, I was happy enough with my new ring sightings.

 

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Sunday 20th December 2020

Today, I waited at home, until the tide was on the turn before heading off towards Belfast.  With high tide forcasted for around 3pm, I arrived on the shore of Kinnegar Beach, just after 11am.  Hardly a single bird was to be seen, due to people walking around on the beach.  Oh, I do so wish that this stretch of shoreline could be turned into a nature reserve.

My attention then turned onto the pond, over the private road that leads to an army base.  Here there were any amount of birds, and despite scoping for ages, not even a 'metal' was spotted.  With the high number of Black-headed Gulls on view, surely there had to be a foreign rung bird here I thought.  What was even worse, was the matter of serval hundreds of Black-headed Gulls on the grounds of the adjacent sewage works, and I couldn't get near to any of them.  After scoping numerous Oystercatchers and Bar-tailed Godwits as well, I left with huge disappointment.

I drove down the road to the nearby Connswater Mudflats.  A scene for several ring sightings in recent weeks, not a single ring was read here either.  The only one I did spot, was the tip of an Orange Darvic on a Black-headed Gull, just poking out of the water.  I remained here as the tide steadily crept in.  The gulls began to land on a stoney area, which is home for the lights at the beginning of the runway, for Belfast City Airport, now more commonly known, as the George Best Belfast City Airport.  I was especially hoping to spot a Black-headed Gull with a Black Darvic, seen on my last visit here.  I very much suspect, that this was a German-rung bird, recorded here last winter.  Eventually, I left, having seen no rings at all.

Whitehouse Lagoon, was my next stop.  On my arrival, the tide was steadily pouring in through the concrete pipes, which runs underneath the motorway from Belfast Lough.  Here, the Lagoon was half filled, with plenty of gulls and waders.  Among the waders, were good numbers of both Knots and Bar-tailed Godwits.  I have been keeping a watch for a Dutch-rung Bar-tailed Godwit, which over previous winters, has been spotted at Kinnegar, on the shore of Belfast Lough, and here in the Lagoon.  It struck me, that an Icelandic-rung Oystercatcher, has not been seen during my more recent visits, though I have recorded it's return this winter.

Constantly scoping through the birds, I eventually spotted a juvenile Black-headed Gull with a White Darvic.  My first thoughts, was that this was a Norwegian bird, but zooming in with my camera, the code (White) 2BVL, told me it was British-rung, as the code on both our Common and Black-headed Gulls, begin with the number '2'.  Not only that, I reckoned this was a Scottish bird, and after checking similar codes on my spreadsheet, this youngster would have come from the Broad Law colony, in the Borders Region of Scotland.

I emailed Tom Dougall, who replied to say, that (White) 2BVL, was ringed as a chick, on the 8th June 2020, at Broad Law.  My sighting was the first since being ringed, with the distance estimated at 219 kms / 136 miles (SW).  The duration from ringing, is now 6 months and 12 days.  My thanks goes to Tom for supplying me with the ringing info.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  2BVL  -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (20 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 8th June 2020, at Broad Law, Moorfoot Hills, Borders Region, Scotland)

 

With one ring 'bagged', I continued to scope and in the distance, spotted an Orange Darvic on a Black-headed Gull.  Zooming in with my camera, I just about captured the code -   2APT .  I knew I'd seen this bird before, and on checking my spreadsheet, I last saw this one on the 10th June 2018, at the WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre in County Down.

 

  2APT  belongs to Adam McClure's former NI project, and was ringed as a chick at Castle Espie, on the 15th June 2015.  The first re-sighting of   2APT , was made by me, on the 20th August 2016, having spotted the gull on Whiteabbey Beach, just to the north from Whitehouse Lagoon.  The next three sightings were also made by me, this time, here at the Lagoon, on the 27th August 2016, 4th September 2016, and on the 19th October 2016.  Whitehouse Lagoon, was also the scene for the next sighting of   2APT , on the 13th March 2018, when spotted by David Nixon, accompianied by Philip McHaffie.

 

On the 13th May 2018, I then recorded   2APT , as breeding at the Castle Espie Wetand Centre, where I also spotted it again in the following month.  Despite several visits to Castle Espie during the breeding season in 2019, there was no sign of   2APT , and I could not visit the site this past summer, due to the Covid lockdown.  I was well pleased with this re-sighting, which comes 5 years, 6 months and 5 days since being ringed.  The distance from Castle Espie to Whitehouse Lagoon, is 19 kms / 12 miles (NW).

 

Black-headed Gull  -    2APT   -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (20 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th June 2015, at the WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre, Co. Down)

 

I remained at Whitehouse Lagoon, until it was nearly full, and with no more rings spotted, my next stop was at Carrickfergus.  By now, it was high tide on the coast, and a quick look for a Norwegian-rung Black-headed Gull at Rhanbouy Park was a waste of time, as there was hardly a gull in sight.  Moving on to Carrickfergus Harbour, I recorded two more of Adam's Black-headed Gulls -   2ADB  &   2ADD .

 

These two, are the only surviving birds from a handful that was ringed at the harbour during the early days of Adam's former NI BHG Study.    2ADD  is known to breed on Lough Neagh, where it can often be seen at Antrim Marina during the summer months.  Prior to the breeding season, and just after the season has ended,   2ADD , would frequent Antrim's KFC outlet for a couple of weeks.  I have suspected that   2ADB , actually breeds in Carrickfergus, at a derelict site just behind the town's Lidl shopping centre.  The Covid lockdown, prevented me from going to the site during the past breeding season.

 

  2ADB  &   2ADD , were both ringed at Carrickfergus Harbour in November 2013.  Ringed four days apart, their durations are 7 years and 25 days, and 7 years and 21 days respectively. 

 

Black-headed Gull  -    2ADB   -  Carrickfergus Harbour, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim  (20 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 25th November 2013, at Carrickfergus Harbour)

 

Black-headed Gull  -    2ADD   -  Carrickfergus Harbour, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim  (20 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 29th November 2013, at Carrickfergus Harbour)

 

My final stop for the day, was at the Carrickfergus Leisure Centre, where I was trying once again, to record another one of Adam's Black-headed Gulls -   2CPS .  During my previous visit, I recorded my second sighting of this winter of the Norwegian-rung BHG -   JZ01 .  As I had no bread with me, it was nigh impossible to gather birds around me, and I had to wait on other people arriving with some bread.  One couple did arrive, but I don't know why they even bothered, as they hadn't enough to even fill a 'hole in your tooth'.  There were loads of Black-headed Gulls present, but most remained on the waters of the pond.  One eceptionally friendly Common Gull, is a bird that I'm sure had a metal-ring at one time.  It has no doubt fallen off, as there was a large gap between the 'ring butts'.

I left empty handed, but my attempts to re-sight   2CPS , was answered two days later, when I received an email from Paul McCullough.  On the 22nd December, not only did Paul record   2ADB  at Carrickfergus Harbour, he also spotted   2CPS , at the Leisure Centre.  This was excellent news, as another bird now joins this winter's list of re-sightings.    2CPS , was ringed as a chick, on the 16th June 2017, at the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve, here in County Antrim.  The sighting is my tenth record for   2CPS , with all sightings having been made here at the Leisure Centre.  Paul also made the first ever sighting of the gull as a juvenile, on the 27th November 2017.  The gull has been recorded at least twice every year since.

 

Blue Circle Island, lies 12 kms / 7 miles (N) from the Leisure Centre, and the duration, is now 3 years, 6 months and 6 days, since being ringed.  My thanks goes to Paul for reporting the two gulls, along with the photos.

Black-headed Gull  -    2CPS   -  Carrickfergus Leisure Centre, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim  (22 Dec 2020)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 16th June 2017, at the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve, Larne Lough, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Paul McCullough)

 

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