No Trees...

Antrim Marina - Monday 19th September 2022

Todays visit to Antrim Marina was undertaken in quite dull but calm conditions, and as the morning wore on the sky opened offering plenty of sunshine.  My drive from Ballymena to Antrim, was very quick, seeing as there was little traffic about, being a bank holiday due to the Queen's funeral.  Usually, when I arrive into Antrim Town, the final drive to the Marina, often takes longer than the distance drove from Ballymena to Antrim.

Having arrived, just before 9am, the first colour-ring recorded, was that of -  2FFA .  By 9:38, I had read 18 colour-rings, giving me the impression that this was going to be an excellent visit.  How wrong was I, as my final three ring sightings were recorded at 11:11, 11:54 and 12:24.  On the lookout for 35 colour-rings recorded this winter, which included -  2FIK , that was ringed last Monday, I recorded 21 colour-rings altogether, so had 14 absentees, including -  2FIK . 

With around 60 Black-headed Gulls present on my arrival, numbers remained fairly static until late in the morning, when the total began decreasing.  The most notable of today's sightings was that of -  2FFC , which has been an infrequent visitor here since being ringed in November 2020.  Today's sighting is only the 15th record for the gull since being ringed.  With it being such a nice day, the gulls were keeping their distance, so no new additions were added.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 19th September 2022

2FFA	2ACV	2ABL	2AAK	2ABS	2FDK	2FIH
2AAB	2ABN	2FFF	2CSB	2FHJ	2FFP	2CJT
2FHP	2AAN	2FHV	2FIA	2FHX	2CTC	2FFC

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today

2AAA	2ABA	2BRA	2CSA	2CSK	2CSL	2CSR
2CSX	2FFX	2FHA	2FHC	2FIF	2FIJ	2FIK

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

Wanting to ring one or two more Black-headed Gulls, I really needed the help of the Mute Swan family with their four cygnets, but they never showed up at all today.  One lady that I was talking to, said they were here yesterday.  At 11:45, I spied a swan with 5 cygnets at the breakwater, and eventually they came ashore onto the small sandy beach.  The adult was an un-ringed bird, which readily came to my hand for a feed of brown bread.  The cygnets were obviously not used to people, as they constantly hissed when I approached them with the bread.

Only five Mallards were present when I arrived, but numbers quickly built up to 48 birds by 10am.  This total then remained more or less static throughout the remainder of my visit.  As usual, no rings were seen.

One adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, the usual adult Herring Gull, a 'crying' juvenile Herring Gull, and an adult Common Gull were present on my arrival, and all remained throughout my visit.    A second adult Herring Gull arrived at 10:28, and it too was still present on my departure.

Four Jackdaws, and a juvenile Hooded Crow, were the only other species to be noted today.

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From Sandra McDowell

On Tuesday the 13th September 2022, I received an email from Jim Wells.  The email contained loads of photos of a Treecreeper with a metal ring.  The circumstances of the sighting was quite extraordinary, and Jim asked me if I could solve the ring number.

Jim organises boat trips to various islands, and on the 27th August, a trip was arranged to go from Northern Ireland to the island of Ailsa Craig, situated just off the coast from Troon in Ayrshire, Scotland.  The island is well known for it's Gannet colony, and Slowworms.  On the trip was nature photographer Sandra McDowell, and when Sandra fell in with a Treecreeper she took many photos of the bird and it's ring.  What was really amazing about this sighting, is that there are no trees on Ailsa Craig, so the bird had to forage for insects around the cavities of the derelict cottages instead.

I quickly took up the challenge of obtaining the metal number, and having sifted through the photos, came up with -  BXY375 .  I selected four photos of interest and began to edit them.  I tweaked the contrast and brightness, to make the characters stand out more, before cropping them out, re-sizing them, and finally stitching them together to show the complete number.

Being a ringer, I have access to the BTO's DemOn Ringing Database, so I entered -  BXY375 , to find that the ring had been used on a Treecreeper, having been ringed 15 days earlier as a juvenile.  However, DemOn does not show ringing or sighting locations, so I submitted the sighting on Sandra's behalf.

The recovery details arrived back from the BTO, which showed that the bird was ringed on the 12th August 2022, at Aros Moss, just outside of Campbletown on the Kintyre Peninsular, Scotland.  The distance to Ailsa Craig, is 42 kms / 26 miles (ESE).

As the Treecreeper was ringed by a member of the Clyde Ringing Group, I sent an email to the Group's ringing coordinator Iain Livingstone, outlining the circumstances of Sandra's sighting, and attached a copy of the photograph.  I suggested that he should contact the ringer concerned, who I know would be delighted.  Iain replied, to say that he had just read the recovery, and in his own words - "I've just seen the recovery this evening, amazing! A fantastic and totally unexpected recovery, a Clyde Ringing Group first (established in 1976)."

Jim Wells phoned me on Thursday evening, and said that nobody knew of the Treecreeper until the journey back to Northern Ireland, when Sandra announced her sighting of the bird.  Jim said it was hard to believe that a Treecreeper was on the island until he saw the pictures.

This was a really amazing find, with an amazing result, so really well done Sandra for her efforts and this makes a change from reporting on ringed gulls.  I must give Sandra a 'Big Thank You', for allowing me to report on the sighting and the use of her photos.

Treecreeper  -   BXY375   -  Ailsa Craig, Ayrshire, Scotland  (27 Aug 2022)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Juvenile, on the 12th August 2022, at Aros Moss, Campbletown, Argyll & Bute, Scotland)

(Photo Courtesy of Sandra McDowell)

Footnote : Bernard Zonfrillo who is a ringer with the Clyde Ringing Group, sent me an email once he learned of Sandra's Treecreeper sighting.  Bernard has been ringing seabirds on Ailsa Craig for many years, especially Gannet and Shag chicks.  He says he actually caught and ringed a Treecreeper on Ailsa 25 years ago, and during his time, has recorded Treeceepers there on 5 occasions.  He congratulated me on my detective work in solving the ring number and to say thanks to Sandra for her efforts.

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From James Young

Fisherman James Young has been in touch again, concerning another colour-ringed gull having landed on his fishing boat.  I sent an email to Graham Prole who is the ringing coordinator for the Irish Midlands Ringing Group, and he replied to say that -  T61:D  had been ringed as a Great Black-backed Gull chick, on the 18th June 2022, on Ireland's Eye Island in County Dublin, Republic of Ireland.  The duration since being ringed, is 2 months and 25 days, and the distance from Ireland's Eye, is 124 kms / 77 miles (NNE).  Whilst on his boat, James managed to catch the youngster for a closer inspection.

The second photo below shows the scene on the fishing boat, and the crate of cuttings which no doubt the birds would love to 'tuck into'.  My thanks to James for the sighting report, along with the photos, and to Graham Prole for providing the ringing details.

Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull  -   T61:D   -  at Sea, Just off Portavogie, Co. Down  (12 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 18th June 2022, on Ireland's Eye Island, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of James Young)

The scene on James Young's Fishing Boat  (12 Sep 2022)

(Photo Courtesy of James Young)

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From Suzanne Belshaw

Suzanne Belshaw has been in touch again with her latest ring sightings.  On the 9th September, Suzanne visited the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve and nearby Kinnegar Beach on Belfast Lough.  At the WoW Reserve, Suzanne was frustrated as she cam across a Bar-tailed Godwit with a Yellow Flag, but was unable to capture the code on the Flag.  Having checked for the origins of this bird, she reckoned it was from Norway.  In my reply, I said it was a pity about the Godwit, but hopefully it would hang around long enough to have another go.

On Kinnegar Beach, Suzanne came across a Common Gull which she reckoned was -   2ACJ , and I was able to verify the sighting.   2ACJ , was caught and ringed as an unsexed breeding adult, on the 14th May 2010, on Big Copeland Island in County Down.  This latest sighting, is the 12th for the gull since being ringed, and the 3rd to be made in 2022.  In March, and again in June 2022, Steven Fyffe recorded the gull on Lighthouse Island (the home of the Copeland Bird Observatory), one of three islands that make up The Copeland Islands (including Big Copeland).  It seems likely, that -  2ACJ  may well be breeding on Lighthouse Island, though it has not been confirmed.

The duration since being ringed, is now 12 years, 3 months and 26 days, which is not bad seeing as it was an adult when ringed.  The full history for -  2ACJ  can be read (here).

Common Gull  -   2ACJ   -  Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (09 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Adult, on the 14th May 2010, on Big Copeland Island, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Suzanne was obviously not letting her Godwit get the better of her, so Suzanne went back to the WoW Reserve on the 14th September 2022.  The Godwit was spotted, and a few hazy photos were taken.  The code on the Yellow Flag appeared to read -  PYE  or possibly -  PVE .  Suzanne decided to try her luck, and reported the sighting to Norway.

The bird was confirmed as being -  PVE , as the letter 'Y' is not used in their character set.  Apparently, the ring on the birds left leg is not a metal ring, but a plain Red Ring - R-Yf(PVE).

R-Yf(PVE), had been ringed 24 days earlier (21st August 2022), as an unsexed juvenile, at the Revtangen Ornithological Station in Klepp, Norway.  The distance was given as 830 kms / 515 miles (WSW).  The PDF File sent to Suzanne, is of interest, as it also lists other colour-ringing projects that are currently being undertaken.  This will be a handy reference if any of those birds turn up in Northern Ireland (PDF).

Again, a big thanks to Suzanne for the sighting reports and photos, and a super result for the Godwit.  

Bar-tailed Godwit  -  R-Y(PVE)  -  RSPB Window on Wildlife Reserve, Belfast  (14 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Juvenile, on the 21st August 2022, at the Revtangen Ornithological Station, Klepp, Norway)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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Ringing Details Received

In my previous post, I was waiting on the ringing details for three Isle of Man gulls - a juvenile Herring Gull and two second calendar year Great-Black-backed Gulls.  Having published the post on Thursday, Mark Fitzpatrick sent me an email on Thursday evening with the details for all three birds.

Herring Gull -  G47:M , was ringed as a chick, on the 4th July 2022, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man.  My sighting on the 8th September at Ardglass Harbour, was a first for this bird, coming 2 months and 4 days since being ringed.

The two Great Black-backed Gulls were ringed on Kitterland Island, a small island situated between mainland Isle of Man, and the larger island - The Calf of Man.  The BTO gives the distance to Ardglass Harbour as 57 kms / 35 miles (WNW), from both the Calf and Kitterland.

Great Black-backed Gull -  U25:M , was ringed as a chick on Kitterland Island, on the 17th June 2021.  On the 29th July 2021, it was spotted on the Calf of Man, and on the 9th October 2021, it was then seen on the southern coast of mainland Isle of Man.  My sighting at Ardglass Harbour on the 8th September 2022, is now the third for this bird, and it is now 1 year, 2 months and 22 days since it was ringed.

Great Black-backed Gull -  U40:M , was ringed as a chick on Kitterland Island, on the 21st June 2021.  It was seen on the Calf of Man on the 17th & 29th July 2021.  The third sighting came from Wales on the 4th January 2022, when spotted at Fishguard Harbour in Pembrokeshire - some 230 kms / 142 miles (S).  My sighting on the 8th September 2022 at Ardglass Harbour, takes the duration since being ringed, to 1 year, 2 months and 18 days.

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David Nixon

On the 9th September, David Nixon reported a second year Herring Gull -  U76:M , having spotted the bird on the high tide roost at Dundrum Inner Bay (South), in County Down.  No photos unfortunately, as David's camera 'is still in hospital' undergoing repairs as it did not 'bounce' too well.  Mark also sent the details for David's sighting.

 U76:M , was ringed as a juvenile bird, on the 1st November 2021, on the Calf of Man.  David's sighting was a first for this bird, coming 10 months and 8 days since being ringed.  The distance to Dundrum, is 72 kms / 44 miles (WNW).

My thanks to Mark for supplying the ringing and re-sighting histories for all four birds.

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Ballykelly Flats - Saturday 17th September 2022

Every so often, I would look at the nibirds website to see what birds are being reported around the country.  What caught my eye recently, was the high number of Mediterranean Gulls that were being recorded on the shore at Ballykelly on Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry.  With numbers like 52 & 42 birds having been reported, I thought to myself, surely there had to be some with colour-rings, and just recently, I had been copied into the sighting of one colour-ringed Med from Germany ( AL.NV ) which had been spotted there.

In the past, I have only found colour-ringed Brent Geese here, but intrigued by the numbers quoted for Mediterranean Gulls, I decided to head up to Ballykelly today.  I was not to be disappointed, as I recorded two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls, plus two colour-ringed Meds.  The first of the four, was a Mediterranean Gull from Belgium which was a brilliant start, but I will not start with this one.

A Black-headed Gull colour-ringed -  2Y37 , is from a project in England.  I have stopped reporting such birds directly to the project concerned, as they now have an online site for reporting sightings.  The reason for my avoidance of the site, is due to not receiving the metal number and an official recovery from the BTO.  My 'Ring Reading Spreadsheet' uses the metal numbers as an index, and recoveries from the BTO, are hyperlinked into each sighting.  I have submitted my sighting of -   2Y37  directly to the BTO by the gulls colour-marks only, but for now, I am still waiting on a recovery.

Black-headed Gull  -   2Y37   -  Ballykelly Flats, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (17 Sep 2022)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

Black-headed Gull - (White) 2222, I knew was from the Republic of Ireland, so I emailed Brian Burke, who was quick to respond.  (White) 2222, was ringed as a chick, on the 19th June 2029, on Kings Island, Lough Ree, Co. Longford in the Republic of Ireland.  Two previous sighting were made by Tom Cooney on the 23rd & 30th July 2021, on the shore at Rockmarshall in County Louth.  Its quite a big jump for the bird to have travelled from County Louth to be found here on the shore at Ballykelly.

Brian gave the distance as being 180 kms / 111 miles (NNE), and the duration since being ringed, is 3 years, 2 months and 29 days.  Recently, I stated that an ever increasing number of gulls from the Lough Ree Gull Project, were being recorded here in Northern Ireland.  My thanks goes to Brian for his quick response (PDF).

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  2222  -  Ballykelly Flats, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (17 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2019, on Kings Island, Lough Ree, Co. Longford, Republic of Ireland)

The sighting of a Mediterranean Gull with a White Darvic, was the first of four colour-rings spotted today here on the Ballykelly Shore.  Having zoomed in over a long distance, I was able to capture the code - (White) 3HK7, which excitedly, I knew was a Belgium bird.  Back at home, I checked my spreadsheet, and discovered just one Belgium colour-ringed Med Gull having been recorded in Northern Ireland over recent years.

I sent an email to my only Belgium contact Renaud Flamant, who re-directed my email to Camille Duponcheel.  Camille, was also quick to respond, adding a PDF File giving the birds ringing and re-sighting history which is quite extensive.  (White) 3HK7, was ringed as a 3rd calendar year+ bird, on the 18th May 2019.  The location was given as Total, Antwerpen in Flanders, Belgium, but with the Lat & Long coordinates given, I have found it impossible to find a likely ringing site on any of the online maps.  I have submitted the sighting to the BTO, and hopefully they will have better luck and can supply the distance travelled.  My best estimate, is 865 kms / 537 miles (NW) (PDF).   The duration since being ringed, is 3 years, 3 months and 30 days. 

Total - TotalEnergies is a power company based in Belgium.  It may seem likely, that this Mediterranean Gull may have been ringed on one of their properties.

Mediterranean Gull  -  (White)  3HK7  -  Ballykelly Flats, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (17 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a 3rd Calendar Year+ Bird, on the 18th May 2019, at Total, Antwerpen, Belgium)

The second colour-ringed Med Gull spotted had a Yellow Darvic, which I suspected to be from Germany.  Zooming in with my camera, I captured the code -  AY.PL , which was definitely a German colour-ring.  I emailed Andreas Zours concerning my sighting, but did not get a reply for this bird until Wednesday evening of the 21st September.

Jumping ahead slightly, I returned to the Ballykelly shore the next day (Sunday 18th September) and recorded another German-rung Med Gull -  AY.AT .  Andreas, had passed on my sighting to Volker Dierschke, who has now taken over as the lead role for their Med Gull Project.  Having replied on Monday, it turned out that -  AY.AT  had been ringed in Sweden (more on this bird can be read below).

The PDF I received on Wednesday evening, gave -  AY.PL , as having been ringed in Sweden as well.  Volker stated in his email to me, that a small number of Mediterranean Gulls had been ringed in Sweden, so to me I thought that it was quite remarkable that I had recorded two of them.  As far as I'm aware, these are the first two Swedish Med Gulls to have been recorded anywhere in Northern Ireland.  From what I can find, it appears that Mediterranean Gulls are relatively new breeding birds in Sweden.

 AY.PL , was ringed as a 3rd calendar year+ bird, on the 9th May 2022, at Falkaholmen Island in Blekinge County, Sweden.  My sighting for this bird was a first, coming 4 months and 8 days after being ringed.  Volker, gave the distance as being 1,432 kms / 889 miles (W), but when I worked out the distance, I got 1,358 kms / 844 miles (W).  I have submitted my sighting to the BTO, and will settle for their official distance once it arrives.

Mediterranean Gull  -   AY·PL  -  Ballykelly Flats, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (17 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a 3rd calendar year+ bird, on the 9th May 2022, on  Falkaholmen Island, Blekinge County, Sweden)

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Ballykelly Flats - Sunday 18th September 2022

My intentions for today, was to go to Belfast first, before moving southwards into County Down.  As I was sitting having my breakfast, I had the feeling that I should return to Ballykelly again, and having pondered on the idea for a while I decided to go back.

Timing my arrival for the tide beginning to recede, my decision to return was duly rewarded with a further six colour-ring sightings which were all firsts for myself.  A third colour-ringed Mediterranean Gull was spotted, following on from the two which I recorded here yesterday.  With a familiar looking colour-ring, I thought this was another German-rung bird, but I was in for a big surprise here.  None of the four ring sightings that I recorded here yesterday, turned up to day, but having said that, there were far fewer gulls about.  A further four Black-headed Gulls were recorded, three of which were from the same Scottish ringing project, and one from Adam McClure's former Study here in Northern Ireland.

Adam's Black-headed Gull -  2BSV , was ringed as a chick, on the 22nd June 2016, at Inch Island in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.  Adam was invited to ring at the site by the Causeway Coast Ring Group, and with the permission of the Irish Parks and Wildlife Service.  122 chicks were colour-ringed over two visits, made on the 8th & 22nd June 2016, though re-sightings of these birds have been few and far between.  I have always felt that many of these gulls are still alive, but down to the geography of the area, and the lack of 'Ring Readers' in Counties Londonderry and Donegal, these birds are being missed.

This sighting of -  2BSV , is a first since being ringed, and I was on the borderline with my camera as the bird was so far out, that I just about managed to capture the code.  It has been 6 years, 2 months and 27 days since the gull was ringed, and the distance from Inch Island to the Ballykelly Flats, is 28 kms / 17 miles (E).  On the 8th September, another Black-headed Gull -  2AXT  from the same ringing catch, was recorded for the third time at Millquarter Bay in County Down, and on the 4th September, -  2BCC  from the same catch was spotted on the Myroe Levels, a little further along the coast from where I spotted -  2BSV  today.  These sightings proves there are other Black-headed Gulls from Inch, still out there to be discovered.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BSV   -  Ballykelly Flats, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (18 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 22nd June 2016, at Inch Island Lake, Co. Donegal, Republic of Ireland)

To discover three Black-headed Gulls from the same Scottish project, was very unusual, given that there were far fewer gulls here today.  All three were ringed by the Clyde Ringing Group.  I submitted all three gulls to the BTO, as well as emailing the ringing coordinator Iain Livingstone, who has yet to reply.  This post was held back, as I awaited the recovery details, which finally arrived on Friday evening as I was preparing to head off to work.

Black-headed Gull -  2HL0 , was ringed as a chick, on the 24th June 2020, at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  I noted on the BTO's DemOn Database that -  2HL0  had been spotted on the 26th August 2020, but DemOn does not reveal ringing or re-sighting locations.  I'll have to wait until Iain replies to my email, to find out the location of that sighting.  The duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 2 months and 25 days, and the Ballykelly Flats are situated 219 kms / 136 miles (W) from Elvanfoot.

Black-headed Gull  -   2HL0   -  Ballykelly Flats, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (18 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 24th June 2020, at Elvanfoot, South Lanarkshire, Scotland)

My sighting of Black-headed Gull -  2JH7  was a first for this bird.  It was caught and ringed as an adult male, on the 28th February 2021, at Blackness Castle in Falkirk, Scotland.  The distance was given as 246 kms / 152 miles (WSW) to Ballykelly, and the duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 6 months and 21 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2JH7   -  Ballykelly Flats, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (18 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Adult Male, on the 28th February 2021, at Blackness Castle, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland)

The third Scottish Black-headed Gull, and the hardest ring to read, was that of -  2P54 , which kept wading through pools of water.  Having had a good bathe, it eventually rested long enough to preen itself, and for me, to be able to snap some photos.   2P54 , was also a first re-sighting according to DemOn, having been ringed as a chick, on the 18th June 2019, at the Elvanfoot colony.  The duration since ringing, is now 3 years and 3 months, and the distance between the two sites, is 219 kms / 136 miles (W).

Black-headed Gull  -   2P54   -  Ballykelly Flats, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (18 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 18th June 2019, at Elvanfoot, South Lanarkshire, Scotland)

A colour-ringed Herring Gull was spotted and with the code reading -  B:046 .  I knew this was a sequence completely new to myself.  On returning home, I went onto the cr-birding site, to see who the bird belonged to.  On learning who owned the project in question, I knew there was no point sending an email, as replies are rarer than 'gold dust'.  The cr-birding site says the bird was ringed in Ireland and I suddenly realised a similar colour-ring had been spotted on Rathlin Island off the north coast of County Antrim.  

This prompted me to check out the 2020 Rathlin Island Bird Report, and here I found a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull with the code -  B:401 , which had been ringed as a chick, earlier that summer on Inishtrahull Island off the north coast of County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.  I have submitted my sighting to the BTO, but it may take some time for this sighting to be resolved.  I'm hoping this Herring Gull was not ringed as a Great Black-backed Gull by mistake.  

Herring Gull  -   B:046   -  Ballykelly Flats, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (18 Sep 2022)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

The sighting of a German colour-ringed Mediterranean Gull, unknowingly to me at the time, was going to present me with quite 'the surprise'.  Having spotted the Yellow Darvic, I immediately suspected that this was a German bird, which was confirmed having zoomed in with my camera, capturing the code -  AY.AT .

Having emailed my German contact Andreas Zours, he re-directed my sighting to the new ringing coordinator - Volker Dierschke.  Volker replied, attaching a PDF File showing the gulls ringing and re-sighting history, and surprise, surprise, the bird had been ringed as a chick in Sweden.  Volker went on to explain that a small number of Mediterranean Gulls had been ringed in Sweden, with the German colour-rings.

 AY.AT , had been ringed as a chick, on the 4th June 2018, on the Island of Norrören, near the town of Norje, in Blekinge County, Sweden.  Up until now, a lengthy list of re-sightings have all been made in Germany.  The duration since being ringed, is now 4 years, 3 months and 14 days.  Volker gave the distance as being 1,441 kms / 895 miles (W), but I worked out the distance as being 1,364 kms / 847 miles (W).  I have submitted my sighting to the BTO, and I will await their official distance (PDF).

Mediterranean Gull  -   AY·AT  -  Ballykelly Flats, Lough Foyle, Co. Londonderry  (18 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 4th June 2018, on the Island of Norrören, Norje, Blekinge County, Sweden)

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Green Moon...

Antrim Marina - Monday 12th September 2022

Today's visit to Antrim Marina, is my seventh weekly visit during this autumn/winter season, and it was very dull but calm.  As the morning wore on, it became brighter with plenty of sunshine breaking through.  Around 40 Black-headed Gulls were present on my arrival, and numbers quickly increased to around the 100 mark.  That total remained about the same throughout my visit, though once again birds were clearly coming and going.

With the sneaky arrival of -  2CSR  during last week's visit, the total of colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls recorded at the Marina so far this winter, increased to 34 birds altogether.  For some reason, I had thought that I had already recorded -  2CSR  over previous weeks, so I made sure I took a photo when he appeared today at 11:50.

Black-headed Gull  -   2CSR   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (12 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 24th December 2017, at Antrim Marina)

Altogether, 24 colour-rings were read during today's visit, therefore, I had 10 absentees.   2FDK , was the first ring read at 09:13, and by 10:28, the ring of -  2AAN  was the 17th read in an hour and a quarter.  After that time, there were large gaps in arrivals, and my 24th and final ring read, was that of -  2FHC  at 12:34.  I departed at 1pm.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 12th September 2022

2FDK	2AAA	2CJT	2CSB	2FFP	2FIF	2FFA	2ABN
2AAB	2FHJ	2AAK	2FFX	2FFF	2FHV	2ACV	2CTC
2AAN	2FIA	2CSR	2FIH	2FHX	2ABS	2ABL	2FHC

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gull Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today

2ABA	2BRA	2CSA	2CSK	2CSL	2CSX	2FFC	2FHA	2FHP	2FIJ

Once it had quietened down a bit later in the morning, I decided to have a go at catching a bird or two, as the gulls were clearly eager to get at the bread offerings.  A couple of juveniles could easily have been caught, but still sporting so much brown plumage, I decided not to catch them as they are still so young and could perish over the next few weeks.  Larger, older juveniles were more wary and kept their distance.  Some adults, as well as 2nd year birds, were a bit bolder, and I managed to catch one adult, the first to be ringed this winter -  2FIK .

With the addition of -  2FIK , I'll be on the lookout for 35 colour-rings next week, plus any further returnees.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIK   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (12 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Adult, during Today's Visit to Antrim Marina)

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

One adult Herring Gull was present on my arrival, this being the usual adult which was not here last week.  I know this bird well, as it readily comes close to me, but today for the first time, it took bread directly from my hand.  The second year Herring Gull which appeared here last week, actually walked right up to me as I was sitting in my car feeding Mallards by hand.  He chased them off, and then proceeded to take the bread from my hand.  I have 'G' sized metal rings at home, so I'll have to bring these with me on my next visits and hopefully will catch and ring this one.  It would be interesting to see how this bird develops, and how it gets on in the future.  A juvenile Herring Gull appeared at 10:32, and spent most of it's time 'crying out', so it was clearly hungry.  A second adult Herring Gull landed on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre' just before my departure.

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull landed on one of the lampposts at 11:26, and an adult Common Gull landed on the short concrete jetty at 11:40.  No Common Gulls appeared here last week.  Last winter, a small Scottish-rung female Common Gull arrived back to Antrim Marina, on the earliest date ever recorded (16th August 2021).  This bird was ringed in Ayrshire, Scotland, as a chick in 2013, and was first recorded at Antrim Marina in February 2014.  Having returned to the Marina every year since, I'm eager to record its return once again.

40 Mallards had increased to around birds at a headcount made around 11:30am.  As usual, most legs were checked, but no rings spotted.

The Mute Swan family with their four cygnets, arrived in from Lough Neagh at 9:40am.  The landed on the small sandy beach, walked over the road to the slipway and then swam off upriver.  They reappeared at 11am onto the slipway.

A juvenile Rook at 10:30, and six Jackdaws were the only other species to be noted. 

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County Down - Thursday 8th September 2022

For a change in scenery, I decided to take myself off to County Down today, to work the western shores of Strangford Lough.  I left home in time, that I would arrive after a long drive to coincide with the tide beginning to go out.  Kilclief Bay, was my first stop when I got down that far, and my timing was perfect.  A small number of gulls and Sandwich Terns were scoped, as well as fairly numerous Dunlins, but no rings.  Driving from Kilclief Bay towards Millquater Bay, a large number of gulls could be seen on rocks and a small beach.  Parking on the grass verge, I scoped from a very long distance, and noticed a Black-headed Gull sporting a Darvic Ring.  To my delight, there was also a large number of Common Gulls there too (but none were ringed).

Grabbing my camera and telescope, I needed to cut down on the distance to have any chance of capturing the code on the Black-headed Gull.  Some gulls took to the air, and I was not even anywhere close to them.  Obviously, they were not that used to people being about.  Keeping as low as possible, I got close to the shore and began scoping again.  It took a few minutes, but I relocated my Black-headed Gull again, though it was still quite distant.  Zooming in, I just about manged to capture the code -  2AXT .

I could not place the code, though I knew it belonged to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland project.  On returning home and checking the code on my spreadsheet, I was delighted to see that this bird had been recorded before, and was a bit special.

 2AXT , had been ringed as a chick, on the 8th June 2016, at Inch Island in County Donegal.  Sightings of Black-headed Gulls from the Inch Island colony are extremely rare, as can be read in my account of - 2BCC in my previous post (read).

The first ever re-sighting of -  2AXT , was made by me, on the 4th November 2018 at Millquarter Bay, just up the road from where I recorded the bird today.  A year later, on the 6th November 2019, Graham McElwaine also recorded -  2AXT  at Millquarter Bay.  Today's sighting, takes the duration to 6 years and 3 months since being ringed, and the distance from Inch Island, is 150 kms / 93 miles (SE).

Black-headed Gull  -   2AXT   -  Millquarter Bay, Strangford Lough, Co. Down  (08 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 8th June 2016, at Inch Island, Co. Donegal, Republic of Ireland)

Driving on to nearby Millquarter Bay, it is very easy to scope the gulls from the car, and within a minute from parking, I spotted my first Darvic - a juvenile Herring Gull -  J76:D .  Back at home, I sent an email to Graham Prole, who is the ringing coordinator for the Irish Midlands Ringing Group.  Nearly all of the gulls ringed by them are ringed in or around the City of Dublin.  Graham replied with the birds ringing details.

 J76:D , was ringed as a chick, on the 14th June 2022, on the roof of the GPO building in the City of Dublin.  This was the first re-sighting since the gull was ringed, the duration being just 2 months and 25 days.  I submitted my sighting to the BTO, and the official distance was given as 118 kms / 73 miles (NNE).

Juvenile Herring Gull  -   J76:D   -  Millquarter Bay, Strangford Lough, Co. Down  (08 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 14th June 2022, on the roof of the GPO Building in the City of Dublin)

I continued to scope through the gulls on the beach of Millquarter Bay, and soon spotted a second Darvic on another Herring Gull -  J22:M .  Back at home, I ran the code through my spreadsheet, to find that this was now the second sighting for this young gull.   J22:M , was ringed as a chick, on the 26th June 2021, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man.  The first re-sighting was made by David Nixon, on the 6th April 2022, at the South Inner Bay at Dundrum in County Down.  The high tide roost on the South Inner Bay, is popular for both gulls and waders, and is easily scoped from the roadside.

We are not having much joy with the ringing coordinator for the Isle of Man (Mark Fitzpatrick), so he is obviously quite busy working with gulls on the Observatory Island of the Calf of Man.  I submitted my sighting to the BTO, and the distance was given as being 56 kms / 34 miles (WNW) from the Calf of Man.  The duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 2 months and 13 days.

Juvenile Herring Gull  -   J22:M   -  Millquarter Bay, Strangford Lough, Co. Down  (08 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 26th June 2021, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

Continuing to scope through the gulls, I spotted a Black-headed Gull with green on its leg, but was unsure at first whether it was a ring or seaweed.  The bird promptly submerged itself in a pool of water, so I had to wait for it to get up again.  Once it got up, it was a Green Darvic, and I managed to take one photo when all of the gulls took flight.  Looking to see what the problem was, a man with two spaniels were approaching the birds.  Looking at my photo - I was sure that this was a Norwegian bird rung -  JCH7 .

Back at home, I searched for the code on my spreadsheet, and found a match.  Back on the 6th November 2019, Graham McElwaine had recorded -  JCH7  on this very same beach, and at that time it was a first re-sighting since being ringed..

 JCH7 , had been ringed as chick, on the 11th June 2016, on Langåra Island, situated around 18 kms / 11 miles (SW) from Oslo.  After Graham's sighting in 2019, the bird went unrecorded until April 2021, when recorded back in Norway.  A series of sightings in Norway early in 2022, culminated with the gull found at a breeding colony on Fyrsteilene Island, around 6 kms (N) from it was originally ringed as a chick.  Black-headed Gulls often return to the same wintering sites, so this bird may have been overlooked during the winters of 2020 & 2021.

The duration since being ringed, is now 6 years, 2 months and 28 days, and the distance from Langåra Island to Millquarter Bay, is 1143 kms / 710 miles (SW).

Black-headed Gull  -   JCH7   -  Millquarter Bay, Strangford Lough, Co. Down  (08 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2016, on Langåra Island, near Oslo, Norway)

Moving on, I checked the beach at Ballyhornan and then proceeded to Ardglass Harbour, where I fell in with several colour-ringed gulls.

The first to be spotted, was a juvenile Herring Gull -  G47:M , which was no doubt ringed this summer.  An Isle of Man bird, I reported it to Mark Fitzpatrick, who has not replied as yet.  My sighting will likely be a first for this bird, and this one is the first to be recorded in Northern Ireland with the ring beginning with the letter ' G '.

Juvenile Herring Gull  -   G47:M   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (08 Sep 2022)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

Next up, was a second year Great Black-backed Gull -  U10:M , and this was it's fourth sighting here at Ardglass Harbour.   U10:M , was ringed as a chick, on the 8th July 2021, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man.  The first re-sighting was made on the 8th December 2021, after the young gull headed south to Rush Harbour in County Dublin.

On the 8th of April 2022, Graham McElwaine recorded the gull at Ardglass Harbour, which was followed by two other sightings at the harbour made by Declan Clarke, on the 5th & 23rd June 2022.  This latest sighting, takes the duration to 1 year and 2 months since being ringed, and Ardglass Harbour lies 57 kms / 35 miles (WNW) from the Calf of Man.

2nd Calendar Year Great Black-backed Gull  -   U10:M   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (08 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 8th July 2021, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

My next sighting was another 2nd calendar year Great Black-backed Gull -  U29:M .  It was ringed as a chick, on the 17th June 2021, on Kitterland Island - a small island situated between mainland Isle of Man and the Calf of Man.

It was first re-sighted on the 21st September 2021, at Kentraugh on the Isle of Man mainland.  It's next sighting was made by Graham McElwaine on the 8th April 2022, here at Ardglass Harbour.  My sighting today, is the 3rd for this bird, and comes 1 year, 2 months and 22 days after being ringed.  The distance from Kitterland Island, is 57 kms / 35 miles (WNW).

2nd Calendar Year Great Black-backed Gull  -   U29:M   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (08 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 17th June 2021, on Kitterland Island, Isle of Man)

The only Black Darvic of the day, was that of a Herring Gull -  T9WY .  This 3rd year Herring Gull was ringed as a chick, on the 30th June 2020, on the Calf of Man.  On the 12th October 2020, it was spotted at Dunmore East in County Waterford, having travelled 256 kms / 158 miles (SW) from the Calf of Man.

The gull then went un-recorded until the 10th April 2022, when Declan Clarke spotted the gull here at Ardglass Harbour.  On the 31st July 2022, John Smyth reported the gull, having landed on his fishing boat just off the coast of Coney Island, which is situated close to Ardglass.  My sighting today, takes the duration to 2 years, 2 months and 9 days since being ringed, as the distance from the Calf of Man, is 57 kms / 35 miles (WNW).

3rd Calendar Year Herring Gull  -   T9WY   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (08 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 30th June 2020, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

Yet another 2nd calendar year Great Black-backed Gull was spotted, which will be a first re-sighting in Northern Ireland, as it was not on my spreadsheet.  I reported -  U40:M  to Mark Fitzpatrick, but as mentioned above, there has still been no reply.  By arrangement with Mark, all sightings of Isle of Man gulls spotted in Northern Ireland, are submitted by myself, as I have all of the locations entered on my BTO DemOn Ringing Account, which saves Mark time, as he does not have to create the locations on his Account.

2nd Calendar Year Great Black-backed Gull  -   U40:M   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (08 Sep 2022)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

My final ring sighting of the day, was a fourth 2nd calendar year Great Black-backed Gull -  U25:M .  It is not on my spreadsheet, so will be yet another first re-sighting in Northern Ireland.  I have also reported this one to Mark.  I'll wait for another couple of days, and if I still get no reply, I will submit these new gull sightings to the BTO by their colour-codes only, and keep my fingers crossed, that the ringing details have already been submitted.

2nd Calendar Year Great Black-backed Gull  -   U25:M   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (08 Sep 2022)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

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Antrim Coast - Friday 9th September 2022

With only a couple of hours to spare, I worked the east County Antrim coast from Glenarm, moving northwards to Cushendall.  My main aim, was to check whether or not, an Icelandic rung Oystercatcher had returned to Carnlough Beach.  A fair number of gulls and waders were checked for rings, but the only one to be found was that of my Oystercatcher.

Ringed Orange over Orange on the left leg, and White (AA), on the right leg, this is now the seventh winter running that I have recorded - OO-W(AA), here on Carnlough Beach.  The bird was ringed as an unsexed breeding adult, on the 10th May 2016, in the Brautarholt area in south-west Iceland, and was last seen there feeding chicks on the 30th June 2016.  My first sighting at Carnlough, was made on the 10th August 2016.

The duration since being ringed, is now 6 years, 3 months and 30 days, and the distance from Brautarholt to Carnlough, is 1,356 kms / 842 miles (SE).  It was good to record another returnee.  Boddi, the ringing coordinator for the Icelandic Waders sent me a PDF File, but stressed that all of this summers sightings have not been passed down to him, so the file may not be up to date.

Oystercatcher  -  OO-W(AA)  -  Carnlough Beach, Carnlough, Co. Antrim  (09 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Breeding Adult, on the 10th May 2016, at Brautarholt, SW Iceland)

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Kilroot to Dargan Mudflats - Saturday 10th September 2022

Having recorded a Norwegian Black-headed Gull at Millquarter Bay, on the 8th September, I decided to try my luck at finding another one which winter's around Carrickfergus on the County Antrim coast.  I first encountered the gull in the winter of 2020, and it returned again last winter.  It frequents the ponds at Carrickfergus Leisure Centre, but I have also recorded it on the shore at Kilroot Power Station just to the north of Carrickfergus.  I checked both sites, but unfortunately there was no sign of it.  I took a look at the 'Live' Norwegian Ringing Database, but this bird was not recorded in Norway during the past summer.

The shore at Kilroot Power Station, was my first stop today, timing my arrival with the tide starting to recede.  I needed to be settled on top of the sea wall, so as not to disturb the gulls when they arrived in as the tide was going out.  By keeping myself as small as possible, the birds are quite happy with me being there.  Just the one colour-ring was spotted, and that was my third sighting of Herring Gull -  A:H58 .

 A:H58 , was ringed as a chick, on the 12th July 2018, on Lady Isle Nature Reserve, an island just off the coast of Troon, in Ayrshire, Scotland.  My first ever re-sighting of this bird, was made on the 29th November 2020, when I first visited this shore in front of the power station.  My second sighting occurred last winter, having spotted it here again on the 3rd October 2021.  David Grant, stated that my sightings are the only one's for this gull so far.  The duration since being ringed, is 4 years, 1 month and 29 days.  Kilroot is situated 111 kms / 68 miles (SW) from Lady Isle.

Herring Gull  -    A:H58    -  Kilroot Power Station (Shore), Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (10 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 12th July 2018, on Lady Isle Island, Ayrshire, Scotland)

Carrickfergus Leisure Centre, was my next stop in search of the Norwegian Black-headed Gull.  The only ring recorded was that of Black-headed Gull -  2CPS .   2CPS , belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Project, and was ringed as a chick, on the 16th June 2017, on Blue Circle Island on Larne Lough, Co. Antrim.

Today's sighting, is the 14th for this gull, with all sightings having been made here at the Leisure Centre.  Since being ringed in 2017, it has been recorded at least once every winter since.  The duration since being ringed, is 5 years, 2 months and 25 days, and the distance from Blue Circle Island, is just 12 kms / 7 miles (S).

I then drove to Rhanbouy Park in Carrickfergus to check on the gulls on the shore, though despite loads of gulls of varying species, no rings were spotted.  This was the same situation on the shore at Whiteabbey and at Whitehouse Lagoon, which was not helped, as the tide was now well out.

The mudflats at Dargan on Belfast Lough, presented me with three ring sightings.  On my arrival, two other birdwatchers were sitting with their telescopes, so goodness knows what they thought when I took out my camera to take a few photos.  Having scoped my first ringed bird, I zoomed into a Black-tailed Godwit with Blue over Black on the left leg, and an Orange Darvic with two Black rings on the right leg - BN-O(=) - (N represents the colour Black (Niger)).

BN-O(=), belongs to a catch of 24 Godwits, that were caught and ringed at the nearby RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve, on the 21st April 2021.  Today's sighting is my second for this bird, having spotted it here on the mudflats, on the 5th September 2021.  The duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 4 months and 20 days.

Black-tailed Godwit  -  BN-O(=)  -  Dargan Mudflats, Belfast Lough  (10 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 21st April 2021, at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve, Belfast)

My next ring sighting was that of a Black-headed Gull bearing a White Darvic.  This bird was extremely distant, and I had a lot of problems trying to obtain an eligible photo of the code.  The best I got, seemed to show (White) 2717, but by my standards, I could not accept this.  The gull eventually flew off, and as I watched it, the bird landed close to the waterline among other Black-headed Gulls.

It took a long time, but I relocated the bird, and this time I was able to obtain better photos, though the gull was still a long way off.  I was correct on the first encounter, the ring did read - (White) 2717.  I thought that this was a new sighting, for me it was, but on running the code through my spreadsheet, this bird was recorded in Belfast before.

That sighting was made by Suzanne Belshaw, when she came across the gull at the former Belfast Waterworks, on the 22nd June 2022.  At that time, the sighting was reported to Brian Burke, as I knew the bird belonged to the Lough Ree Gull Project in County Longford in the Republic of Ireland.  (White) 2717, had been ringed as a chick, on the 18th June 2021, on Kings Island, Lough Ree.  Suzanne's sighting was the first for this bird.  Today's sighting here at Dargan, takes the duration to 1 year, 2 months and 23 days since being ringed, and the distance from Lough Ree, is 182 kms / 113 miles (NE).

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  2717  -  Dargan Mudflats, Belfast Lough  (10 Sep 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 18th June 2021, on Kings Island, Lough Ree, Co. Longford, Republic of Ireland)

My third ring sighting was that of a Redshank.  On the left leg, the bird had a White Darvic with the letters - NCX, and on the right leg, a plain yellow ring - W(NCX)-Y.  I knew straight away, who this bird belongs to, but, as with other sightings of his colour-ringed birds, any feedback is rarer than observing a 'Green Moon'.  Not only does he ignore the emails sent to him, worst still, ringing details are not usually submitted to the BTO, which in turn, means, they cannot furnish ringing recoveries.

Recently, I recorded two of his colour-ringed Oystercatchers on the Myroe Levels, and on my DemOn Ringing Account, another Redshank - W(HCA)-Y, spotted on two occasions by Suzanne Belshaw (9th November 2021 & 1st February 2022), remains unresolved.  This is a poor state of affairs - why colour-ring birds if observers fail to get any feedback!!  It's high time, that the BTO should suspend the ringing permits for a period of time.  Perhaps, such ringers will pay more attention to their activities and the circumstances involved.  Although I'm a ringer myself, when I'm out ring reading, I am just another member of the public, who's ring sightings need to be addressed.

Redshank  -  W(NCX) - Y  -  Dargan Mudflats, Belfast Lough  (10 Sep 2022)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

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