Great To Be Back...

Antrim Marina - Monday 20th February 2023

Having missed seven weekly visits to Antrim Marina, I finally returned to resume these weekly visits.  I have been studying a wintering population of Black-headed Gulls at the Marina, through the use of colour-coded rings since September 2013, when I became involved with Adam McClure's Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study.

Adam, sadly had to give up on his former project which began in November 2012, ending in June 2018, but I decided to continue with my Study at Antrim Marina.  During my study, I retrained as a ringer, and as a result, I now colour-ring Black-headed Gulls at Antrim Marina, and also began a colour-ringing project on Rathlin Island in 2017, ringing Common Gull chicks there.

Over the years, we have discovered that the wintering population of Black-headed Gulls at Antrim Marina, consists of a mix of resident gulls, as well as birds from Europe, Scandinavia and Iceland.  For many of the gulls, their summer destinations are so far unknown.

I begin my winter visits on the first weekend in August, finishing on the last weekend in March.  Each winter, sees the start of a new winter list, where I record returning birds, as well as catching and ringing new birds to add to my project.  At the time when my previous car broke down on Christmas Day, I had recorded 39 Black-headed Gulls from previous winters, plus catching 9 new birds giving me an overall total of 48 colour-ringed birds.  Suzanne Belshaw's sighting of -  2FDT  on the 2nd January 2023, added another returnee to the list, taking the total to 49 birds altogether this winter.

A few Black-headed Gulls, caught and ringed during last winter (2021/2022), have failed to return this winter, plus a few ringed in earlier years.  Having just missed on seven weekly visits does not help, as some of these gulls may well have returned, though not recorded as yet.  One gull in particular, that was ringed here at Antrim Marina, was spotted in Antrim's town centre, but has not been recorded at the Marina so far.  That bird is -  2AFD , who we know goes to Latvia each summer.

For today's visit to the Marina, I decided to arrive at the later time of 11am, aiming to depart at 3pm.  On arrival, I noted that dredging operations had been in operation, though there was no work in progress today.  Loads of Black-headed Gulls were in the area, with many perched on the fencing forming the compound.  Once parked at my usual spot beside the slipway, I estimated there were easily 80 to 100 plus gulls present altogether.

With 49 colour-rings to look for, I recorded 24 inside my first hour, with that of -  2FIK  being read at 11:53.  My final total before departing was a disappointing 27, with the final three rings being read at 12:51 -  2FFC , 1:52 -  2FIH , and 2:35 -  2FDK .  This meant I had 22 absentees during today's visit, and no new returnees.

Among the 27 re-sightings, were four birds, where their summer destinations are known, which includes the 'Star Bird' at Antrim Marina -  2FDJ , who has been spotted in the past in Eastern Estonia.  The other three, are -  2ACV  (RSPB Leighton Moss, Lancashire),  2FDL  (Sweden), and -  2CSL  (Poland).

Black-headed Gull  -   2FDJ   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (20 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 18th November 2019, at Antrim Marina)

During my visit, I had conversations with a number of people, including one man who would regularly stop by to talk with me.  He had noted my absence, thinking that I must not have been well.  He informed me, that there were far more gulls here yesterday, possibly double the number here today.  Apparently, loads of folk arrived to feed the ducks, with the gulls taking full advantage to the bread being thrown out.

Today, also saw a number of feeds, so much so, later in the morning, the birds became less interested and my attempts at catching one or two were futile.  Today, also saw me recording -  2FJC  for the first time, having been ringed on the Monday (19th December) the week prior to my car breaking down.  This gave me the opportunity to take my first photo of the gull. 

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJC   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (20 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 19th December 2022, at Antrim Marina)

The weather conditions during today's visit, were very mild, with sunny spells early on in the morning.  The temperature gauge in my car was reading 12°C, which must have been good enough for flying flies or other insects.  A good number of gulls flew high over the Marina, especially over the conifers, 'hawking' the bounty.  In the last hour before I departed, the cloud thickened and a light drizzle started to fall.  The number of gulls present began to fall slightly, as did the temperature by one degree.  I was really pleased to be back again, and hopefully a few of today's absentees will be recorded next Monday.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 20th February 2023

2AAK	2BRA	2FIP	2FIA	2FDJ	2AAB	2CTC	2FIN	2FIF
2ACV	2CSK	2CSR	2FDT	2FJC	2FFA	2FIL	2CJT	2ABL
2AAA	2FFX	2AAN	2FDL	2CSL	2FIK	2FFC	2FIH	2FDK

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

2ABA	2ABN	2ABS	2CSA	2CSB	2CSX	2FDX	2FFF
2FFL	2FFP	2FFT	2FHA	2FHC	2FHJ	2FHP	2FHV
2FHX	2FIJ	2FIT	2FIV	2FIX	2FJA

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

On parking my car beside the slipway, I saw a very large number of Mute Swans, but my first priority was to begin reading the colour-rings on the Black-headed Gulls.  After a while, my attention returned to the swans, with a count of 23 birds altogether.  Eventually, I was fairly certain that all of the swans came ashore at some point, and one metal-ring was read.   Z78580 , was regularly recorded here at the Marina last winter.  This winter, it was first recorded on the 28th November 2022, and was spotted for a second time by Suzanne Belshaw on the 2nd January 2023.  The swan was ringed as a juvenile here at the Marina, on the 15th November 2020, which takes the duration to, 2 years, 3 months and 5 days, since being ringed.

Mallards numbered around the 50 mark, which was constant throughout my visit.  Again, most legs were checked, but none were ringed.  The metal-rung Mallards that were recorded here in the past, were duck farm chicks that were purchased, reared in captivity and ringed before being released into the wild.  The birds belonged to a gun club in County Monahan, with the aim to replace ducks into the wild that were shot by the club's members.

A pair of Herring Gulls were also present throughout today's visit, with the male being easily recognised as being the same gull that has been here all winter.  I can tell by it's habit of close approach that it is the same bird.

At 11:40, 2 adult Common Gulls arrived, and a juvenile appeared at 11:45.  I missed the arrival of more Common Gulls, but at 12:21, there were 5 adults and 2 juveniles.  No sign of the small Scottish-rung female -  EY64036 .  Ringed in Hunterston, Ayrshire as a chick in 2013, this gull is a winter visitor to the Marina.  This winter, it has only been recorded on just the one occasion - 28th November 2022.

3 Rooks, 1 Hooded Crow, 1 Magpie and 3 Jackdaws were the only other species noted at the Marina during today's visit.

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From David Nixon and Paul Hilton

An email arrived from David Nixon, on the evening of Saturday 18th February 2023.  David was part of an RSPB Group out birdwatching earlier in the day covering the east coast of County Antrim.  Whilst on the platform of Glynn railway station which overlooks the foreshore of Larne Lough, a Black-headed Gull was spotted with a White Darvic.  Between David and Paul Hilton, the code on the ring was read as - (White) EE5R, and David left it in my hands to find the owner.

In my reply to David, I stated 'Good Job - One of My Old Friends'.  (White) EE5R, is a Dutch bird, having been ringed at Harlingen, Griend, as an unsexed 2nd calendar year bird, on the 21st May 2016.  Having been re-sighted at Harlingen in May 2017, and twice in April 2018, I recorded it's first sighting in Northern Ireland on the 19th December 2018, at Kinnegar Beach on the County Down side of Belfast Lough.

The next two sightings, were also made here in Northern Ireland.  On the 12th November 2019, Harry Byron spotted (White) EE5R, at Crawfordsburn Beach, also in Co. Down, whilst I recorded the gull back on Kinnegar Beach, on the 5th December 2021.

I reported David's and Paul's sighting to Date Lutterop, who replied to say, that the gull had not been seen since my 2021 sighting.  The duration since being ringed, is now 6 years, 8 months and 25 days, and the distance to Glynn, is 742 kms / 461 miles (WNW).

My thanks to David for the sighting report, and to Paul for allowing me to use his photo, as well as to Date for his reply.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  EE5R  -  Glynn, Larne Lough, Co. Antrim  (18 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 21st May 2016, at Harlingen, Griend, Holland)

(Photo Courtesy of Paul Hilton)

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From Suzanne Belshaw

I have lost count at the number of ringed Juvenile Black-headed Gulls that Suzanne Belshaw has recorded here this winter, and now she has spotted another one practically on her doorstep in Lisburn.  Suzanne reported her sighting of (White) 2963, to Brian Burke, who is the ringing co-ordinator for the Lough Ree Gull project in County Longford in the Republic of Ireland.

Brian replied to say that (White) 2963, was ringed as a chick, on the 14th June 2022, on Goat's Island on Lough Ree.  Suzanne's sighting was a first since being ringed, the duration now being 8 months and 5 days.  The distance from Lough Ree to Lisburn, was given by Brian, as being 161 kms / 100 miles (NE).  Thanks yet again to Suzanne for the sighting and photo, and to Brian for supplying the details.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  2963  -  Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (19 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 14th June 2022, at Lough Ree, Co. Longford, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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From David Stirling

David Stirling who is a more recent contributor for ring sightings, has reported another colour-ringed gull at Ardglass Harbour in County Down, this one being a Herring Gull -  F16:D .  I relayed David's email to Graham Prole, who is the Ringing Co-ordinator for the Irish Midlands Ringing Group.

Graham was very quick in his response, giving the ringing and re-sighting history for the bird.   F16:D , was ringed as a chick, on the 4th July 2020, on Dalkey Island in County Dublin, Republic of Ireland.  The first re-sighting of the then juvenile, was made on the 24th August 2020, when spotted at Bray Harbour in County Wicklow, situated just south from Dalkey Island.

 F16:D , then went unrecorded until the 10th July 2022, when spotted by Declan Clarke here at Ardglass Harbour.  Somehow, this sighting passed me by, as it was not on my main Ring Reading Spreadsheet.

David's latest sighting takes the duration to, 2 years, 3 months and 5 days, since being ringed, and Ardglass Harbour is situated 116 kms / 72 miles (NNE) from Dalkey Island.

My thanks again to David for his sighting report, along with the photo, and also to Graham Prole for supplying the history for -  F16:D .

Herring Gull  -   F16:D   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (20 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 4th July 2020, on Dalkey Island, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Stirling)

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More Firsts...

Finally, I have recorded my first ring sighting in 2023.  Having been without a car since Christmas Day, my new car had a quick run out ring reading on Tuesday 14th February.  This coming weekend will now see me back in action, as well as resuming my weekly visits to Antrim Marina on Monday.

A few more first sightings have come in from David Stirling, Suzanne Belshaw and myself, which all adds to a quite an extensive list recorded this winter, along with a vast number of re-sightings.  They all help to build up a history for those birds concerned, along with their survival rates.  All good stuff.   

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Carnlough Bay & Glenarm Harbour

With a little spare time on Tuesday afternoon on the 14th February, my eldest son and I, took a quick run down to the coastal villages of Carnlough and Glenarm.  At Carnlough Beach, the outflow of the Glencloy River attracts a lot of gulls who like to bathe in the freshwater.  Common Gulls easily outnumbered the Great Black-backed's, Herring and Black-headed Gulls.  There were also good numbers of Ringed Plovers, Turnstones, Dunlins, plus a handful of Oystercatchers.  

Scoping from the edge of the playpark, I eventually spotted one of my own colour-ringed Common Gulls.   2BCV , was ringed at a chick, on the 19th June 2018, at the Arkill Bay colony on Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim.  I began a Common Gull colour-ringing project on Rathlin in 2017, with the main aim of seeing how many chicks survive to return as breeding adults.

This sighting of -  2BCV , was a first for this bird, coming 4 years, 7 months and 26 days, since being ringed.  The distance from Arkill Bay to Carnlough, is a mere 36 kms / 22 miles (SSE).  I often wonder what's happening to my Common Gulls, as sightings during the winter months are few and far between.  This sighting of -  2BCV , proves there are gulls still out there alive and well, but are just not being spotted, or are being spotted by observers who cannot read rings at a distance.

Another thought, is that -  2BCV  would definitely have been of breeding age last summer, but did the gull return to Rathlin to breed?  There are two small east coast colonies on Rathlin, where access from the landowner has not been given.  It is possible, that -  2BCV  bred at one of the two colonies?

Common Gull  -   2BCV   -  Carnlough Beach, Carnlough, Co. Antrim  (14 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2018, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim)

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From David Stirling

David Stirling has been in touch again with another colour-ringed gull sighting.  On Saturday 11th February 2023, whilst at Ardglass Harbour in County Down, David spotted a juvenile Great Black-backed gull bearing a Green Darvic, the code reading -  N:3G4 .  Going onto the cr-birding website, the corresponding scheme was found and an email was sent out.  By Wednesday, there had been no reply, therefore I decided to submit the sighting through my BTO DemOn Account by the birds colour marks only, and we duly received a recovery.

 N:3G4 , was ringed as a chick, on the 4th July 2022, at Walney South Nature Reserve in Cumbria, England, by members of the Walney Bird Observatory.  Looking at DemOn, as I now had the gull's metal number, I could see that David's sighting was the first confirmed record since being ringed.  The duration since ringing, is 7 months and 7 days, and the distance from South Walney, is 161 kms / 100 miles (W).

The gull also happens to be the first Great Black-backed with a Green Darvic, to be entered onto my Main Ring Reading Spreadsheet, so it looks likely that this is the first from Cumbria to be recorded in Northern Ireland.

My thanks goes to David, who happens to be a more recent contact, for his sighting along with the photo.

Great Black-backed Gull  -   N:3G4   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (11 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 4th July 2022, at Walney South Nature Reserve, Cumbria, England)

(Photo Courtesy of David Stirling)

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From Suzanne Belshaw

Suzanne has followed on with a series of sightings of late, with another batch of sightings, which included two juveniles that have been recorded for the first time since being ringed.

A visit to Tyrella Beach in County Down, on the 10th February 2023, produced a colour-ringed juvenile Herring Gull -  H04:M .  Having contacted Mark Fitzpatrick, who is the ringing co-oirdinator for the Isle of Man, we quickly received the ringing details.

 H04:M , was ringed as a chick, on the 10th July 2022, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man.  Suzanne's sighting was a first for this youngster, coming 7 months exactly since being ringed.  Tyrella Beach, is situated 64 kms / 39 miles (WNW), from the Calf of Man.

Our thanks goes to Mark for supplying the ringing details.

Herring Gull  -   H04:M   -  Tyrella Beach, Co. Down  (10 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 10th July 2022, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

On the 9th February 2023, Suzanne made another visit to the former Belfast Waterworks, having been there last, on the 27th January 2023.  On this occasion, 3 colour-ringed Greylag Geese were recorded, as well as two ringed Black-headed Gulls, which took off before Suzanne could read their rings.  One was a Black-headed Gull bearing a Green Darvic, which may well have been one of the Norwegian gulls previously recorded here.  The second Black-headed Gull, was ringed with a metal ring.

Two of the Greylags - (White) 024 and (White) 039, were recorded during Suzanne's previous visit (see previous post).  The third Greylag, had been recorded on two occasions in the past, but we were unable to obtain a ringing recovery without the metal number.  Although we know that these geese are ringed by the Belfast and North Down Ringing Group, at that time, the ringing details were either not submitted, or were submitted without including the colour-marks.

Aware of the situation, Suzanne had the awareness to photograph the metal ring as well as the colour-ring.  I submitted the sighting of - (White) 016, by the metal-ring -  5101913  to the BTO, and we have now received a recovery.   5101913 , had been ringed as an unsexed juvenile at the Waterworks, on the 18th August 2020.  Suzanne's previous sightings at the Waterworks, were made on the 28th September 2020, and on the 3rd December 2021.  This latest sighting, takes the duration, to 2 years, 5 months and 23 days since being ringed.

Greylag Goose  -  (White)  026  -  Belfast Waterworks, Cliftonville, Belfast  (09 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Juvenile, on the 18th August 2020, at Belfast Waterworks)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

On the 14th February 2023, Suzanne followed on with a host of recent visits to Lurgan Park Lake and Kinnego Marina.  One new colour-ringed Black-headed Gull was spotted, along with further sightings of Black-headed Gulls -  2BPS ,  EN52966  and Mute Swan -  X4638  at Kinnego Marina, as well as Black-headed Gulls -  2FCK  and  EZ02451  at Lurgan Park (see previous post).

The new ring sighting was that of a juvenile Black-headed Gull rung - (White) 24X7.  The owners of - (White) 24X7, have been in touch, but cannot supply details until this weekend.  I submitted Suzanne's sighting to the BTO by the colour-marks only, and we did receive a recovery.

(White) 24X7, was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake Nature Reserve in West Berkshire, England.  Suzanne's sighting was a first for this juvenile, coming 8 months and 3 days since being ringed.  The distance to Lurgan Park Lake, was given as 492 kms / 305 miles (NW).

Again, my thanks to Suzanne for another crop of ring sightings, along with the photos.  Suzanne is really keeping me busy at present.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  24X7  -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (14 Feb 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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On The Road Again...

At last, I'm on the road again having purchased a new car.  My previous car broke down on Christmas Day on route to Belfast to re-sight a colour-ringed Norwegian Black-headed Gull.  With the cost of replacing the clutch, a flywheel and a leaking steering rack, I decided to scrap the car, which was due to be replaced later this year.  Having been caught on 'the hop', it has taken seven weeks to find a replacement having test drove a few cars which were not to my liking.  One car that I had thought was promising, was sold to a second car dealer as a job lot of five cars.  I finally caught up with this particular vehicle, and after a test drive, I bought it.

Having been off the road, I could not doing any ring reading at all, and worst still, I was unable to get to Antrim Marina for my weekly visits.  Over the seven weeks, I have had hundreds of gulls coming to my front garden, where they were filmed in the event any were colour-ringed.  Using the occasional chicken carcass left out on the lawn, not even a metal was spotted, and the Christmas Turkey carcass was picked at for several days by mainly Black-headed Gulls.  What always surprised me here, was that juveniles always outnumbered adults by about 9 to 1.

I cannot make it to Antrim Marina tomorrow (Monday 13th February), but normal service will resume from next weekend, when I will be on the search for ringed gulls.  I might just try the Connswater Shopping Centre car park next Sunday in search for the Norwegian Black-headed Gull, and Monday will see me returning to Antrim Marina, where a number of returning Black-headed Gulls should have been recorded by now.

This post is very lengthy and the bulk of the ring sightings have come from Suzanne Belshaw, which include several first re-sightings.  The post was started several weeks ago, but I had spent a lot of time looking for a car, which also meant a lot of walking, especially to and from work, a 45 minute journey each way.

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From Suzanne Belshaw

Suzanne has been in touch concerning her latest ring sightings at Lurgan Park and Antrim Marina, though I have been sitting on these for quite some time now.  On the 9th December 2022, Suzanne visited the lake at Lurgan Park in County Armagh, where she recorded two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.  The first bird -  2P97 , has now been recorded for a third time in Northern Ireland, and this was the bird's second appearance at Lurgan Park.   2P97 , was ringed as a chick, on the 18th June 2019, at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

It was first recorded here, on the 1st December 2020, when David Nixon spotted the gull at Corbet Lough in County Down, and then Suzanne recorded the gull here at Lurgan Park, on the 27th January 2022.  The distance from Elvanfoot to Lurgan, is 202 kms / 125 miles (WSW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 3 years, 5 months and 21 days.  The ringing co-ordinator for the project - Iain Livingstone was contacted, and these three sightings remain the only ones for this gull.

Black-headed Gull  -   2P97   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (09 Dec 2022)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The second Black-headed Gull, was a juvenile, rung -  2EXP .  Having contacted the ringing co-ordinator Ben Dolan, this was the first sighting for this young gull, having been ringed as a chick, on the 7th June 2022, at the Marsh Lane Nature Reserve in the West Midlands area of England.  The distance from Marsh Lane to Lurgan Park, is 383 kms / 237 miles (NW), and the duration since being ringed, is 6 months and 2 days.

 2EXP , was also the second juvenile from the same colony, having been ringed on the same date, to turn up at Lurgan Park this winter.   2FCK , was first recorded at Lurgan Park, on the 26th October 2022, and has now accumulated four sightings there altogether (read Suzanne's second report below).

Black-headed Gull  -   2EXP   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (09 Dec 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 7th June 2022, at Marsh Lane NR, West Midlands, England)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Unable to visit Antrim Marina since my car broke down on Christmas Day, Suzanne's visit to Antrim Marina on the 2nd January 2023, produced one returnee, out of the four rings which were read.   2FDT , was last recorded at Antrim Marina, on the 14th March 2022.   2FDT , was ringed as a juvenile/1st winter bird, on the 9th November 2020, here at the Marina.  During the winter of 2020/2021, it was last recorded at the Marina, on the 4th January 2021 (Covid lockdown prevented further visits), and the gull returned on the 30th August 2021.

Suzanne's sighting is the 35th record for -  2FDT  at the Marina, and where the gull goes to during the summer months is as yet unknown.  The duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 1 month and 24 days.   2FDT , is now the 49th colour-ringed Black-headed Gull from my Study at the Marina, to have been recorded this winter.  The total includes nine Black-headed Gulls caught and ringed in the weeks before Christmas Day.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FDT   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (02 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 9th November 2020, at Antrim Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

It was actually getting dark when Suzanne called by Antrim Marina.  A further two Black-headed Gulls were also recorded - these being -  2FIN  and -  2FIX , both caught and ringed this winter.   2FIX , was ringed on the 19th December 2022, and this happened to be it's first re-sighting since.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIN   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (02 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 31st October 2022, at Antrim Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIX   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (02 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Adult, on the 19th December 2022, at Antrim Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The metal ring of a Mute Swan was also read.   Z78580 , was ringed as a juvenile at Antrim Marina, on the 15th November 2020, by Debbie Nelson and Aidan Crean.  During the winter of 2020/2021, the final sighting was made on the 26th April 2021, before returning to the Marina, on the 6th December 2021.  A further 15 re-sightings were made at the Marina during the 2021/2022 winter, with the final sighting having been recorded on the 28th March 2022.  I recorded the return of -  Z78580 , on the 28th November 2022, which was the only sighting this winter until now.  The duration since being ringed, is 2 years, 1 month and 18 days.

Mute Swan  -   Z78580   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (02 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as a Juvenile, on the 15th November 2020, at Antrim Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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From Cameron Moore

Back in early January, Cameron Moore sent me an email reporting on the sighting of a Black-headed Gull bearing a White Darvic - 2503, which was spotted at Rhanbouy Park in Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim.  The gull was ringed as a chick, on the 17th June 2021, on Lough Ree in County Longford in the Republic of Ireland.  This latest sighting of - (White) 2503, is the fifth record for the gull at Carrickfergus, and the sixth overall, having been spotted in County Tyrone.

The duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 6 months and 16 days.  The distance from Lough Ree to Carrickfergus, is 188 kms / 116 miles (NE).  Brian Burke, who is the ringing co-ordinator for the Lough Ree Gull project, replied to Cameron's sighting, with an updated PDF File which can be read (here).  My thanks to both Cameron for the latest sighting and to Brian for his speedy reply.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  2503  -  Rhanbouy Park, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim  (02 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 17th June 2021, on Lough Ree, Co. Longford, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Cameron Moore)

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From David Stirling

David Stirling is a relatively new contact, and at the end of January, I received an email concerning the sightings of two immature Herring Gulls spotted at Ardglass Harbour in County Down, on the 30th January 2023.  Having contacted Mark Fitzpatrick, who is the ringing co-ordinator for the Isle of Man, the sightings of  J41:M  and  K72:M , were the first for the birds since they were ringed as chicks on the Calf of Man.

 J41:M , was ringed on the 26th June 2021, which takes the duration since being ringed, to 1 year, 7 months and 4 days.   K72:M , was ringed on the 15th July 2021, and with a second re-sighting made by David on the 8th February 2023 at Ardglass Harbour, the duration is now 1 year, 6 months and 24 days since being ringed.  My thanks to David for his sightings, along with photos, and to Mark for supplying the ringing details.  The distance from the Calf of Man to Ardglass Harbour, is 57 kms / 35 miles (WNW).

Herring Gull  -   J41:M   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (30 Jan 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of David Stirling)

Herring Gull  -   K72:M   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (30 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th July 2021, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of David Stirling)

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From David Nixon

David Nixon has been in touch, concerning the latest sighting of Common Gull -  2BBC , on the seafront at Millisle in County Down.  On my main Ring Reading Spreadsheet, this is the 47th sighting report for the gull since it was ringed as a chick, on Big Copeland Island in County Down, on the 23rd June 2009.  This takes the duration since being ringed, to a nice 13 years, 7 months and 10 days.  All, but the very first re-sighting, have been recorded on the Millisle seafront (especially in the main car park), which is situated roughly 8 kms / 5 miles (S), from Big Copeland Island.

As a then juvenile,  2BBC  was first recorded on the 23rd January 2010, on Gormanston Strand in County Meath in the Republic of Ireland - the distance being 124 kms / 77 miles (SSW).  My thanks goes to David, for his sighting of the most recorded Common Gull here in Northern Ireland.

Common Gull  -   2BBC   -  Millisle Seafront, Drumfad Bay, Co. Down  (02 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 23rd June 2009, on Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

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And More From Suzanne Belshaw

Further ring sightings have been received from Suzanne Belshaw during the month of January.  On the 13th January 2023, Suzanne visited Kinnego Marina and the lake at Lurgan Park, recording four ringed birds altogether.  Black-headed Gulls -  2BPN  and -  2BPT  were spotted at Kinnego Marina, along with the sighting of Mute Swan -  X4638  which was a new sighting and the details for this bird could not be found on DemOn, meaning they had not been submitted by the ringer/ringers concerned.  I will not go into detail about these birds now, as they were all recorded again later in the month (read below), along with Black-headed Gull -  EZ02451  which was also spotted on the 13th January 2023 at Lurgan Park lake.

25th January 2023 - Lurgan Park and Kinnego Marina

On the 25th January 2023, Suzanne revisited Lurgan Park and Kinnego Marina, this time recording five rings altogether.  At Lurgan Park Lake, Suzanne made her fourth sighting of a juvenile Black-headed Gull -  2FCK , and at the same time solved a slight dilemma - the metal number.  Having reported the gull to Ben Dolan of the West Midlands Ringing Group, she was asked to submit her sighting onto their new online ringing database, and the result was quite vague.  It did not say that the gull was ringed as a chick, nor was a metal number given.  No recovery was sent to Suzanne by the BTO, which also meant that the sighting was not submitted to the BTO by the West Midlands Ringing Group.

The first sighting of -  2FCK  at Lurgan Park Lake, was made on the 26th October 2022, and on the 8th November 2022, Suzanne recorded the juvenile for a second time.  Wondering what to do this time, I suggested reporting the sighting direct to the BTO by the birds colour marks only.  Having done this, the BTO then contacted Ben for the ringing details which would also include the metal number.  It turns out, that Ben could not give the details, as the recording sheets had got wet, so it was impossible to give the metal number assigned to -  2FCK .

I now suggested to Suzanne, that the only way to confirm this bird, was to capture it's metal number.  The bird was spotted by Suzanne for a third time at the park on the 22nd November 2022, though Suzanne was not able to capture the metal number.  On this latest sighting on the 25th January 2023, the metal number was captured -  EA50418 .  I now submitted all four sightings to the BTO, also informing Ben of Suzanne's success in capturing the metal number - Ben was delighted.

The four recoveries duly arrived to both Suzanne and myself.  I hyperlinked them directly onto my main Ring Reading Spreadsheet without opening them.  However, Suzanne reported to me, that the colour marks for -  EA50418  gave -  2FCX  - how have I got that wrong???  I went back onto DemOn to correct the colour marks against -  EA50418 , to find that they were no longer there.  I resubmitted the sightings giving -  2FCK , but once again the recoveries came back as -  2FCX .  I explained to Suzanne, that the original ringing data submitted by the West Midlands Ringing Group, appears to have been entered as -  2FCX  having been ringed with the metal number -  EA50418 , and this must be the reason for the code to keep changing.

 2FCK , was ringed as a chick, on the 7th June 2022, at Marsh Lane Nature Reserve in the West Midlands area of England.  The distance to Lurgan Park Lake, is 383 kms / 237 miles (NW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 7 months and 18 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FCK   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (25 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 7th June 2022, at Marsh Lane Nature Reserve, West Midlands, England)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Moving on to Kinnego Marina, Suzanne recorded five ringed birds, which included three that she recorded here on the 13th January 2023 (mentioned above).

 2BPN , was one of the three to be spotted here on the 13th January.   2BPN , was ringed as an adult female, here at Kinnego Marina, on the 29th October 2014.  This latest sighting is the 77th sighting record altogether, with all sightings having been made at Kinnego.  Until the 13th January 2023, the gull was last reported on the 5th April 2022, so this was a really welcomed update.  The breeding site for -  2BPN , is as yet unknown.  The duration since being ringed, is now 8 years, 2 months and 27 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BPN   -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (25 Jan 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The sighting of -  2BPS , is the 68th sighting record for this gull, with all sightings having been made at Kinnego Marina.  The gull was ringed here as an adult female, on the 31st October 2014, which takes the duration to 8 years, 2 months and 25 days since being ringed.  The previous sighting of -  2BPS , was made on the 26th October 2022.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BPS   -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (25 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 31st October 2014, at Kinnego Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

 2BPT , was also recorded on the 13th January 2023, here at Kinnego Marina.  This latest sighting is the 80th for the gull overall, with all sightings having been made at Kinnego.   2BPT , was also ringed at Kinnego, as an adult female, on the 31st October 2014, taking the duration, to 8 years, 2 months and 25 days since being ringed.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BPT   -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (25 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 31st October 2014, at Kinnego Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Another welcomed re-sighting, was that of Black-headed Gull -  EN52966 .  Suzanne's latest sighting of this gull is now the 19th on my spreadsheet.   EN52966 , spends the winter at Kinnego Marina, the earliest arrival date having being recorded on the 7th October 2016, and the latest before departure, was recorded on the 18th March 2022, which also happens to be the last date that it was spotted at Kinnego Marina until now.

 EN52966 , was ringed as a chick, on the 3rd June 2009, which now takes the duration to a nice 13 years, 7 months and 22 days.  The gull was ringed at Blacker's Rock, County Tyrone, situated on the western edge of Lough Neagh.  The distance to Kinnego Marina, is 17 kms / 10 miles (SE).

Black-headed Gull  -   EN52966   -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (25 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 3rd June 2009, at Blacker's Rock, Lough Neagh, Co. Tyrone)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

A Mute Swan recorded by Suzanne at Kinnego Marina on the 13th January 2022, was a new sighting, and not only that, the ring was of a type that we had not seen before.  Suzanne did not take a photo of the bird itself, but thankfully, photographed both sides of the ring, with the address clearly showing that it was a BTO metal -  X4638 .  On submitting Suzanne's sighting onto my DemOn ringing account, no details came up, meaning the original ringing data had not been entered by the ringer/ringers concerned.

Suzanne recorded -  X4638  for a second time at Kinnego Marina on the 25th January 2023, by which time, we had received no recovery from the previous sighting, therefore I did not report the latest sighting.  A recovery finally arrived on the 6th February 2023.   X4638 , was ringed as a juvenile 2nd year bird on the 18th February 2022, at Bartins Bay on Lough Neagh, Co. Antrim (near Aghagallon).  The distance to Kinnego Marina is a mere 6 kms / 3 miles (SSW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 11 months and 7 days.

Mute Swan  -   X4638   -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (13 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 18th February 2022, at Bartins Bay, Lough Neagh, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

27th January 2023 - Belfast Waterworks

On the 27th January 2023, Suzanne visited the former Belfast Waterworks, which is now a public park containing two large lakes.  On the lower lake, two colour-ringed Greylags were recorded, along with a Mute Swan -  NLX .

Unknown to Suzanne at the time,  NLX  was a new sighting, as the bird was not on my main Ring Reading Spreadsheet.  I submitted the Mute Swan by it's colour-marks only, and heard nothing until the 8th February, when an email was received asking for the Belfast and North Down Ringing Group to supply me with the bird's details including the ring number.

Mute Swan  -   NLX   -  Belfast Waterworks, Cliftonville, Belfast  (27th Jan 2023)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Greylag Goose, (White) 024, was ringed at Belfast Waterworks, as an adult female, on the 25th March 2019.  This latest sighting, is the 8th record for the bird on my spreadsheet, with all sightings having been recorded at the Waterworks.  The previous sighting was recorded by Suzanne on the 20th September 2022.  The duration since being ringed, is now 3 years, 10 months and 2 days.

Greylag Goose  -  (White)  024  -  Belfast Waterworks, Cliftonville, Belfast  (27th Jan 2023)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 25th March 2019, at Belfast Waterworks)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The sighting of (White) 039, is now the 6th record for this bird on my spreadsheet, with all six sightings having been recorded by Suzanne at Belfast Waterworks.  It was ringed as an unsexed 2nd calendar year bird at the Waterworks, on the 5th March 2020, and the duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 10 months and 22 days.

Greylag Goose  -  (White)  039  -  Belfast Waterworks, Cliftonville, Belfast  (27th Jan 2023)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 5th March 2020, at Belfast Waterworks)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

A small number of colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls have previously been recorded at the Belfast Waterworks, including a couple of birds from Norway.  There's no doubting that Suzanne would have been looking for some of these, without any success.

28th January 2023 - Luke's Point, Ballyholme

Suzanne's visit to Luke's Point at Ballyholme, County Down, on the 28th January 2023, produced two re-sightings of colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.  My favourite of the two, is the 10th re-sighting of -  2CLV , which seems to evade us ring readers over the years since being ringed.   2CLV , belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study, and was ringed as a chick, on the 16th June 2017, at the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Nature Reserve, on Larne Lough, Co. Antrim.

The first re-sighting was made on the 28th August 2017, at Whitehead in County Antrim, by Cameron Moore.  The duration at that point, was 2 months and 12 days, with Whitehead situated 10 kms / 6 miles (SE) from Larne Lough.  The gull then went undetected until the 27th February 2019, when the bird was recorded at Ballyholme for the first time by Suzanne.  This latest sighting at Ballyholme, is the 8th to be recorded here.  

The outstanding sighting was reported back in June 2021, when -  2CLV  was spotted at Bangor Harbour by Jim Wells.  As there are no breeding sites in the Bangor area, I wondered if this gull had failed early, and was making it's way back to Ballyholme.  The duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 7 months and 12 days, and Luke's Point lies 19 kms / 11 miles (SE) from Blue Circle Island.

Unfortunately, there are no close viewing points to Blue Circle Island, so it is therefore impossible to record any of Adam's Study birds back breeding on the island as adults.

Black-headed Gull  -   2CLV   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (28 Jan 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The second colour-ringed Black-headed Gull, was the Polish-rung -  TRX9 .   TRX9 , was ringed as a chick, on the 5th June 2019, at Lake Rynskie in north-east Poland.  The then juvenile, was first re-sighted on the 4th August 2019, at Ringstone Edge Reservoir in West Yorkshire, England.  All 13 sightings since then, have been recorded during the winter months at Ballyholme, with the first having been made on the 12th September 2021, when spotted by a John O'Boyle.

Initially, I had wondered whether the gull was just passing through, but now it has established itself as a winter resident at Ballyholme, especially around the car parks at Luke's Point.  The duration since being ringed, is 3 years, 7 months and 23 days, and Ballyholme is situated 1,760 kms / 1,093 miles (W) from Lake Rynskie.

Black-headed Gull  -   TRX9   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (28 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 5th June 2019, on Ptasia Wyspa Island, Lake Rynskie, Ryn, Poland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

29th January 2023 - Lisburn

On the 29th January 2023, Suzanne spotted a colour-ringed Black-headed Gull standing in front of her car close to where she lives in Lisburn, Co. Antrim.  Having photographed the gull through the windscreen, the code read -  2P44 .  Interestingly, the gull was no stranger to Suzanne, as she had spotted the bird at Hillsborough Park Lake, County Down, just a few kilometres away.  Two sightings had been made there, on the 28th November and 3rd December 2022, both of which had been first re-sightings in Northern Ireland.

 2P44 , was ringed as a chick, on the 18th June 2019, at the Elvanfoot colony, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  The gull's first re-sighting was made in the Republic of Ireland, when on the 30th October 2019, Jan Rod spotted -  2P44  on Gormanston Strand in County Meath.  According to Iain Livingstone, who is the ringing co-ordinator for the Clyde Ringing Group, these four sightings are the only ones so far.  The distance from Elvanfoot to Lisburn, is 185 kms / 114 miles (WSW), and the duration since being ringed, is 3 years, 7 months and 11 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2P44   -  Drumbeg/Dundrod Drive, Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (29 Jan 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

31st January 2023 - Lurgan Park Lake

Suzanne's visit to Lurgan Park today produced five ring sightings, with two being re-sightings and three were completely new birds.  The visits to Lurgan Park Lake this winter, have been very rewarding for Suzanne, with a nice list of first re-sightings (read here).

The first of the two re-sightings, was that of a metal-rung Black-headed Gull -  EZ02451 , which had also been recorded on the 13th January 2023, as mentioned above.  It was ringed as a chick, on the 20th June 2017, at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  Normally, it would have been fitted with a colour ring, but on that particular date, with far more chicks than expected, the Clyde Ringing Group exhausted their supply of colour-rings.

As a juvenile,  EZ02451  was recorded by Suzanne at Lurgan Park, on the 7th September 2017 - it's first re-sighting.  The gull has returned to Lurgan Park every winter since 2017, and this latest sighting, is the bird's 15th sighting record here altogether.  The duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 7 months and 11 days, and the distance from Elvanfoot, is 202 kms / 125 miles (WSW).  No photo of the gull this time, but I cropped three photos of the metal ring, confirming the latest sighting record.

Black-headed Gull  -   EZ02451   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (31 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 20th June 2017, at Elvanfoot, South Lanarkshire, Scotland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The second re-sighting was that of the Polish Black-headed Gull -  T58T .   T58T , was ringed as an unsexed adult, on the 16th July 2016, at Świnoujście, situated on the northern coast of Poland close to the border with Germany.  It was first recorded at Lurgan Park, on the 15th December 2016, when recorded by myself and Suzanne having visited the park at different times.

Since 2016,  T58T  has returned every winter, and this winter, Suzanne recorded the gull's return on the 22nd November 2022.  Back home at Świnoujście,  T58T , has been spotted on numerous occasions over the years, and was last seen there on the 9th April 2022.  This latest sighting at Lurgan Park, is the 29th for the bird here.  The duration since being ringed, is now 6 years, 6 months and 15 days, and the distance from Poland, is 1,334 kms / 828 miles (WNW).

Black-headed Gull  -   T58T   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (31 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Adult, on the 16th July 2016, at Świnoujście, Poland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

A metal-rung juvenile Black-headed Gull, was a new sighting, and turned out to be a bird from Denmark -  VA7547 .  This is the second juvenile Black-headed Gull from Denmark to be recorded here at Lurgan Park this winter.  On the 15th December 2022, that particular bird was spotted standing on the ice, but Suzanne was unable to gain the ring number, though it looks nothing like the one belonging to this new sighting.  Suzanne has reported her sighting to Kjeld Tommy Pedersen, but as yet there has been no reply.

Juvenile Black-headed Gull  -   VA7547   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (31 Jan 2023)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

A second juvenile Black-headed Gull bearing a metal ring was also spotted by Suzanne.  This was another new sighting, and the number was easily captured -  EM17125 .  I submitted the sighting through my DemOn Ringing Account, and we soon had a recovery from the BTO.   EM17125 , was ringed as a chick on the 19th June 2022, at Shotton Steelworks in Flintshire, Wales.  The distance to Lurgan Park, was given as 256 kms / 159 miles (WNW), and the duration since being ringed, was 7 months and 12 days.  Suzanne found a blog which featured the steelworks colony, which can be read (here).

Juvenile Black-headed Gull  -   EM17125   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (31 Jan 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2022, at Shotton Steelworks, Shotton, Flintshire, Wales)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Suzanne's third new sighting of the day at Lurgan Park, was that of a Mute Swan.  No photo of the swan itself, but the metal number was captured as being -  Z78583 .  I submitted Suzanne's sighting, and the recovery soon arrived back from the BTO.  The bird was ringed as an unsexed juvenile at Lurgan Park, on the 2nd December 2020, which would take the duration to 2 years, 1 month and 29 days since being ringed.

Mute Swan  -   Z78583   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (31 Jan 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

My thanks goes to Suzanne once again for her sightings along with the photos.  With being off the road with no car, I'm a trifle envious with Suzanne's efforts.

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