Antrim Marina - (Tuesday 26th December 2023)

Antrim Marina - Tuesday 26th December 2023

I was due to undertake my weekly visit to Antrim Marina on Christmas Eve (24th December), but the weather was very poor with gales and a lot of rain.  I therefore decided to postpone the visit until Boxing Day (26th December).  Christmas Day, was already earmarked for my annual visit to Belfast, especially, the Connswater Shopping Centre car park.  I had made this visit to the car park since Christmas Day 2015, to look for a colour-ringed Norwegian Black-headed Gull - (White) J4TJ.  The bird's first Northern Ireland sighting was made by Adam McClure at the car park in January 2014.  I decided to pursue the gull every Christmas Day, as, with the shops all closed, I would have the car park to myself.  I called this Norwegian gull, my 'Christmas Day Gull', and it was duly recorded every year until Christmas Day 2021.

Last year, my car broke down on my way to Belfast, so I never made it to Connswater.  Before going to Belfast this Christmas, I checked the 'Live' Norwegian Ringing Database, to find that it had not been recorded since I last saw it in 2021.  I spent a lengthy time in the Connswater car park, and though I had plenty of Black-headed and Herring Gulls around me looking for my bread offering, no rings were spotted at all.  Leaving Connswater, I then visited Victoria Park, Kinnegar Beach and the Connswater mudflats, and had the same result - no rings.  This was a first, as in all previous Christmas Days, numerous rings were found.

So to Boxing Day, and my latest visit to Antrim Marina.  Having had a few 'glasses' the night before, I arrived at the Marina at the later time of 11:30.  It was calm and sunny, with the temperature reading 7°C.  The gulls were flying around all over the place, and I discovered that seven canoeists on the river scared the gulls off.  With the canoeists having made their way upriver, the gulls began to return just after 11:30, with the ring of -  2FHC  being read first at 11:39.  Less than an hour later, my 21st and final ring was read at 12:22.

What I did not expect during my visit, was the sheer number of families arriving to feed the ducks and swans.  Of course, the gulls had more than their fare share, and began to settle onto the roof of the Gateway Centre.  As well as all of the families, the Lough Neagh Rescue boat came and went, and later was hauled out of the water.  I was informed by one of the staff, that they were searching the river and Lough Neagh, for an Antrim man who had gone missing in the town on Sunday evening of the 17th December, and feared he may have fallen into the river, known as the Six Mile Water. 

My visit was not one of the best for several reasons, and I gave up at 2pm.  Numbers of Black-headed Gulls fluctuated widely, with a maximum of around 80 birds.  No further returnees were recorded, and I have given up on the hope of the return of the Swedish Black-headed Gull, ringed -  2FDL .  This bird should have returned in the latter half of November.  The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335 , which appeared here on the 8th August 2023, was spotted today at 12:21.

This winters total of colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls still stands at 34, with 8 of these having been ringed this winter.  Around half of the ringed gulls that were recorded last winter, have failed to return this winter, so there is little hope of their return now.  I firmly believe that 'Bird Flu' has taken it's toll.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Tuesday 26th December 2023

2FHC	2FJH	2FFA	2FJJ	2BRA	2CJT	2FDJ
2FJT	2AAN	2AFD	2CSR	2FIP	2FJA	2CSK
2ABN	2FIF	2FIL	2FFX	2FIK	2AAB	2FJF

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

2ACV	2BRD	2CTA	2FDK	2FFT	2FHT	2FHV
2FIA	2FIJ	2FJK	2FJL	2FJN	2FJP

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

13 Mute Swans were counted on my arrival, and none of the cygnets appeared during the visit.  A further three swans slipped in un-noticed taking the total to 16.  All of the swans came ashore, and the ring of -  Z78580  was read at 11:36.  This bird, which was ringed here as a juvenile in November 2020, returned to the Marina for a third winter running on the 1st October 2023.  It is now 3 years, 1 month and 11 days since it was ringed.

The pair of Herring Gulls were present throughout the visit.  The resident male, was joined by a new female just a few weeks ago.  Looking like she is here to stay.

Common Gulls reached a total of seven birds, which is the second highest total this winter.  All legs were checked, and I am now convinced that the small metal-rung Scottish has perished during the summer.

Around 40 Mallards decreased in numbers to around 25 birds by the time that I departed.  No wonder considering the amount of bread they had to eat.

The very tame Moorhen was once again seen plodding about all over the place.  Lots of people took much interest in this bird.

Four Jackdaws and a male Pied Wagtail appeared on several occasions, and three Hooded Crows made a brief visit to the small sandy beach.

On leaving Antrim, when I got back to Ballymena, I called into my local park, known as 'The Peoples Park'.  Around 100 Black-headed Gulls are present now, with numbers previously being on the low side for most of the Autumn.  I have made a few visits here over recent weeks, but not a single ring was spotted until today.  A metal-rung Black- headed Gull touched down briefly in front of me.  I managed to get one photo of the ring, and captured the five numbers on a BTO ring, meaning I was missing the two preceding letters -  **40015 .  The gulls here do not often get feeds, so most tend to be on the nervy side.  I will try to get this bird again, but it will be difficult to complete the number.

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From David Nixon and Suzanne Belshaw...

From David Nixon

An email from David Nixon on the 20th December 2023, produced quite an interesting ring sighting.  David was visiting Sprucefield Shopping Centre in County Down, when he spotted a Black-headed Gull bearing a Yellow Darvic.  David happened to have his binoculars handy, and was able to read the ring, which read -  250B .  Not having his camera with him, David took a photo with his mobile phone, but the code was un-readable.

This sighting of -  250B , is the very first winter sighting for this gull, though I had hoped for one from much further afield.  It was ringed as a chick, on the 6th June 2008, at Lough Mask in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland.  The bird was first discovered at Sprucefield Shopping Centre, on the 1st July 2013 by Adam McClure.  Over the years since then, there has been numerous Autumn sightings (most made by Suzanne Belshaw), which led to the belief that this gull uses Sprucefield as a 'staging post' before moving onto it's wintering quarters.  The latest ever Autumn sighting, was made by Suzanne last year, when she spotted -  250B  close to her home in Lisburn, County Antrim, on the 25th September 2022.  Within Northern Ireland, this was the gull's only sighting away from Sprucefield, though only a couple of kilometres separates the two sites.

Drawing a line from Lough Mask through Sprucefield, I always thought it might be likely that -  250B  was wintering in Scotland, possibly in Dumfries and Galloway.  I had wondered if the gull may have been ill, hence it still being at Sprucefield, but David assured me that the bird was looking very well and active.  What we need now, are further winter sightings around the Sprucefield / Lisburn areas,

The earliest Spring sighting at Sprucefield was made by Suzanne on the 17th February 2016, showing that Sprucefield was also being used as a 'staging post' on the birds return to Lough Mask.  The gull has been spotted close to it's natal nest site in 2009, 2010, 2017, and twice in 2019.

David's latest sighting, is the 37th on my spreadsheet.  The duration since being ringed, is now an impressive 15 years, 6 months and 14 days.  Sprucefield is situated 232 kms / 144 miles (ENE) from Lough Mask. 

Black-headed Gull  -   250B   -  Sprucefield Shopping Centre Car Park, Co. Down  (20 Dec 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 6th June 2008, at Lough Mask, Co. Mayo, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

Another Black-headed Gull was reported to me by David, on the 22nd December 2023.  This bird, colour-ringed -  2BY6 , was spotted at Nickey's Point, just south from Killyleagh in County Down.  I confirmed David's thoughts that this was possibly a Scottish bird, and I duly copied in Iain Livingstone into my reply to David.  A Common Gull with an Orange Darvic was also spotted, but the code on it's ring was badly smudged and was not readable, but I reckoned it was from Aberdeenshire in Scotland.  Unfortunately, the gulls took flight before David could take any photos.

On the 28th December 2023, we received a reply from Iain.   2BY6 , was ringed as a chick, on the 19th June 2018, at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  David's sighting was a first for this gull since it was ringed, with the duration being 5 years, 6 months and 3 days.  I have submitted the sighting to the BTO, but without an official distance, I reckon the distance is roughly 172 kms / 107 miles (SW), from Elvanfoot to Nickey's Point.

My thanks goes to David regarding both of his sightings, and to Iain for supplying the ringing details of -  2BY6 .

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From Suzanne Belshaw

Every so often, I receive an email from Suzanne Belshaw, with a whole list of ring sightings made over a period of time, so her latest email came as no surprise.  Here, I will work through from the earliest to the latest sightings.  During the Autumn and Winter months, Suzanne makes several visits to Kinnego Marina, and the lake at Lurgan Park, both sites being situated in County Armagh.  Lurgan Park Lake, is quite a productive site in recent years, with many ringed gulls turning up there.

A visit to Lurgan Park on the 27th November 2023, produced a single ring sighting, which was that of a Mute Swan -  Z78583 .  This was Suzanne's second sighting of the swan at the park, having first spotted the bird on the 31st January 2023.   Z78583 , was ringed as a juvenile at Lurgan Park, on the 2nd December 2020, by a member of the Belfast and North Down Ringing Group.  The duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 11 months and 25 days.

Mute Swan  -   Z78583   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (27 Nov 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Juvenile, on the 2nd December 2020, at Lurgan Park Lake)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Another Mute Swan is a regular at Hillsborough Park Lake in County Down.  This bird -  NLB , was ringed at Hillsborough Park as an adult male, on the 2nd March 2019.  This is now the 9th sighting record from Hillsborough, the last having been made on the 2nd December 2022.  The duration since being ringed, is now 4 years, 8 months and 27 days.

Mute Swan  -   NLB   -  Hillsborough Park Lake, Hillsborough, Co. Down  (29 Nov 2023)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 2nd March 2019, at Hillsborough Park Lake)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Suzanne returned to Lurgan Park, on the 5th December 2023, and made her second sighting this winter of the Norwegian Black-headed Gull - (White) J2234.  The previous sighting here on the 14th November 2023, was a first in Northern Ireland.  (White) J2234, was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Lake Lyseren, situated a short distance to the south-east from Oslo.

Two previous sightings were made in Norfolk, England, when the then juvenile, was spotted on the 2nd and 16th February 2023.  It is strange for a Black-headed Gull to winter at a different site, though this bird may still head over to Norfolk in the coming weeks.  It will be interesting to see what this bird does next.  The distance from Lake Lyseren to Lurgan Park, is 1,200 kms / 745 miles (WSW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 5 months and 24 days.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  J2234  -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (05 Dec 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Lake Lyseren, Norway)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

A returning Herring Gull, was spotted on two occasions close to Suzanne's home in Lisburn, on the 10th and 17th December 2023.  This metal-rung bird -  GY32513 , was ringed as a chick, on the 12th July 2020, on Lighthouse Island in County Down, which is home to the Copeland Bird Observatory.  This is now Suzanne's 5th and 6th sightings in the area, the first having been made on the 16th May 2021.  The distance from Lighthouse Island to Lisburn, is 40 kms / 24 miles (WSW), and the duration is now 3 years, 5 months and 5 days since being ringed.

Herring Gull  -   GY32513   -  Drumbeg Drive, Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (10 & 17 Dec 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 12th July 2020, on Lighthouse Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw) 

Two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls were recorded at Kinnego Marina by Suzanne, on the 13th December 2023.   2BPN , belongs to Adam McClure's former NI Black-headed Gull Study.  The bird was one of six Black-headed Gulls to be colour-ringed by Adam at Kinnego Marina.  One of these, was actually a bird from Latvia, which has long since perished.

As things look now, it appears that -  2BPN  is now the last of the six that is still alive, as -  2BPS  and -  2BPT  have not been seen since the 23rd February 2023 and the 31st March 2023 respectively.   2BPN , was ringed as an adult female, on the 29th October 2014.  The duration as of today's sighting, is now 9 years, 1 month and 14 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BPN   -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (13 Dec 2023)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 29th October 2014, at Kinnego Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The sighting of Black-headed Gull - (White) 24X7, is the third this winter, and it has been the second year running that the gull has been recorded.  (White) 24X7, was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake in West Berkshire, England.  Suzanne recorded the juvenile on three occasions last winter at Kinnego Marina, the first being on the 14th February 2023, the third on the 9th March 2023.

This Autumn, Suzanne recorded the return of (White) 24X7, on the 11th October 2023, at the nearby Lurgan Park Lake, and this was followed by a sighting made by Steven Fyffe on the 26th November, with the bird having made it's way back to Kinnego Marina.  The duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 6 months and 2 days, and the distance from Hosehill Lake, is 492 kms / 305 miles (NW).

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  24X7  -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (13 Dec 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake, West Berkshire, England)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The sighting of Common Gull -  2AIP , is the 27th sighting record for this bird.  As with all previous sightings, Suzanne spotted the bird on Whiteabbey Beach, this time, on the 14th December 2023.  The gull was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2012, on Big Copeland Island in County Down.  The full re-sighting history including distance and durations can be read (here).

My thanks once again goes to Suzanne for her sighting reports and photos.

Common Gull  -   2AIP   -  Whiteabbey Shore, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (14 Dec 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2012, on Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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Antrim Marina - (Sunday 17th December 2023)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 17th December 2023

Today, I drove straight to Antrim Marina after purchasing a couple of loaves of bread at the filling station on my way into Antrim Town.  I arrived just before 10am, and it was a shade on the dark side, as there was heavy cloud cover, and a fairly strong wind was blowing in from the Lough.  Throughout the morning, there were frequent 'spits' of rain, and it was quite mild temperature wise, with the gauge in my car reading 11°C.

Last Sunday, I captured and ringed my eighth new bird of the winter, which meant I was on the lookout for 34 colour-rings today, plus any further returnees.  Around 60 Black-headed Gulls were present, and nearly all were standing about on the jetties and on the car park.  The ring of -  2FIL  was the first to be read at 10am, and an hour later at 11am, 19 colour-rings had been read altogether.

The Latvian -  2AFD , was my 20th sighting at 11:06, this being my second sighting of him this winter here at the Marina.  He announced his return on the 19th November, when he landed on the bollard directly in front of my car.  Over the last couple of weeks, I had tried to record him at his now preferred wintering site at the Castle Way car park in the centre of Antrim Town, but today I did not bother going anywhere near the car park.

Another task during today's visit, was to obtain my first photos for three of the eight newly ringed birds this winter, with photos of the other five having already been sorted.  My 13th and 14th sightings at 10:23 and 10:25, were two of those gulls -  2FJT  ringed last Sunday, and -  2FJP  which was ringed two weeks ago on Sunday 3rd December 2023.  This now leaves me with -  2FJK , which has not been seen since being ringed, on the 3rd December.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJT   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (17 Dec 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 10th December 2023, at Antrim Marina)

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJP   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (17 Dec 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)

After recording -  2AFD , only two other colour-rings were read before I departed at 2pm, the finishing total being 22.   2FJN  was the 21st to be read at 11:19, followed by a lengthy wait before the Estonian -  2FDJ  appeared at 1:36.  This has left me with 12 absentees today.

The Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull -  543335  which has been here since the 8th August 2023, was spotted at 10:17.  Not long before departing, I attempted to catch and ring another couple of gulls, and the Icelandic bird was again inches away from being caught.  I could have caught one or two other birds, but elected to wait and see if the Icelandic bird would be tempted on the bread offering.  In the end, nothing was caught at all.

Back on the 12th November 2023, I recorded my third Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull this winter.  I was informed that this bird -  595818 , would have been ringed this year, but as yet, the ringer concerned has still to supply any details.

No further returnees were recorded today.  The number of Black-headed Gulls fluctuated from a low of around 20 birds, to a high of around 90.  Two men with paddleboards arrived onto the slipway at 11:50 and promptly headed upriver.  Their appearance saw all of the gulls flying away, though small numbers returned fairly quickly.  The two men returned at 12:40, which meant the gulls were off again.

At work, we have now finished for two weeks holidays over the Christmas period, so I plan to visit the Marina on the odd day or two, solely to focus on catching and ringing a few more gulls.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 17th December 2023

2FIL	2AAN	2FHC	2AAB	2FFA	2FJF	2FFX	2CSR
2FIF	2FJA	2CSK	2ACV	2FJT	2FJP	2ABN	2BRA
2CJT	2FJH	2FIP	2AFD	2FJN	2FDJ

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

2BRD	2CTA	2FDK	2FFT	2FHT	2FHV
2FIA	2FIJ	2FIK	2FJJ	2FJK	2FJL

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

One of the first birds to grab my attention on my arrival, was the same Moorhen that was spotted last Sunday.  It quite happily strutted around the Marina looking for food, and I still find it interesting about the birds confidence being around people.  It is not too fond of dogs though.

Moorhen

14 (White) Mute Swans and 4 cygnets were present on my arrival, and I'm fairly sure that these are the same cygnets that were reared just upriver from the Marina.  Two other broods of 3 and 2 have been recorded here over past weeks.  The brood of three are of similar age to the resident brood of four, whilst the other two are slightly younger, carrying more brown plumage.  The brood of two was first recorded along with a juvenile Whooper Swan, and one of these younger Mute Swans arrived in from the Lough at 11:02.  A count of the swans at 12:30, gave me 15 (White) birds, so one had slipped in un-noticed.  The metal-rung -  Z78580  was recorded at 10:50.

A pair of Herring Gulls were present throughout the visit, one being the resident male, and the other, a new bird first seen last Sunday.  As both birds stayed together for most of the time, it looks as if the new gull is a female.

Just three adult Common Gulls appeared today.  The first was present on my arrival, with the other two arriving at 11:32 and 11:37.  None of these birds were ringed.

Around 30 Mallards, saw numbers increasing slowly throughout the morning.  A rough count around midday, gave me a total in the region of 50 birds.  As per usual, most legs were checked for rings.

Two Jackdaws, and a male Pied Wagtail, were the only other species noted today.

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Antrim Marina - (Sunday 10th December 2023)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 10th December 2023

Today saw a very late start to my weekly visit to Antrim Marina, as I arrived at midday.  Earlier, very heavy rainfall due to Storm Elin, meant I had to wait at home until conditions improved.  While waiting at home, it became so dark at one point, that we had to put the kitchen light on.  Looking at the forecast, a brief rest-bite in conditions would see drier sunnier conditions from around midday to 2pm, before the next front of rain would make it's way in. 

On my arrival, around 60 Black-headed Gulls were spread out along the front of the Marina.  With 33 colour-rings to look out for, these included four adults that were caught and ringed last Sunday (3rd December).  During the visit, I was hoping to obtain my first photos of these newly rung gulls.  Two of the four were recorded today, with my 6th colour-ring sighting being that of -  2FJN  at 12:16, followed by my 16th ring sighting at 13:00 -  2FJL .

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJN   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (10 Dec 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJL   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (10 Dec 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)

My visit today only lasted for two and a half hours, when the sky began to darken down again as the next front approached.  Of the 33 colour-rings I was looking out for, 23 were recorded today, meaning I had 10 absentees.  Taking a closer look at these absentees, three birds -  2FDK ,  2FFT ,  2FHT , have had just a single sighting each so far this winter, while -  2FIJ  has had two.  Of these,  2FDK  really stands out, as in previous winters, this gull would be recorded on a regular basis during most weeks and is regarded as a year round resident.  Have I lost this one as well now?  I am convinced that the other three are using the Marina as a 'staging post' before moving on to their wintering sites wherever they may be.  

Another gull that has disappeared of late is -  2FHV .  Last winter,  2FHV  returned to the Marina on the 8th August 2022, having been spotted for a second time during the summer in Iceland, on the 8th July 2022.  Having returned, it was recorded regularly until the 10th October 2022, before disappearing until February 2023.  This winter,  2FHV  was recorded back, on the 31st July 2023, with regular weekly sightings until the 22nd October 2023.  Judging by my records, it may be possible that I will not see this one again until next spring.

No further returnees were recorded today, so the Swedish -  2FDL  is now well overdue.  Last winter, this gull returned on the 28th November 2022.  The Icelandic meal-rung Black-headed Gull -  543335 , which has been here since the 8th August 2023, was spotted again today at 12:35.

By 2pm, numbers had risen to around the 80 mark, which is still very low when compared to previous winters.  From time to time, an elderly man would arrive with a carrier bag full of bread to feed the ducks and swans, and he hates the gulls as he says they are too greedy.  Unlike the ducks and swans which can feed on grass and weed, there is little in the way of natural food for the gulls around the Marina.  That elderly gent arrived today, and the gulls of course managed to get their share of his bread.  I thought catching new birds to be ringed would be very difficult.  On trying, the gulls came fairly close, but not close enough.  I was fortunate, that a swan stood on the wing of one adult Black-headed Gull, which I duly rescued and this one is now ringed -  2FJT .

With the addition of -  2FJT , I will be on the lookout for 34 colour-rings on my next visit, and hopefully a returnee or two.  I still having many Blue Darvic-rung gulls missing from last winter.  Along with -  2FJT , I will hope to obtain my first photos of -  2FJK  and  2FJP  which did not show up today.

Among today's sightings, was that of the recently returned -  2CTA , which I had to resurrect from the 'dead list', and -  2BRD , which is a rare visitor to the Marina these days.  This is now my third sighting for -  2BRD  this winter, though I am convinced that it remains in the area of Antrim Town throughout the winter.  This same gull would appear at Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh, just before the onset of the new breeding season.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 10th December 2023

2FIF	2ABN	2BRA	2ACV	2CSK	2FJN	2FJA	2FJJ
2FIL	2CSR	2FIP	2FFA	2AAN	2FJF	2FHC	2FJL
2AAB	2CJT	2CTA	2BRD	2FDJ	2FFX	2FIK

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

2AFD	2FDK	2FFT	2FHT	2FHV	2FIA	2FIJ	2FJH	2FJK	2FJP

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

On my arrival, 13 (White) Mute Swans and 6 cygnets were present.  I say (White) swans, as usually one or two are immatures judging by their beak colour.  Among these swans,  Z78580  was recorded again at 12:27.  At 12:25, a further two swans arrived from the direction of Lough Neagh, with a 16th swan having slipped in un-noticed by 2pm.

Around 12:45, chaos erupted around the slipway, when four canoeists came paddling down river at speed towards the swans and ducks.  The birds went crazy as the canoeists, four abreast travelled directly towards them.  Oblivious to the panic that they were causing, the birds started to fly out towards the Lough before landing a short distance away, only to be disturbed again by these 'idiots'.  Fair enough, one man realised what was happening, and he broke away to the far side of the river and showed a bit of common sense.  If only I had a shotgun!!!

Eventually, all of the ducks and swans returned to the slipway.

"Idiots"

Mallard numbers were at last slightly up this week, with around 40 to 50 birds at all times.  As usual, most legs were checked for rings.

Two adult Herring Gulls were present throughout my visit, one being the resident male, the second, which stayed close to him, was a bird that I have not seen before judging by it's size and markings.  The first three Common Gulls arrived together just before 12:40, with a further two adults appearing just after 1pm.  So far this winter, 10 adults have been the highest number to be counted at any one time, and once again, there is still no sign of the small Scottish metal-rung female.

It has been a long time since I saw a Moorhen here, but this one, who quite happily walked about within feet of people, happily strutted about for about an hour before returning onto the river.  The Robin, was seen again skulking around the bushes beside the small sandy beach.

Repeated visits by two Jackdaws, were the only other species noted today.

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Antrim Marina - (Sunday 3rd December 2023)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 3rd December 2023

I arrived at Antrim Marina today, shortly after 10am.  On my way, I stopped as usual to purchase two loafs of bread and then drove to Antrim's Castle Way car park to see if there was any sign of the Latvian Black-headed Gull -  2AFD .  The car park is now this birds preferred wintering haunt, but as usual of late, not a single gull was present.   2AFD , made it's return known to me on the 19th November 2023, when it alighted onto the bollard directly in front of my car at the Marina.

It was a frosty start to the morning, with the car temperature gauge reading 1°C, a 50/50 blue/cloudy sky and just the lightest of breezes.  By the time of my departure, the temperature had risen slightly to 4°C.

All of the Black-headed Gulls were nicely settled throughout the Marina, with a head count giving me a total of 89 birds altogether.  The very first ring to be spotted at 10:15, was that of the metal-rung Icelandic bird -  543335 , ringed in Iceland in July 2023, arriving at the Marina on the 8th August.  It was the first of three metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gulls to be recorded here this winter, but there has been no further sightings of the other two, with just the single sighting for each.

With the 'shock' resurrection of -  2CTA  on last Sunday's visit to Antrim Marina, I was on the lookout for 29 colour-rings altogether, which included three gulls that have been caught and ringed this winter.  One of these three new birds was an adult, ringed 12th November 2023, as were the other two - a juvenile, and a second winter bird ringed on the same date.  The adult -  2FJH , was not recorded during the next three visits, but today, it was the 12th out of 18 colour-ring sightings, and I was able to obtain my first photo of this gull.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJH   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (03 Dec 2023)

(Ringed as an unsexed adult, on the 12th November 2023, at Antrim Marina)

My initial count of 89, turned out to be the high point, as overall numbers decreased slightly.  At times, practically no Black-headed Gulls were present at all.  My 18th and final sighting at 12:52, was that of -  2CSK , and I departed around an hour later.  The Swedish -  2FDL  did not appear, with this one now overdue.  Have I lost another gull, time will tell?  There were no further returnees and I have a number of gulls ringed with Blue Darvics, that were recorded last winter, though still missing this winter.

 2AAB , is the oldest surviving Black-headed Gull belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study, which ran from November 2012 until June 2018.  Ringed as an unsexed adult on the 11th December 2012, it is now 8 days away from it's 11 year milestone.   2AAB  is a year round resident at the Marina, and was my 13th sighting today.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 3rd December 2023

2BRA	2FIP	2FJJ	2AAN	2CJT	2FJA	2FIF	2ABN	2FFA
2FIL	2FIK	2FJH	2AAB	2FDJ	2FFX	2BRD	2CSR	2CSK

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

2ACV	2AFD	2CTA	2FDK	2FFT	2FHC
2FHT	2FHV	2FIA	2FIJ	2FJF

From around 1:15pm, I noticed that Black-headed Gulls were starting to rest up on the roof of the Gateway Centre.  No doubt these birds were quite content having raided on the bread being fed to the ducks and swans.  Despite it being a cold day, I was actually surprised by the number of folk that actually arrived to feed the birds.  A steady stream passed by all morning, and I thought my chances of catching any of the gulls would be slim.  However, at 1:30, with half an hour left before departing, I decided to chance my arm.

Within no time at all, I successfully caught four adult Black-headed Gulls, which were duly ringed -  2FJK ,  2FJL ,  2FJN  and  2FJP .  Having just ringed the fourth bird, a man with a large cine-camera arrived and set up his tripod pointing upriver on the low wooden jetty.  No doubt, some event or other was going to happen soon.  With his presence along with a couple of other men, the gulls decided not to hang about and flew off.  I did not hang about either, and decided to call it a day at 1:50.  I will try to photograph the newly rung birds on my next visit.  With these four new birds, I will be on the lookout for 33 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls next Sunday, plus any further returnees.  The total number caught and ringed this winter, has now increased to 7 altogether.

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

Once I had made my initial count of the number of Black-headed Gulls present, I then made a count of the other species present, beginning with the Mute Swans.

12 Mute Swans were present, but not a single cygnet.  At 10:45, a man and his daughter arrived to feed the ducks, prompting all 12 swans to exit onto the slipway, where the ring of -  Z78580  was read.  This bird was ringed here as a juvenile during November 2020, and has appeared back every winter since.  The first sighting this winter was made on the 1st October 2023.  By 12:00, a further two swans had slipped in un-noticed, and not a single cygnet appeared today.  One lady that I talked to, said that there was a single cygnet further up the river which flows through the Marina and into Lough Neagh.  A further check for rings on all 14 swans before my departure, did not reveal any further sightings.  Another November 2020 juvenile which had been ringed at Ballyronan, has not been seen at Antrim Marina since March 2022.

The resident adult male Herring Gull was present throughout today's visit.  2 adult Common Gulls at first, saw a further three arrivals around midday.  All five were still present on my departure, and there is still no sign of the small Scottish-rung female.  Ringed in June 2013, she had been recorded every winter since, but it is looking bleak on another return.

Mallard numbers continue to be shockingly low so far this winter.  Only 21 were counted on my arrival, and the total decreased to 15 birds at Midday.  A last count before leaving, saw the total rising to 29.  As usual, most if not all legs were checked for rings, but it has been a very long time since any were spotted.

A single Robin was seen for the second time this winter, with it skulking around the bushes beside the small sandy beach.  A male Pied Wagtail, was also seen feeding on the drift line on the beach.  2 Hooded Crows made several brief visits, as well as 3 Jackdaws.

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Antrim Marina - (Sunday 26th November 2023)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 26th November 2023

I was not too sure whether to undertake today's weekly visit to Antrim Marina.  Having started my car this morning at home, there was a 'wild' screeching sound coming from the alternator belt.  In the end, I decided to go ahead, arriving at the Marina at the later time of 10:50.  Weatherwise, it was very dull, but calm, with the temperature reading 10°C.  With very few people having arrived to feed the ducks today, I was going to attempt to catch and ring a few more Black-headed Gulls before I departed at 2pm.  Quite heavy rain began just before 1:30, so the idea of ringing was cancelled, so as not to put the gulls under any stress in the circumstances.  Having departed at 2pm, I was around a quarter of the way back home when the alternator belt snapped.  The battery light came on, and I also discovered that I had no power steering.  Keeping my speed down, once home, I took all of my gear out of the car, before driving down to my mechanic where I turned off the engine.  The car was ready on Thursday, with a brand new alternator and belt fitted.

Today saw another poor visit, with Black-headed Gull numbers around the 50 mark on my arrival.  Over the next four hours, there were times where I had no gulls at all.  The highest number of around 70 gulls were recorded around 11:30.

With -  2AFD  having returned from Latvia during last Sunday's visit, I was on the lookout for 28 colour-rings during today's visit, 3 of which, had been ringed this winter.  Altogether, 18 rings were read today, with the 16th being the 'shock' returnee -  2CTA .  I had given this bird up as dead, along with 10 others that were ringed with Orange Darvics in my blog post after my visit here on the 22nd October 2023 (read here).

 2CTA , was ringed as an unsexed 2nd winter bird at Antrim Marina on the 10th December 2018.  After being ringed, it was spotted on the 24th December 2018, which was it's final sighting of the 2018/2019 winter.

 2CTA  then returned to the Marina on the 28th October 2019, and was recorded on 7 occasions including the 24th February 2020.  The birds return for a third winter, was recorded on the 25th October 2020, with a just one other sighting made on the 31st October 2020.  Four sightings were made during the 2021/2022 winter, the first on the 25th October 2021, with the final sighting on the 21st February 2022.

The 2022/2023 winter, saw a single sighting which was made on the 13th March 2023.  This winter, due to no sightings through to October, I decided to 'write off' -  2CTA  as having perished through contracting 'Bird Flu'.  Now that the gull has been 'resurrected', I'm having second thoughts about it's status here now.  As the gull is now a mature adult, I reckon it has changed it's wintering status.  I'm leaning towards the idea that this is a foreign breeding bird, and could be using Antrim Marina as a 'staging post'.  This could also explain the single sighting last March - was the gull stopping by on it's way back home?

Now that I know it is still alive, it will be interesting to see how many times it will be recorded this winter - how I would also like a summer breeding season sighting.  The duration since being ringed, is now 4 years, 11 months and 18 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2CTA   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (26 Nov 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Year Bird, on the 10th December 2018, at Antrim Marina)

With the return of -  2CTA , this winter's total of colour-ring sightings now increases to 29 rings.  I was also hoping to record -  2FDL  back from Sweden.  Last winter, it's return was recorded on the 28th November 2022, but there was no sign of it today.

The Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335 , was again spotted at 11:58.  This bird was ringed in Iceland in July 2023, and has been recorded here during most weekly visits since the 8th August 2023.  Two other Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gulls, have also been recorded here this winter, but there has been no further sightings for these two.  I am still waiting on the ringing details from Iceland regarding  595818 , which was spotted on the 12th November 2023.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 26th November 2023

2AAB	2CJT	2BRA	2CSR	2FJJ	2FIK	2FFA	2FIP	2FJF
2FIA	2CSK	2AAN	2FJA	2FFX	2FIF	2CTA	2FDJ	2FHC

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded This Autun/Winter but Absent Today

2ABN	2ACV	2AFD	2BRA	2FDK	2FFT
2FHT	2FHV	2FIJ	2FIL	2FJH

From Graham McElwaine

An email arrived with me on Tuesday 28th November 2023, from Graham McElwaine.  Following on from surveying Whooper Swans in the Toome area of County Antrim, Graham stopped by Antrim Marina before heading home to Newtownards in County Down.  Whilst at the Marina, Graham recorded 8 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.  One of these was -  2ABN , which was absent during my visit two days earlier, and also the newly returned -  2CTA .  My thanks to Graham for these.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Tuesday 28th November 2023

2ABN	2BRA	2CSR	2CTA	2FFA	2FFX	2FIP	2FJJ

Other Birds Recorded at Antrim Marina

9 Mute Swans, plus 1 cygnet were present on my arrival.  A further 4 Mute Swans arrived from upriver at 11:15, taking the total to 13 (White) Mute Swans.  At one point, all 13 were out of the water, but none were ringed.  A 14th swan arrived in from Lough Neagh at 11:28, and this one was -  Z78580 , which was ringed here in November 2020 as a juvenile.  This winter -  Z78580  arrived back to the Marina on the 1st October and has been recorded on most weekly visits since then.  The duration for this one is now 3 years and 11 days since being ringed.

Mallard numbers still remain low for this time of the year.  Around 30 were present throughout my visit, and I'm fairly sure all were checked for rings.

The resident adult male Herring Gull was present throughout.  2 Common Gulls, increased to 5 birds by 11:20.  By 12:18, a high of 7 were recorded, and once again, there is still no sign this winter of the small metal-rung female from Scotland.  So far this winter, 10 adult Common Gulls has been the highest number to be recorded so far.

Just 2 Jackdaws appeared today on several occasions, so I'm presuming that they were the same two each time.  A pair of Hooded Crows also made several appearances.  They happily fed on a dead fish lying on the slipway.  A juvenile Pied Wagtail was the only other species recorded, possibly the same bird noted recently.

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