On Wednesday and Thursday last week (20th & 21st October), I had booked the two days off from work, to undertake some badly needed work in both my back yard and front garden. The back yard which is completely covered with both slabs and concrete, was greener than the pitch of Wembley Football Stadium. The gradual build up of algae, moss, lichens and weeds over the summer months, had left quite a mess. My intention was to spend one day power hosing the back yard, and the next, sorting out the front garden. I ended up spending both days power hosing my back yard, including the lower walls, with a total of 5 to 6 hours of back breaking work each day.
By the time I finished the yard, my back was so badly strained, I found it very difficult to even stand straight. On going to work on Friday evening, I had to take another one day holiday, as I was just not fit to do anything. I was beginning to feel a lot better on Saturday evening, but on Sunday morning, I took a turn for the worst. As I got out of bed, and sat up, something went in my back. Not sure whether it was a vertebrae or a disc, but the pain was shocking. I've now had to take a week off on the sick, and my front garden remains in a mess.
Not long before I went to work on Friday, I received news that one of my two sisters was on death's door suffering from lung cancer. With no further news by Saturday afternoon, I decided to go to Antrim Marina, just in case for any reason, I could not go on Monday. As things worked out, I did both visits, though most of the ring reading had to be done whilst sitting in the car. My sister passed away on Wednesday evening, and today (Friday), I am feeling more agile. Both yesterday and today, I did a little light work in the front garden, which was sort of a bit of self physio therapy. There were no further problems, so I should be able to get out and about again this weekend.
Once again, this is another long post, especially due to the two visits to Antrim Marina. More returnees have arrived back safe and well. Many, many emails have been coming and going this week, with several ring sightings being reported. I think autumn has arrived slightly later this year, although many of the gulls are arriving back on time as predicted. The sycamore tree beside my front garden, is only now shedding it's leaves. Normally by the end of October, it would practically be bare, which is the time I hang out the bird feeders. This year, the feeders will go out later, as I do not want Sparrowhawks using the leaf-cover as a means of attack.
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| Antrim Marina - Monday 25th October 2021 |
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Due to the un-expected family crisis which came to light on Friday afternoon, I was not sure if I would be able to undertake my weekly visit to Antrim Marina on Monday, so instead, I decided to call by, late on Saturday afternoon. At this point, Saturday's account should be read first (read below).
Having got up early on Monday morning, I decided to go ahead with my weekly visit, though the family crisis was still ongoing, plus I now had severe back pain to contend with. The drive from Ballymena to Antrim was far quicker than normal, as the schools were off for Halloween. I arrived at 09:05, and it was a bright, dry morning, though once again a strong westerly breeze was blowing in over Lough Neagh. Around 120 Black-headed Gulls were already dotted about the Marina, with it being too breezy for them to perch on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre'.
Having recorded the return of - 2BRD on Saturday afternoon, I was on the lookout for 40 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls, which included five that had been ringed here in recent weeks. By the time that I departed at around 12:15, I had recorded 34 colour-rings, which included another two returnees.
During the visit, overall numbers had reached the 140 to 150 mark, though some of the colour-ringed birds were clearly coming and going, and other non-ringed gulls were probably doing likewise. Perhaps, if all had remained, as many as 200 could have been here today. Other than the two returnees, another of note, was the juvenile - 2FHJ . I had ringed this bird on the 6th September 2021, and I last saw it here on the 19th September 2021, so I was glad to see that it is still with us.
Black-headed Gull - 2FHJ - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (25 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 6th September 2021, at Antrim Marina)
The two new returnees, were - 2CSK and 2CTA . Strangely enough, I had looked at these two on my Antrim Marina Spreadsheet last night, along with - 2CSH & 2CTB . 2CSH , was ringed here as an adult in December 2017, and was recorded throughout three winters running - 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, but has not been seen since the 2nd March 2020. 2CTB , was ringed here as an adult in December 2018, and was recorded throughout the winters of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, but last seen on the 9th March 2020. There may still be an outside chance, that either one or both may still appear here, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for these two.
Two other gulls that Adam ringed in his time - 2ADV & 2AFD , should be back, or due back. 2ADV did not appear here last winter, possibly due to sickness or an injury. However, it was reported alive in late December 2020, at Stockton-on-Tees in England. The Latvian - 2AFD , if back, will be found in the centre of Antrim Town, at the Castle Way car park, which has now been it's favoured haunt, over the last couple of years.
There are still a few birds that I ringed last winter with Blue Darvics, which are still absent. 18 were ringed altogether, including a number of juveniles which may not have survived their first winter. It will be interesting to see if any more of those birds return in the forthcoming weeks.
2CSK , was spotted at 10:27 this morning, being the 28th of the 34 rings read. 2CSK , was ringed as an un-sexed adult, here, on the 17th December 2017, and has returned each winter since. Over the years since being ringed, there has been a small number of April and June sightings, which may indicate that this gull nests not too far away, though possibly not on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform'. Future breeding season sightings are needed to give some further insight as to where this gull goes. It has been 3 years, 10 months and 8 days, since I ringed - 2CSK .
Black-headed Gull - 2CSK - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (25 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Adult, on the 17th December 2017, at Antrim Marina)
The 33rd of 34 rings read, was that of - 2CTA , at 11:55. Having looked at - 2CTA on my spreadsheet last night, I was not really expecting to see this one today. 2CTA , was ringed here as a second winter bird, on the 10th December 2018. I recorded the gull on just the one occasion (24th December 2018) during the remainder of the 2018/2019 winter, and it was not heard of again, until it returned on the 28th October 2019. During the 2019/2020 winter, it was recorded on just a few occasions during my weekly visits, and departed after the 24th February 2020.
No summer sightings were reported in 2020, but I recorded the return of - 2CTA at the Marina on the 25th October 2020, exactly the same date as today. Six day's later, on the 31st October 2020, Kate McAllister recorded - 2CTA at the Marina, which happened to be the final sighting for the remainder of last winter. Now that it has returned, it shall be interesting to see for how long the gull remains for this time. I have a strong suspicion, that - 2CTA is from a foreign country, but again, I'm relying on future re-sightings to answer that question. It has been 2 years, 10 months and 15 days, since I ringed this one.
Black-headed Gull - 2CTA - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (25 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 10th December 2018, at Antrim Marina)
In my post, published on the 15th October 2021, I stated that the next few weeks should prove interesting, as more gulls return to the Marina. My expectations are clearly being met, and no doubt, there is more to come. When I look around at the gulls present, I often wonder how many Nationalities are involved here. Back in September, one of my Scottish contacts visited me at the Marina, whilst staying in Northern Ireland for a couple days. He was quite impressed to see the Marina, and just how short the area is that I work with. As I said to 'GB' at that time, he would be more impressed, if he had come a few weeks later, especially now, as more gulls are arriving back.
As we go forwards into November, December and January, the gulls will become increasingly hungry, whereby, I can catch and ring more individuals to add to my project. There should also be one or two birds arriving that have been ringed elsewhere, so it's going to be a busy time for me at Antrim Marina.
Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 25th October 2021
| 2AAR | 2FHJ | 2AAN | 2ABN | 2FFF | 2FDK | 2FFA | 2FFL | 2CJT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2CSB | 2FFX | 2AAK | 2ABL | 2FDT | 2AAB | 2CTC | 2FDJ | 2CSA |
| 2CSL | 2ACV | 2ABS | 2FFJ | 2CSJ | 2FHA | 2AAA | 2ABA | 2ABK |
| 2CSK | 2CSR | 2BRA | 2FDV | 2FHL | 2CTA | 2FHC |
Black-headed Gulls Recorded This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today
| 2BRD | 2CSX | 2FFC | 2FFN | 2FFP | 2FHF | 2FHH | 2FHK |
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Other Birds at Antrim Marina
When I arrived at the Marina today, I noted that there was a single cygnet along with it's mother, and a second unrelated adult. First things first, I needed to make a start on the Black-headed Gulls. After a while, my attention went back onto the swans. During this winter, I have recorded two families with cygnets, one with six youngsters, and the other with two. Late on Saturday afternoon when I visited the Marina, there was a female with three cygnets. All three youngsters came readily to hand to be fed with bread, which made me think that they were from the family group with six cygnets. I have not seen very much of the second family group with two cygnets, though I know that they too would come to hand to be fed.
However, the single cygnet that was here today, hissed at me as I went to offer it bread. There's no way of being certain, if this one is another youngster, or even possibly one from the family of two. Around 10am, it along with it's mother headed up-river, but returned again at 11:10. The family with the six cygnets did not show at all, so I'm left in the dark concerning the three I saw on Saturday night.
A second adult arrived in from the Lough at 10:25, and this is the same bird which stands beside my car during each of my visits. The bird attracts the attention of many passers by, and I tell them that the swan likes to listen to the radio. Joking aside, the swan knows only too well, that I'll feed it some bread. When I'm on the slipway, it comes right up to me, and pulls at my bare arms with it's beak looking for attention. I still have 20 metal-rings to be used on swans, but I still cannot persuade either of my son's to give me a hand to ring the birds.
An estimated 50 Mallards on my arrival, soon seen numbers rising to the 80 or 90 mark, but still no rings on these. On bird did have a plain looking plastic ring, but when I got closer, it was just a plastic tie that had come from a loaf - not guilty!!
One adult Common Gull was present when I arrived, and was soon joined by a second. Not long before I departed, three adults were present, but there was still no sign of the Scottish metal-rung bird, which had returned on the 16th August 2021, the only sighting to date. The super friendly Herring Gull was present throughout the visit, and a juvenile arrived around 10:45, which I reckon was the same youngster previously seen here,
1 Hooded Crow, 6 Jackdaws and a male Grey Wagtail were noted. An adult Cormorant fished for a short time in front of the Marina, but as more people arrived it headed back out onto the Lough.
Other Sites Around Antrim Town
As I'm off work for the week due to my back, I now had an opportunity to visit some of the usual gull hotspots around the Town of Antrim. First stop was at the Elim Church on the Parkhall Estate. Here I was looking for - 2AAV , which has not been sighted so far this winter. This bird would visit Antrim Marina fairly often, but otherwise, it normally hangs out close to Elim Church. My last sighting of - 2AAV , was made on the 14th December 2020, at Antrim Marina. On reaching the Church today, not a single gull was to be seen.
I then stopped by the nearby KFC car park, where I had spotted (White) 2122 and a metal-rung BHG from Germany last Saturday night. Having got a partial reading on the ring of the German bird, neither of the two gulls were present among the 30 or so BHGs standing about the car park.
A five minute drive then takes me to Antrim's Baptist Church. Last Saturday afternoon, saw just one BHG present, standing atop of a lamppost. Today, 50 to 60 gulls were on the roof of the Church, but none were ringed. Here, I was looking for two birds in particular, which have been regular winter visitors at the Church. First is a colour-ringed BHG from Poland, and the second, a metal-rung BHG from Scotland. With no further rings recorded, it was time to return home.
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| Saturday 23rd October 2021 |
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With a family crisis looming, I decided to visit Antrim Marina today, just in case I could not undertake my normal weekly visit on Monday morning. I could not get away from home until 3pm this afternoon, but I thought I would call by a couple of other sites in Antrim town first.
Antrim Baptist Church
Here I was especially wanting to record the return of a colour-ringed Polish Black-headed Gull, but when I arrived, just one Black-headed Gull was in the area, standing on top of a lamppost.
Antrim KFC Car Park
Around 40 Black-headed, and 2 Common Gulls were standing about the car park. I parked in a clear area, away from the other cars and began throwing out bits of bread. A cautious colour-ringed Black-headed Gull landed fairly far away from me, and I thought to myself, we have a Norwegian bird here.
On zooming in with my camera, the White Darvic showed the numbers - 2122, an old friend of mine spotted in the past at Antrim Marina. (White) 2122, was ringed as a chick, on the 10th June 2019, on Goat's Island, on Lough Ree, County Longford in the Republic of Ireland. I recorded the first re-sighting, when it turned up at Antrim Marina, on the 24th February 2020, and was later spotted there that afternoon by Graham McElwaine. At that time, the duration was 8 months and 14 days since being ringed, and the distance from Lough Ree, was 168 kms / 104 miles (NE).
Juvenile Black-headed Gull - (White) 2122 - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (24 Feb 2020)
(White) 2122, turned up at the Marina for the second time, on the 25th October 2020, which indicated that it was likely wintering in the area of Antrim Town for the second winter running. Having contacted Brian Burke at that time, Brian stated that no other sightings had been made since my previous sighting.
Today's sighting sees the gull is back for the third a winter. The duration now, is 2 years, 4 months and 13 days. Good to see that another youngster has survived so far. I've emailed Brian with my latest sighting, and eventually Brian did get back to me.
Offering his apologies, as he had been away for the weekend, Brian gave me an update for - (White) 2122, which included another sighting made back in June. On the 6th June 2021, Jan Rod, came across - (White) 2122, at a Supermacs Restaurant in the town of Roscommon in County Roscommon. Here the gull was feeding on takeaway leftovers. The town of Roscommon lies just 10 kms away from Lough Ree, where (White) 2122 was ringed as a chick. Brian thought it was funny that I should now find the gull at a KFC outlet - must enjoy the fries.
Black-headed Gull - (White) 2122 - Antrim KFC Car Park, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (23 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 10th June 2019, on Goat's Island, Lough Ree, Co. Longford, R. of Ireland)
No further rings were seen on any of the gulls that were closest to me, so I began looking at birds furthest away with my binoculars. I then spotted a Black-headed Gull with a BTO sized metal ring. I took one fairly distant photo, and moved my car closer to begin the task of photographing the metal. I have successfully accomplished this in the past, by driving round in wide circles. However, my target was having non of this, and kept flying off to a different part of the car park. After trying on several occasions, I gave up and headed off towards Antrim Marina, as time was now getting on.
On returning home, I took a close look at the single photo of this gull, and on inspecting the ring, I had captured some details - ' IA20 ', which I knew was that of a German ring. I remembered that last winter I had recorded a German-rung bird on two occasions, once at Antrim Marina (5th October 2020), and then at the Castle Way car park in Antrim's town centre (25th October 2020).
On my spreadsheet, I made a search for ' IA20 ', and found a match - IA200180 , the very same bird spotted at the two above mentioned sites. That gull had been ringed in May 2020 in Germany, and today's sighting must surely be the same bird. Now that I know it's back, I'll have to track it down to obtain the full number, just to be 100% sure.
Black-headed Gull - Germany IA20**** - Antrim KFC Car Park, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (23 Oct 2021)
Antrim Marina
On my arrival at Antrim Marina, I thought this was going to be a complete waste of time. On the slipway were a large group of paddle-boarders, but lucky for me, they were just about to leave. Due to their presence, there was hardly a gull in sight, but around 10 minutes later, gulls began arriving in, in their droves. In no time at all, at least 120 to 130 were now present, and I was reading rings by the 'bucket-full'. I only had a limited time, as it would soon be darkening down, which was not helped as the rain also began to fall.
In no time at all, I had read 30 rings in altogether. This total was amazing, as I was only on site for about an hour. Of the 30, four birds stood out. . The first of them, and the 7th ring read, was that of - 2FHL . This was the juvenile that I ringed here last Monday, so this was my first chance of a photo.
Black-headed Gull - 2FHL - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (23 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 18th October 2021, at Antrim Marina)
(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 18th October 2021, at Antrim Marina)
The second bird, being my 18th ring read, was the confirmation that my 'star' bird was indeed back from Estonia. Last Saturday afternoon, Suzanne Belshaw, decided at the last minute, to call into Antrim Marina. Whilst there, Suzanne photographed all seven of her colour-ringed Black-headed Gull sightings, which included a very poor photo of what she believed, was the return of - 2FDJ . On the Monday following, I had hoped to confirm Suzanne's sighting, but I did not get the gull.
My last sighting of - 2FDJ , was on the 4th January 2021, after which time the second 'Covid Lockdown' commenced. This did not put a halt to the gulls moving about, as on the 5th February 2021, a Scott Black reported - 2FDJ , at Strathclyde Country Park in Motherwell, Scotland. Then came three sighting reports from Alasdair Fyffe, who spotted - 2FDJ on the frozen lake at Kay Park in Kilmarnock, Scotland (11th, 13th & 14th February 2021).
Next, an amazing email arrived from Arnold Kristjuhan, to say that on the 4th April 2021, 2FDJ was spotted at a rubbish dump, just outside of the town of Tartu in eastern Estonia. Arnold in a more recent email, stated, that some gulls use Tartu as a 'staging post' before moving on to Finland or Russia. 2FDJ may not have reached full breeding age, so could have been prospecting breeding sites for next year, but in what country?
Beginning my weekly winter visits, I had hoped to see the safe return of - 2FDJ , as this bird is now the furthest flying of any of the Black-headed Gulls which have been ringed at the Marina. I was really thrilled by Suzanne's sighting, even more so now, that it's return has been confirmed. Today's sighting, takes the duration since being ringed, to 1 year, 11 months and 5 days.
Black-headed Gull - 2FDJ - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (23 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 18th November 2019, at Antrim Marina)
The
21st ring to be read, was that of - 2FFC . I had not seen this gull
since the 4th January 2021, but Graham McElwaine reported 10 colour-ring
sightings at Antrim Marina on the 4th October 2021. Among those 10,
was the return of - 2FFC . Suzanne Belshaw also photographed - 2FFC at
the Marina, on the 16th October 2021, though I did not get the gull during my visits on either the 4th or 11th October. 2FFC was ringed as an
un-sexed adult, on the 30th November 2020, and no summer sightings were
reported. Glad to see this one for myself today, and the duration since
being ringed, is now 10 months and 23 days.
The
23rd of the 30 rings read, was that of another returnee - 2BRD . I
actually tried to locate this bird last weekend, at Lurgan Park Lake in
County Armagh. Normally, 2BRD does not get to Lurgan Park until a few
weeks before the new breeding season begins. I went looking for it, as I
had not recorded the gull at Antrim Marina.
2BRD , is the 35th colour-ringed Black-headed Gull to be recorded at Antrim Marina this winter. Along with 5 gulls that I have ringed here in recent weeks, if I make it to Antrim Marina on Monday, then I'll be on the lookout for 40 colour-ringed birds altogether.
Black-headed Gull - 2BRD - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (23 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 1st February 2015, at Antrim Marina)
Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Saturday 23rd October 2021
| 2CSA | 2CJT | 2FFA | 2AAA | 2CSB | 2FHL | 2ACV | 2CSL | 2FDK | 2FFJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2FFF | 2FDT | 2FDV | 2AAR | 2AAB | 2CTC | 2ABS | 2FDJ | 2FHA | 2AAN |
| 2FFC | 2AAK | 2BRD | 2FFL | 2ABL | 2ABK | 2BRA | 2ABN | 2CSR | 2FFX |
Black-headed Gulls Recorded This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today
| 2ABA | 2CSJ | 2CSX | 2FFN | 2FFP | 2FHC | 2FHF | 2FHH | 2FHJ | 2FHK |
|---|
Other Birds at Antrim Marina
I did not have the time to look around for other birds, but the Mute Swans did catch my eye. A female was present with just three cygnets. This left me wondering, if these were new cygnets to the Marina, or had the regular group of six siblings simply split up. Another unrelated adult was also present.
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| From Suzanne Belshaw |
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Suzanne Belshaw has been in touch again, with another Black-headed Gull sighting. On the 21st October 2021, 2BPH was spotted on the beach at Newcastle, County Down. Suzanne reported her sighting to West Midlands Ringing Group in England, and Ben Dolan was quick to reply.
2BPH , was ringed as a chick, on the 7th June 2017, at the Marsh Lane Nature Reserve, near Meriden in the West Midlands. Suzanne's sighting was the first away from the Reserve, with - 2BPH having been recorded at it's natal colony in April 2018 and March 2019. I submitted Suzanne's sighting to the BTO, and the offical distance between Marsh Lane and Newcastle, was given as 344 kms / 213 miles (NW). The duration since being ringed, is now 4 years, 4 months and 14 days.
2BPH , is now the third Black-headed Gull from Marsh Lane NR, to have been recorded here so far this winter. In September - 2HHL was recorded by Cameron Moore at Whitehead. Also in September, David Stirling had - 2HFH , at Kinnegar Beach on the southern shore of Belfast Lough, and then at the end of September, Suzanne also spotted - 2HFH , at Knocknagoney, just a short distance inland from Kinnegar. Both of these were juveniles which were ringed as chicks last June.
I have been trying to re-sight another of these Marsh Lane gulls at my local park, here in Ballymena. 2AXV , was ringed as a chick in 2016, and has been recorded at least once every year since in Ballymena, except for 2020.
My thanks again to Suzanne for her latest ring sighting and photo.
Black-headed Gull - 2BPH - Newcastle Beach, Newcastle, Co. Down (21 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 7th June 2017, at Marsh Lane Nature Reserve, Meriden, West Midlands, England)
(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)
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| From Jan Rod |
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I was really pleased on receiving an email from Jan Rod, concerning one of my project Common Gulls that was ringed on Rathlin Island. Jan spotted - 2BBL , on the 24th October 2021, on Lurganboy Beach in County Louth, Republic of Ireland. Having submitted the sighting to the BTO, the offical distance was given as 160 kms / 99 miles (S). 2BBL , was ringed as a chick, on the 26th June 2018, at the Doon Bay colony on Rathlin Island in County Antrim. The duration, as of Jan's sighting, is now 3 years, 3 months and 28 days.
Back on Rathlin Island, 2BBL has been recorded on three occasions. The first of these was made by Ric Else, along with Hazel Watson, on the 13th June 2020, with the gull having been reported back at it's natal colony at Doon Bay. Although not of breeding age, I suspected that the gull was prospecting a nest site for the 2021 breeding season.
During the breeding season this past summer, I spotted - 2BBL , along with an un-ringed partner on two occasions - 8th & 14th June 2021. I was unable to confirm whether they had bred or not, but many pairs were unsuccessful this summer in their breeding attempts, which may have included - 2BBL .
My thanks goes to Jan for this sighting, along with the photo which he took via his telescope. Not many winter records come in for my project birds, so this was a nice one to get.
Common Gull - 2BBL - Lurganboy Beach, Co. Louth, Republic of Ireland (24 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 26th June 2018, at Doon Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim)
(Photo Courtesy of Jan Rod)
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| From George Gordon |
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On the 22nd October 2021, George Gordon emailed me, having spotted a juvenile Common Gull at Groomsport Harbour in County Down. This was actually the third re-sighting of - 2HBK , this winter.
2HBK , was ringed as a chick, on the 13th June 2021, on Big Copeland Island in County Down, and is still the only one of 19 chicks that I ringed there, which has been re-sighted so far.
Groomsport is slighyly further east of Ballyholme, where - 2HBK was first re-sighted by Jonathan Clark, on the 29th August 2021, and then by John O'Boyle, along with Dermot Hughes, on the 1st October 2021. Ballyholme is 8 kms / 4 miles (W) of Big Copeland, whilst Groomsport Harbour, lies 6 kms / 3 miles (WNW). The duration since being ringed, is now 4 months and 9 days.
My thanks goes to George for this latest sighting report - every one counts.
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| From David Nixon |
|---|
On the 25th October 2021, David Nixon emailed me with three big gull sightings which he made at Millquarter Bay on Strangford Lough, Co. Down. Two of these, were first re-sightings in Northern Ireland.
The first of the three, was no stranger to Millquarter Bay, having now been recorded there for a fifth time. Herring Gull - T1VC , was ringed as a chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man. The four previous sightings at Millquarter Bay, were all made by Graham McElwaine, in - June 2020, July 2020, and on the 16th and 30th September 2021.
T1VC , has also been recorded back on the Isle of Man, in October 2020 at Strandhall, and on the Calf of Man, in July 2021. The distance from the Calf to Millquarter Bay, is 56 kms / 34 miles (WNW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 3 months and 22 days.
Herring Gull - T1VC - Millquarter Bay, Strangford Lough, Co. Down (25 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)
(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)
A juvenile Herring Gull, rung - U93:M , it was ringed as a chick, on the 6th July 2021, on the Calf of Man. This sighting, made by David, was a first for this bird, coming 3 months and 19 days since being ringed. Again, the distance, is 56 kms / 34 miles (WNW), from the Calf of Man.
Juvenile Herring Gull - U93:M - Millquarter Bay, Strangford Lough, Co. Down (25 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 6th July 2021, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)
(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)
Herring Gull - T3YP , was ringed as a chick, on the 12th July 2019, on the Calf of Man. David's sighting at Millquarter Bay, was a first for this gull since being ringed - the duration now being, 2 years, 3 months and 13 days. The distance from the Calf, is 56 kms / 34 miles (WNW).
Herring Gull - T3YP - Millquarter Bay, Strangford Lough, Co. Down (25 Oct 2021)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 12th July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)
(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)
Whilst I was working on this latest blog post, David reported another gull sighting, though this time there was no photo included. This latest sighting, was made on Wednesday 27th October 2021, at the high tide roost, at Dundrum Inner Bay on Strangford Lough, Co. Down. Great Black-backed Gull, - S62:M , was ringed as a chick, on the 22nd June 2015, on the Calf of Man.
Before this latest sighting by David, S62:M , had been recorded on four other occasions - March 2018 at Bullock Harbour in County Dublin, May 2018 at Ardglass Harbour in County Down, August 2020 at Kentraugh on the Isle of Man, and on the 11th December 2020 at Mill Bay on Carlingford Lough, by Graham McElwaine.
The distance from the Isle of Man to the Inner Dundrum Bay on Strangford Lough, is 71 kms / 44 kms (WNW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 6 years, 4 months and 5 days.
My thanks again to David for these sighting reports, along with the photos.
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