What a start to the new autumn and winter season. My first weekly visit to Antrim Marina had to be cancelled, as I received an email from the Council, to say that the Marina would be closed due to a 'Parks Booking'. Not sure what that was all about, but I've learnt in the past, with such events (golf tournament last time), the avenue leading to the Marina would be closed to traffic.
As I write, I'm just about to publish this latest post. It's Saturday, and I had planned to get to the coast today. Last night though, at the 'drop of a hat', my wife decided to take herself off to the Republic of Ireland, along with my younger son and his wife and two kids. This meant I had to remain at home today to 'babysit' the wife's three cats. I could not take off and leave them outside, as thundery weather was forecast, along with heavy downpours, which turned out to be the case. Hopefully, I should get out tomorrow, as my oldest son will be at home, and he can do the 'honours'.
Earlier this afternoon, my ringing trainer John Clarke sent me a text message, stating that he had spotted a Black-headed Gull colour-ringed - 2Y57 . I replied to state who owned the gull, but then John replied that he had got another one, and he would email me later. With this, I've decided to push this post out, as John's sightings can go into my next post, along with my findings tomorrow (Sunday), and my visit to Antrim Marina on Monday morning.
Another job that needs doing, is to provide Ross McIlwrath of the Castle Espie Wetland Centre, all of the data I hold of colour-ringed birds that have either been ringed at the site, or have arrived there from other places. Always so much to do, and not enough time to do everything. What I really need, is a thirty hour day, instead of a twenty-four hour day.
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| From Suzanne Belshaw |
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Suzanne Belshaw has been in touch again, with sightings of three colour-ringed Gulls. The best of the three, would be the oldest of the three, but a first re-sighting is always good to get, and in this case it was Herring Gull - 2T:W .
2T:W , was ringed as an un-sexed adult, on the 5th May 2015, on the Copeland Islands in County Down. As I say, Suzanne's sighting on the 29th July 2021, was a first re-sighting of this bird since being ringed. It was spotted at Whitehouse Lagoon, on the edge of Belfast Lough, just 23 kms / 14 miles (W), from the Copeland Islands, and the duration since being ringed, was 6 years, 2 months and 24 days. As stated in my reply to Suzanne, I still find it astounding how large colour-ringed gulls such as these go about un-noticed over the years, so this was a nice sighting indeed.
Herring Gull - 2T:W - Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim (29 Jul 2021)
(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Adult, on the 5th May 2015, on the Copeland Islands, Co. Down)
(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)
Suzanne's sighting of Black-headed Gull - 2ASF , at Whitehouse Lagoon on the edge of Belfast, is the 16th record since the bird was ringed as a chick.
2ASF , belongs to Adam McClure's former NI project, and was ringed as a chick, on the 18th June 2013, at RSPB Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough, Co. Antrim. This gull has been recorded at least once every year except for 2014, and is known to breed at the RSPB Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast, which is only a short distance away from Whitehouse Lagoon. I called by the Window on Wildlife Reserve a couple of times this summer, but the observation hides were closed due to the 'Coronavirus Pandemic', so I could not prove whether any colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls were nesting there.
Looking at the post breeding season sightings, 2ASF has been recorded through the months of July to December at Whitehouse Lagoon, but has never been recorded in the months of January or February. I wonder if the bird moves on to another site for the remainder of the winter? The earliest return to the breeding site at the WoW reserve, was recorded on the 3rd March 2019. Whitehouse Lagoon is 20 kms / 12 miles (SSW) from the natal colony at Blue Circle Island, and the WoW Reserve is 22 kms / 13 miles (SSW). The duration since being ringed, is now 8 years, 1 month and 11 days.
Black-headed Gull - 2ASF - Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim (29 Jul 2021)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 18th June 2013, at RSPB Blue Circle Island Reserve, Larne Lough, Co. Antrim)
(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)
Sprucefield shopping centre just outside of Lisburn in County Antrim, is not far away from where Suzanne lives. It has a McDonalds Fast Food Outlet, which is always a good place to look out for hungry gulls looking for an easy meal. On the 22nd July 2021, and again on the 28th July, Suzanne re-sighted one of her old favourite Black-headed Gull's - 250B , which hails from the Republic of Ireland.
It was ringed as a chick, on the 6th June 2008, which takes the duration to 13 years, 1 month and 22 days, as of the 28th July 2021. Suzanne's latest sighting is the 20th record of - 250B at Sprucefield Shopping Centre. It was first recorded here by Adam McClure, on the 1st July 2013, and has been re-sighted at Sprucefield most years ever since. In between these 20 record sightings, only one has been reported away from Sprucefield, and that was back on the 19th June 2017, where it was spotted on Lough Mask in County Mayo, the site of the birds natal colony.
I've mentioned this before, but it seems as if - 250B only uses Sprucefield as a staging post in July and August, as it has never been recorded anywhere else during the winter months at any time over the years. The distance from Lough Mask to Sprucefield, is 232 kms / 144 miles (ENE), but, if the straight line distance is increased, it may be possible that - 250B , could be wintering on Loch Ryan in Scotland.
My thanks again goes to Suzanne for these sightings. On a personal note, - 250B is my favourite of the three, as at 13 years plus, it's getting on in years for a Black-headed Gull. I must try and spot this one at Sprucefield some day, and break Suzanne's 'monopoly' on re-sightings!!
Black-headed Gull - 250B - Sprucefield Shopping Centre, Lisburn, Co. Antrim (28 Jul 2021)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 6th June 2008, at Lough Mask, Co. Mayo, Republic of Ireland)
(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)
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| Lesser Black-backed Gull - (White) 0M7:C |
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Whilst on my way to work on Tuesday evening of the 3rd July 2021, I managed to capture the code on the colour-ring of a Lesser Black-backed Gull - (White) 07M:C. Over the last couple of weeks, there has been a gradual build up of these gulls on a rooftop at the Pennybridge Industrial Estate in Ballymena, Co. Antrim (my home town). This is a yearly occurrence, as the gulls prepare themselves for the journey south to southern Europe, or even as far as north Africa. These build up in numbers vary from year to year, but this autumn, those numbers are building up nicely.
In 2018, I recorded two colour-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gulls on these very same rooftops, and I have always hoped to re-sight both birds. On the 20th July 2018, I spotted - F59C , which had been ringed in Portugal in March 2018, as a 3rd calendar bird, and on the 2nd August 2018, I recorded - (White) 7E1:C, which had been ringed as a chick in July 2015, in Ayrshire, Scotland.
This latest sighting of - (White) 0M7:C, is that of another Scottish bird which belongs to the Clyde Ringing Group. I emailed Iain Livingston, who has not replied as yet. I will publish the ringing and re-sighting history for this bird in a later post, once I receive details from Iain.
Lesser Black-backed Gull - (White) 0M7:C - Pennybridge Industrial Estate, Ballymena, Co. Antrim (03 Aug 2021)
(Waiting for the Ringing Details)
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| Black-headed Gull - 2AX9 |
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Whilst I was waiting for a reply from Iain Livingstone about the aforementioned Lesser Black-backed Gull, I received an email from him where I had been copied into a reply to Scott Black. On the 17th July 2021, Scott spotted Black-headed Gull - 2AX9 at it's natal breeding colony at Elvanfoot in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. 2AX9 had been ringed there as a chick, on the 20th June 2017.
During a random visit to my Black-headed Gull study site at Antrim Marina on the 22nd June 2018, I made the first re-sighting of the then 2nd calendar bird. The duration at that point, was 1 year and 2 days, and the distance from the Elvanfoot colony, was 182 kms / 113 miles (WSW).
Scott's re-sighting of the gull at it's natal colony in Scotland, was now the second record for the bird, with the duration being 4 years and 27 days, and it likely bred there this summer. My thanks to Iain for informing me of the latest re-sighting, as it is always good to know the bird is still alive and how it's progressing through life.
Black-headed Gull - 2AX9 - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (22 Jun 2018)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 20th June 2017, at Elvanfoot, South Lanarkshire, Scotland)
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