Antrim Marina - (Sunday 22nd October 2023)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 22nd October 2023

With last week's weekly visit to Antrim Marina being a non starter due to the power hosing operations around the 'Gateway Centre' building, I was hoping for a more normal conditions during today's visit.  On my arrival just before 10:20am this morning, there were plenty of birds in and around the jetties.  The weather conditions were slightly too good after the strong winds and rain experienced the day before.  It was cloudy, but calm, with the temperature reading 8°C, and as the morning wore on, the sun broke through, with the temperature rising to 12°C.  

My biggest disappointment about missing out on last Sunday's visit, was the expected return of my longest flying Black-headed Gull -  2FDJ , and possibly the return of -  2FFL , should both have survived through the 'Bird Flu' epidemic that hit so many breeding colonies over the summer months.

Although there was no sign of -  2FFL  today, I could not have been more delighted, when, at 12:06, my 16th colour-ring sighting of the day, was that of -  2FDJ .   2FDJ , was ringed at Antrim Marina, as an unsexed 2nd Calendar year bird on the 18th November 2019.  After being ringed, it was recorded through to the 9th March 2020.

On the 25th October 2020,  2FDJ  returned for another winter and was recorded on many occasions through to the 4th January 2021, after which time, there was an exceptional run of re-sightings.  The first of these was made on the 5th February 2021, when Scott Black spotted -  2FDJ  at Strathclyde Country Park, just outside of Motherwell in Scotland.  Then, on the 5th, 11th and 13th of February 2021, Alasdair Fyffe recorded -  2FDJ  on the frozen lake at Kay Park in Kilmarnock, Scotland.  These were exceptionally good sightings to receive, but the best was yet to come.

On the 4th April 2021, I received an email from Arnold Kristjuhan, to say that he had spotted -  2FDJ  at Aardlapalu rubbish dump just outside of the town of Tartu in eastern Estonia.  Tartu is 2,060 kms / 1,280 miles (E) from Antrim Marina, with the Russian border just a further 44 kms to the east.  Whether -  2FDJ  breeds in Estonia or Russia is unknown, but the sighting makes this gull Antrim Marina's longest distance traveller.

After the birds exploits in eastern Europe, it returned to Antrim Marina on the 16th October 2021, remaining through to the 28th February 2022.  With no further spring/summer sightings, last winter -  2FDJ  arrived back to Antrim Marina on the 10th October 2022.  I missed seven weekly visits to the Marina during the winter, as my car broke down on Christmas Day and I had to seek out a new car.  Luckily enough, my final sighting for the 2022/2023, was made on the 6th March 2023.

Although I was hoping for further sightings during the past summer, I was nonetheless delighted to see this gull back today.  The duration since being ringed, is now 3 years, 11 months and 4 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FDJ   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (22 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 18th November 2019, at Antrim Marina)

The return of -  2FDJ , takes this winter's total of colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls to 24 altogether.  During the week, I took a more detailed look at my Antrim Marina Spreadsheet, especially those gulls ringed with Orange Darvics.  I noted that there were 11 birds with these Darvics, which were recorded last winter, but, after today's (13th weekly) visit so far during this autumn/winter season, have not returned.  As these were among the earliest gulls to be ringed, I have good histories for them all, but, due to their continued absence, I'm now convinced that they have all perished during the past breeding season.  I will now write these birds off on the spreadsheet.  Below, I have listed the gulls concerned, along with their ringing and last re-sighting dates, plus the durations since being ringed.

 2AAA  - Adult (M) - 12th November 2012 to 20th March 2023 - 10 years, 4 months and 8 days.

 2AAK  - Adult (M) - 21st December 2012 to 28th February 2023 - 10 years, 2 months and 7 days.

 2ABA  - Adult (M) - 28th December 2012 to 31st October 2022 - 9 years, 10 months and 3 days.

 2ABL  - Adult (F) - 23rd January 2013 to 6th March 2023 - 10 years, 1 month and 11 days.

 2ABS  - Adult (F) - 23rd January 2013 to 7th November 2022 - 9 years, 9 months and 15 days.

 2CSA  - 1st Winter (U) - 19th November 2017 to 28th November 2022 - 5 years and 9 days.

 2CSB  - 1st Winter (U) - 19th November 2017 to 19th December 2022 - 5 years and 1 month.

 2CSL  - Adult (U) - 24th December 2017 to 28th February 2023 - 5 years, 2 months and 4 days.

 2CSX  - 1st Winter (U) - 3rd December 2018 to 5th September 2022 - 3 years, 9 months and 2 days.

 2CTA  - 2nd Winter (U) - 10th December 2018 to 13th March 2023 - 4 years, 3 months and 3 days.

 2CTC  - 1st Winter (U) - 24th December 2018 to 20th February 2023 - 4 years, 1 month and 27 days.

Normally, a couple of gulls fail to return from one winter to the next, but 11 is a very high number.  Those ringed with Blue Darvic's, have been ringed more recently, and for many, their residential status at present are not fully known.  Having said that, there is no doubting that some of these gulls have been lost as well, such as -  2FFC  which was found dead at Germany's largest breeding Black-headed Gull colony back in May 2023, this one later testing positive for 'Bird Flu' there.

Just assuming that an equal number of Black-headed Gulls with Blue Darvics have died over the summer months, this total of 22 birds would explain why I have so many absentees this winter.  As far as numbers go, if we further assume and say five un-ringed gulls died along with every one that was ringed, the total of 132 would easily explain why overall numbers are so low at Antrim Marina.  Imagine replicating that number throughout the country!!!

Around 60 Black-headed Gulls were present on my arrival today, with the ring of -  2FIK  being the first to be read at 10:21.  Just under on hour later, at 11:15, the 15th ring to be read was that of -  2FHC .  My final three colour-ring sightings, were that of the returning -  2FDJ  at 12:06, followed by -  2FIF  at 12:30 and - the Icelandic breeding bird -  2FHV  at 13:05.

By this time, many of the gulls perched on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre', seeing as it was calm and sunny, but at no time did numbers exceed the 70 mark, whereas in the past, numbers would have easily been nearer to the 200 mark.  The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335 , was recorded at 10:41, and later in the morning, I was within inches of catching it.  This bird was ringed in Iceland in July 2023, and then appeared at the Marina on the 8th August 2023.  I really need to catch and fit a Darvic to this bird before it returns to Iceland next spring.

There was another poor showing of juvenile Black-headed Gulls, with just four being counted today.  In the past, juvenile numbers would also have been much higher, which would have included local and foreign birds.  These low numbers, proves that the gulls everywhere have had a really poor breeding season.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 22nd October 2022

2FIK	2FFA	2FIL	2AAB	2CJT	2FFX	2FIA	2FIP	2CSK
2AAN	2CSR	2FJA	2ACV	2BRA	2FHC	2FDJ	2FIF	2FHV

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

2ABN	2BRD	2FDK	2FHT	2FFT	2FIJ

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

The large number of Mute Swans once again grabbed my attention on my arrival.  Whilst counting these (all White) birds, which numbered 14 altogether, I noticed three juveniles making their way in from Lough Neagh.  I thought that the three juveniles might be the local birds that have been raised here over the summer, but as they came closer, I could see that they were smaller and therefore younger.  On reaching the Marina, I could not believe my eyes, as one was actually a juvenile Whooper Swan.  This poor 'fella' had obviously got separated from it's parents and ended up seeking the company of the Mute Swans.  Over recent weeks, Whooper Swans have been arriving into Northern Ireland from their breeding grounds in Iceland.

Juvenile Whooper Swan  -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (22 Oct 2023)

In the past, I have met people who have seen Whooper Swans at Antrim Marina, including adult birds, but I have been coming here since the winter of 2013, and this is the first one that I have seen here.  The Marina's normal four cygnets swam in from the Lough at 10:38.  No further adults appeared, and later in the morning, I read the ring of -  Z78580 .  This swan returned to the Marina on the 1st October 2023, having been seen last, on the 20th March 2023.  This bird was ringed as a juvenile here, on the 15th November 2020 by Debbie Nelson.

Mute Swan  -   Z78580   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (22 Oct 2023)

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

A first count of the Mallards gave me a total of 43 birds.  A second count at 12:30, saw a very slight increase to 47, but still no rings.

The resident adult Herring Gull was present throughout today's visit, and I have not seen his partner for several weeks now.  A single adult Common Gull was also present on my arrival, with a further two adults arriving at 11:03, and another two adults arrived at 12:10.  With five adults present, this was the highest number of Common Gulls to be recorded so far this winter, but like the Black-headed Gulls, overall numbers are lower than normal.  A juvenile Common Gull made a brief visit at 1:20pm.  There is still no sign of the small Scottish metal-rung female Common Gull, which had been recorded here every winter since February 2014 when it first appeared here as a juvenile.  My last sighting of this bird -  EY64036 , was made on the 28th November 2022.

2 Hooded Crows and 4 Jackdaws, were the only other species to have been noted during today's visit.

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Antrim Marina - (Sunday 15th October 2023)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 15th October 2023

This week's weekly visit to Antrim Marina, turned out to be a non event.  Arriving just before 10.10am, as I approached the barrier leading into the front car park, I could see a lorry reversing into my parking spot beside the short concrete jetty.  The lorry belonged to the cleaners, who would from time to time, power hose the jetties which often become caked with gull droppings.

I parked my car beside the low wooden jetty and walked over for a chat.  The guys were using a tape to cordon off the area, and they explained that this time, they were here to power-hose the 'Gateway Centre' building which they are contracted to clean once every three months.  Normally in the past, if they arrived whilst I was surveying the gulls, they would go away and come back later.  However, today's task was going to take several hours to complete, therefore I had to abandon today's visit.

With my new job, I have to work days, so there was no chance to get back again this week.  I was allowed to pass the cordon for a quick peek to see what was about before I departed.  23 Mallards, 2 Mute Swans and just 5 Black-headed Gulls were present.  With the ducks and swans being on the river, their legs could not be seen.  The 5 Black-headed Gulls were on the long wooden jetty, and a quick look through my scope revealed one ring -  2FFA .

I was really disappointed in having to miss this visit, as my Estonian Black-headed Gull -  2FDJ , was due to return to the Marina if it had managed to miss the 'Bird Flu' outbreaks.  Another gull -  2FFL , was also due back, but where this one goes to in the summer, is as yet, unknown.

With the tide in Belfast Lough not due to go out until mid afternoon, I drove to Carrickfergus and then southwards down to Belfast checking inland sites for ringed gulls, before reaching the shore at Kinnegar Beach.  Not a single ring was spotted anywhere, and at Kinnegar, the tide was well on it's way out before the gulls and waders began to appear, which was unusual for this site.  A colour-ringed Brent Goose, which was one of six present, was spotted, but I do not bother reporting Brent Geese these days, as the guy that took over the Brent Goose Project from Graham McElwaine, does not bother to respond.

To finish off the afternoon, I thought I would check out Whitehouse Lagoon, but coming off the motorway, the access road was closed.  What a waste of a day this was.

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Several Ring Sightings...

From Suzanne Belshaw

A rather belated sighting of Black-headed Gull -  250B , was reported to me recently by Suzanne, with the sighting having been made on the 11th September 2023 at Sprucefield Shopping Centre.  The gull is well known to use Sprucefield as a 'staging' site, in both directions to either it's breeding site, or to it's wintering site, which is at yet unknown.  Suzanne recorded the birds return to Sprucefield on the 25th July 2023, with a second sighting there on the 16th August 2023.  The latest ever date before departure, was recorded last year by Suzanne on the 25th September 2022.

 250B , was ringed as a chick, on the 6th June 2008, at Lough Mask in County Mayo, in the Republic of Ireland.  It's first sighting at Sprucefield, was made by Adam McClure on the 1st July 2013, but was probably visiting Sprucefield for years before being spotted by a ring reader.  Since 2013,  250B  has been recorded at Sprucefield every autumn.  As stated on many occasions in the past, where exactly this gull winters is still not known, but continuing a straight line from Lough Mask through Sprucefield, would take it into Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland.

We have one spring record (4th March 2016) when -  250B  was recorded at Sprucefield on it's return journey to Lough Mask, where it has been spotted during the breeding season on a few occasions.

The distance from Lough Mask to Sprucefield, is 232 kms / 144 miles (ENE), and with a duration of 15 years, 3 months and 5 days, 250B is one of the oldest Black-headed Gulls still living that we have on record.

Black-headed Gull  -   250B   -  Sprucefield Shopping Centre, Co. Down  (11 Sep 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The sighting of Black-headed Gull -  2ACP , was the 38th sighting record for this bird.  The gull was spotted on the 24th September 2023 close to Suzanne's home in Lisburn, Co. Antrim.   2ACP , is among the earliest Black-headed Gulls to have been ringed belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Study.  

It was ringed as an unsexed adult, on the 9th February 2013, at the Sprucefield Shopping Centre.  All sightings since being ringed, have either been at Sprucefield, or in Lisburn which is around 1 mile north from the shopping centre.  The duration since being ringed, is now 10 years, 7 months and 15 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ACP   -  Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (24 Sep 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 9th February 2013, at Sprucefield Shopping Centre, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Not too long ago, Suzanne made a visit to Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh, but no rings were recorded.  Suzanne went back to the park on the 11th October and this time recorded three ringed Black-headed Gulls, including the return of two juveniles recorded last winter.

A metal-rung adult Black-headed Gull, is a well known winter visitor to Lurgan Park, and this was the bird's second sighting this autumn.   EZ02451 , was ringed as a chick, on the 20th June 2017, at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  The first re-sighting of the then juvenile was made at Lurgan Park by Suzanne on the 7th September 2017.  Since then, Suzanne has recorded the gull at least once every winter since.  The final sighting last winter, was made on the 14th February 2023, before returning on the 23rd August 2023.

The duration since being ringed, is now 6 years, 3 months and 21 days, and the distance from Elvanfoot, is 202 kms / 125 miles (WSW).  

Black-headed Gull  -   EZ02451   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (11 Oct 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

It's always nice to record juveniles that have survived through their first winter, and today Suzanne recorded the return of two birds.

It's a change of scenery for Black-headed Gull - (White) 24X7.  Last winter Suzanne recorded (White) 24X7, on three occasions at Kinnego Marina which is around two miles north from Lurgan Park.  The gull was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake in West Berkshire, England.  Suzanne's sightings at Kinnego Marina, were made on the 14th & 23rd February 2023, and on the 8th March 2023.  The distance from Hosehill Lake to Lurgan Park, is 489 kms / 303 miles (NW), and the duration since being ringed, is 1 year and 4 months.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  24X7  -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (11 Oct 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Photo taken by Suzanne Belshaw of - (White) 24X7 taken on the 14th February 2023 at Kinnego Marina

The second returning juvenile is a really nice record as this concerns a Danish Black-headed Gull.   VA7547 , was ringed as a chick, on the 27th May 2022, on Hirsholm Island, situated just off the northern coast of Denmark.  Last winter, the then juvenile was recorded by Suzanne at Lurgan Park on four occasions between the 31st January 2023 and the 29th March 2023.  With this current sighting, the duration since being ringed is now 1 year, 4 months and 14 days, and the distance from Hirsholm to Lurgan Park, is 1,106 kms / 687 miles (WSW).

Black-headed Gull  -   VA7547   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (11 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 27th May 2022, at Hirsholm Island, Denmark)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Photo taken by Suzanne Belshaw of -  VA7547  taken on the 2nd March 2023 at Kinnego Marina

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From David Nixon and Graham McElwaine

On the 5th and 6th October 2023, David Nixon and friend Graham McElwaine recorded two Black-tailed Godwits at Dundrum Inner Bay (South) in County Down.

The first bird was ringed as chick, on the 24th June 2023, in the Skipar area in Iceland.  I have not submitted the sightings to the BTO as yet, so cannot give an official distance.  As of the 6th October 2023, the duration since being ringed, is 3 months and 12 days.

Black-tailed Godwit  -  Dundrum Inner Bay South, Dundrum, Co. Down  (5th & 6th Oct 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 24th June 2023, at Skipar, Iceland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

The second Black-tailed Godwit, has now been recorded on three occasions this autumn at Dundrum Inner Bay (South), the two previous dates being on the 8th & 15th August 2023.  This is the second year running that this Godwit has been spotted at Dundrum, with a single 2022 sighting having been made on the 5th October 2022.

The Godwit was ringed as an unsexed 2nd Calendar Year bird, on the 18th January 2019, at Arnosa on the north-west coast of Spain.  The bird has gathered a long list of sighting in Spain since being ringed, but there has been two sightings in the Republic of Ireland, where it was recorded in September and October 2021 at Dundalk Bay.  The distance from Spain to Dundrum, is 1,337 kms / 830 miles (N), and the duration since being ringed, is 4 years, 8 months and 18 days.

Black-tailed Godwit  -  Dundrum Inner Bay South, Dundrum, Co. Down  (5th & 6th Oct 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 18th January 2019, at Arnosa, Spain)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

Thursday 12th October 2023

Today, David Nixon made a visit to Kinnegar Beach on the County Down side of Belfast Lough.  Whilst there David recorded three colour-ringed Gulls.

A juvenile gull, which for now, we'll identify as being a Herring Gull, was colour-ringed -  157:C .  We are waiting for the ringing details for this bird from Roisin Kearney, but I would reckon that it will be safe to say, that it was ringed on the 1st July 2023, on Lighthouse Island in County Down, which is home to the Copeland Bird Observatory.  Therefore, the duration since being ringed, will be 3 months and 11 days.  The distance from Lighthouse Island, is roughly 21 kms / 13 miles (W).

The same colour-ring set is being used to ring both Herring and Lesser Black-backed chicks on Lighthouse Island.  It is well known, that chicks of these species are similar in appearance, so in future it will be interesting to see whether or not, the correct identity was made at ringing time.  How many Herring Gulls will turn out to be Lesser Black-backed's or vice-versa.

Herring Gull  -   157:C   -  Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (12 Oct 2023)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

Herring Gull -  0Y:W , was ringed as an unsexed breeding adult, on the 23rd May 2014, on Big Copeland Island in County Down.  The first re-sighting was made on the 24th August 2015, when spotted on Rathcor Beach in County Louth in the Republic of Ireland.

I made the next four sightings here on Kinnegar Beach in March 2018, November 2018, September 2019 and on the 16th August 2020.  It's last sighting until now, was made at the nearby Titanic Quarter by Dermot Hughes, on the 4th September 2020.

Three years between sightings, shows how these big gulls can travel about unnoticed.  The duration since being ringed, is now 9 years, 4 months and 19 days, and the distance from Big Copeland Island, is 21 kms / 13 miles (W).

Herring Gull  -   0Y:W   -  Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (12 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Breeding Adult, on the 23rd May 2014, on Big Copeland Island, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

I was well pleased to hear of David's sighting of Common Gull -  2HCH .  It was one of 21 Common Gull chicks that I ringed, on the 13th June 2021, on Big Copeland Island, before getting 'hunted' on the grounds of having no permission to be on the island.  I did have permission to be on the island, but unknown to me, the change from father to son, saw the son deciding not to allow visitors.  With a gamekeeper operating on the island, I feel this is a bit suspicious.

The first sightings of -  2HCH , were made by David, on the 19th and 24th March 2022, here on Kinnegar Beach and then on the nearby pond.  I also recorded -  2HCH  on Kinnegar Pond on the 26th March 2022, and the gull had gone unrecorded until now.  The duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 3 months and 29 days, and the distance from Big Copeland Island, is 22 kms / 13 miles (W).

Along with -  2HCH , only two other chicks that were ringed in 2021 on Big Copeland have been recorded since being ringed - one at Ballyholme in County Down, the other at Rathlin Island in County Antrim.

Common Gull  -   2HCH   Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (12 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 13th June 2021, on Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

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From Declan Clarke

Declan Clarke has been in touch with two sightings of a juvenile Herring Gull which he spotted on the 2nd and 4th October 2023, at Ardglass Harbour in County Down.  The bird belongs to Roisin Kearney's new colour-ringing project on the Copeland Islands, which involves the same colour-ring set being used on both Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

 147:C , was ringed as a Herring Gull chick, on the 1st July 2023, on the Old Lighthouse Island, which is the home of the Copeland Bird Observatory.  Declan's sightings were the first for this juvenile, with the sighting on the 4th October 2023, coming 3 month and 3 days since being ringed.  The distance from Lighthouse Island to Ardglass, is 48 kms / 30 miles (SSW).

My thanks goes to Declan for the sighting report and to Roisin for the ringing details.  The photo included below was taken with Declan's mobile phone.

Herring Gull  -   145:C   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (2nd and 4th Oct 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 1st July 2023, on Old Lighthouse Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Declan Clarke)

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Antrim Marina - (Sunday 8th October 2023)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 8th October 2023

By the time that I departed from Antrim Marina today, this was another disappointing visit.  I arrived at 10:00am, and planned to leave at 2pm, to catch the incoming tide in Belfast.  With birdlife around the Marina being so poor, I departed at 1:50pm, checked three sites around Antrim Town, before moving on to Belfast.  Such was the day I was having, not a single ring was recorded at any of the other sites that I visited.

On arriving today, the last spits of morning rain was falling, leaving a calm, cloudy day, that brightened up as the morning wore on.  The temperature was reading 15°C, rising to 22°C on my departure.  So far this autumn/winter season, just 23 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls have been recorded out of a total of just under 50 from last winter.  No further returnees were recorded today.

Not a single gull was to be seen on my arrival at 10am.  At 10:13, a group of 4 Black-headed Gulls arrived, which included the Icelandic metal-rung -  543335 , having first appeared here on the 8th August 2023.  From 10:17 onwards, further Black-headed Gull began to trickle in, including -  2ACV .  By 12:40, the sighting of -  2FHV , was my 13th colour-ring sighting, and I had to wait for just over an hour later, when I recorded my 14th and last sighting of the day, when -  2AAN  arrived at 1:46.

With it being a calm day, some of the gulls decided to park themselves on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre', but I had no idea as to how many birds were up there.  On the ground, counts were very low throughout my visit - none on arrival, 11am - 39 BHGs, Midday - 41 BHGs and 1pm - 9 BHGs.  These numbers are terrible, as at this time of the year, they should be at least around the 100+ mark.

As the weeks have slipped by since my return at the beginning of August, the Black-headed Gull numbers have definitely crashed, and even the lack of juveniles proves the point.  Just two juveniles were seen today.  Seeing as there is a breeding colony less than a mile away, things must have been pretty bad out there.  I know there was a 'Live' camera on the 'Torpedo Platform', most of the time that I viewed the footage, very rarely did I get to look at the whole platform.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 8th October 2023

2ACV	2AAB	2FIA	2FFA	2FIK	2CJT	2FHC
2FIP	2FJA	2FFX	2CSR	2FIF	2FHV	2AAN

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

2ABN	2BRA	2BRD	2CSK	2FDK	2FHT	2FFT	2FIJ	2FIL

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

As mentioned at the start of this post, my arrival at the Marina today, saw practically no birds about at all.  Not a single gull of any species was to be seen, and just 5 Mute Swans and 19 Mallards were counted.  A further 4 Mute Swans swan in from the Lough at 10:20, with 5 more arriving from the Lough at 11am.  A head count at this time confirmed 14 Mute Swans and 36 Mallards.  Another count at midday, gave me 16 Mute Swans and 43 Mallard, meaning two swans arrived unnoticed.  At this point,

I recorded the metal-rung swan -  Z78580 , which returned to the Marina last Sunday, having been last recorded at the Marina back in March 2023.  A final count of the swans and ducks at 1pm, gave 14 Mute Swans and around 50 Mallard.

Again, no sign of Common Gulls, and no sign of the resident Herring Gull.  A Lesser Black-backed Gull arrived at 12:03, this bird likely to be the same gull that has been here over the past few weeks.

A pair of Rooks paid a brief visit at 10:13, as did a male Grey Wagtail at 11:11.  6 Jackdaws came and went throughout my visit today.

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Two Reports for Sunday 1st October 2023...

Sunday 1st October 2023

After completing my weekly visit to Antrim Marina (see previous post), I checked out three other sites in the town of Antrim, searching for ringed Black-headed Gulls, before moving on to Belfast to be in place for the tide beginning to go out.

Absolutely shocking were my thoughts on completing all three sites.  First stop was at the Castle Way Car Park, which these day's is the favoured haunt of Black-headed Gull -  2AFD .   2AFD , normally returns to Antrim in November, but during the summer, it was reported in the Latvian capital of Riga, on the 30th June and 1st July 2023.  On the 11th July,  2AFD  had made it's way to England, where it was spotted on the beach in Cromer, Norfolk.  This made me wonder if -  2AFD  was actually 'staging' somewhere in England before making it's way back to Northern Ireland.  I've been keeping my fingers crossed for further sightings, but nothing has come in as yet.  I sat parked in the Castle Way car park for around 20 minutes, but no a single gull was seen.

I then moved on to Antrim's KFC outlet, hoping to re-sight a metal-rung Black-headed Gull which was recorded on four occasions last winter (14th August 2022 to 5th March 2023), this one having been ringed as a chick in 2021 at Marlingford in Norfolk, England.  At the outlet just a single un-ringed Black-headed Gull was present.

Final stop before Belfast, was at Antrim's Baptist Church.  This is the wintering site of a Polish Black-headed Gull - (White) TY43, but again, not a single gull was in sight.  Last winter - (White) TY43 was recorded on just the single occasion (5th November 2022).  I recently checked the 'Live' Polish Ringing Database, but there are no further sightings since last November.

I was now heading towards Belfast, and whilst doing so, I pondered as to what has happened to Antrim's gulls - all is looking very bleak.  I reached Kinnegar Beach in perfect time, and on parking on the seafront I used a well worn 'red brick' as a marker, and could see that the water's edge was quickly creeping away from it.

Shortly afterwards the first of the gulls and waders began to appear.  Many juvenile Black-headed Gulls especially settled onto the river flowing over the beach.  Watching them closely, they were taking advantage of loads of tiny fish around two centimetres long.  Shortly afterwards, I noticed one juvenile with a blue darvic, so the race was on to try and capture the code.  Zooming into the bird with my camera, it's legs were totally submersed in the water, and I had much trouble trying to follow it.  On a couple of occasions, people walked along the beach and off went the gulls.  Luckily, when the area was clear, the juveniles came back again.

Having relocated my target bird, at one point, I thought I saw the letter 'T' starting the code.  To me, I reckoned I had a Polish-rung bird, but until now, all Polish-rung Black-headed Gulls recorded in Northern Ireland, have been ringed with either White or Yellow Darvic's, so a blue would be a first.  Unfortunately, a dog walker once again scattered everything on the beach, with most birds settling onto the sea.

After a while, the beach was clear again, and the birds came back on shore.  Now scoping at a distance, I spotted a Black-headed Gull with a red darvic.  The distance was easily covered by my camera, and I captured the code -  2EN5 .

This was my second sighting of this bird so far this winter, having spotted it here on Kinnegar Beach on the 2nd August 2023.   2EN5 , had been ringed as a chick, on the 24th June 2020, at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  On the 26th July 2020, 1 month and 2 days after being ringed, it was spotted at the Strathclyde Country Park in North Lanarkshire, having moved 45 kms / 28 miles (NW).

The next sighting was made by me on the 19th October 2020, when the then juvenile turned up at my Black-headed Gull Study site at Antrim Marina.  The distance to the Marina from Elvanfoot, was 182 kms / 113 miles (WSW), and the duration since being ringed was 3 months and 25 days.  This was the bird's last sighting until I recorded it here on Kinnegar Beach in August.  The distance from Elvanfoot to Kinnegar Beach, is 166 kms / 103 miles (WSW), and the duration is now 3 year, 3 months and 7 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2EN5   -  Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (01 Oct 2023)

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

My focus returned to my juvenile or anything else that was ringed.  Once again, the juveniles were landing onto the river below me, and eventually the blue darvic was spotted once more.  My problem, was that I still could not get a clear view of the ring.  After a while, I decided to disturb these gulls myself.  With the tide well out, I thought if I could get the birds to rise, they might land a short distance away.  Standing up a flapping my arms, my plan worked and the code was finally captured -  TV8U .

On returning home, I checked the cr-birding site, and my gull was indeed Polish.  I submitted my sighting onto the 'Live Polish Ringing Database', and also submitted my photos.  The following day, I received a reply to say my sighting had been accepted, and I was now able to log back onto the Database to view the birds details.

Black-headed Gull -  TV8U , was ringed as a chick, on the 20th June 2023, on Lake Jezioro, a short distance from the small town of Wagrowiec in Central Poland.  The distance was given as 1,521 kms / 945 miles (WNW) from Lake Jezioro, and the duration since being ringed is 3 months and 11 days.  This was the birds first re-sighting since being ringed, and my patience was well rewarded in the end.

Juvenile Black-headed Gull  -   TV8U   -  Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (01 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 20th June 2023, at Lake Jezioro, near Wagrowiec, Central Poland)

Leaving Kinnegar Beach, I drove round to the nearby Connswater Mudflats.  Stopping at the roadside, I took a quick peek with my binoculars and around 100 Black-headed Gulls were present.  Problem here, is that you have to drive on to the nearest car park and walk back.  Connswater is the wintering site of two of Adam McClure's Black-headed Gulls, having been colour-ringed as chicks at Castle Espie in County Down.  Having scoped through the gulls and a small number of waders (Lapwings, Redshanks and Oystercatchers) a couple of times, no rings were spotted.

As it was now getting quite late, I drove to the Dargan Mudflats for my final stop of the day.  Once again, having scoped through a good number of gulls and waders, no more rings today.  

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From Brian Power

While I was busy at Antrim Marina and in Belfast on Sunday 1st October 2023, in the Republic of Ireland, a Brian Power was also busy.  On Sunday evening, I received an email from Brian reporting on one of Adam's former project birds - Black-headed Gull -  2ALB .  Initially, Brian was not sure whether the final character was an '8' or a 'B', and the photo that was attached, led me to not accepting the sighting.

I had took a look at my spreadsheet, to find that -  2ALB  had been ringed as a chick, on the 15th June 2015, at the WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre in County Down.  The youngster was still at Castle Espie 13 days later, and after that, it had not been seen again.  At over 8 years since being ringed, I suggested to Brian that he should have another go at reading the ring.

Brian replied, adding more photos, and this time, I did except the sighting.   2ALB , was spotted on the Cashen Estuary in County Wexford, which lies 348 kms / 216 miles (SW) from Castle Espie.  The duration since being ringed, was now 8 years, 3 months and 16 days.  The sighting would also suggest that -  2ALB  may well be breeding in the Republic of Ireland as well.  It would be a great result, if we could find out where exactly it is breeding.

My thanks goes to Brian for the sighting report, along with several photos.  Brian says he will keep an eye out for further sightings.  Nice.

Black-headed Gull  -    2ALB   -  Cashen Estuary, Co. Wexford, Republic of Ireland  (01 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th June 2015, at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Brian Power)

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Antrim Marina - (Sunday 1st October 2023)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 1st October 2023

I have recently started a new job which entails working from Monday to Friday during the day.  This means that I now have to revert back to Sunday visits to Antrim Marina.  Today saw me making my tenth weekly visit to Antrim Marina to study a wintering population of Black-headed Gulls, some of which are colour-ringed.

Up until today, 22 colour-ringed gulls have been recorded, all having been ringed during the winter months at the Marina.  Over the previous nine weeks, it has been clearly obvious that many regulars have failed to return, and even some year round resident birds are also missing, such as -  2AAA  and  2ABL .   2AAA , was the very first bird to be ringed belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study.  This means that -  2AAB , which was recorded today, is now the oldest gull still living belonging to Adam's former project - at 10 years, 9 months and 20 days.

For today's visit, I arrived at 9:30am and stayed to 1:30pm.  On leaving Antrim Marina, I planned to visit other sites in Antrim before driving to Belfast Lough in time to catch the receding tide (read in next post).

I arrived to a heavy shower of drizzle, the wind was quite light, and the temperature gauge in my car was reading 15°C.  As the morning wore on, the sun broke through, and the temperature reached 22°C.

The ring of  -  2CJT  was the first to be read at 9:36, and an hour later at 10:36 the ring of -  2AAB  was the twelfth to be read.  By 12:15, 16 rings had been read with the arrival of -  2FJA .  At 12:30, my final ring sighting of the day, saw me running back to my car to grab my camera.  Having just spotted -  2FFT , I knew I had another returnee, though trying to think back on it's history, nothing came to mind.

On returning home, I checked my spreadsheet, and it was no wonder why I knew so little about this bird.  Last winter, it was recorded at the Marina on just the one occasion - 10th October 2022.

 2FFT , was caught and ringed at the Marina, as an unsexed adult on the 21st December 2020.  After being ringed, it was not seen again through the remainder of the 2020/2021 winter.  During the 2021/2022 winter,  2FFT  appeared again on the 8th November 2021, and three further winter sightings followed - 15th November 2021, 31st January 2022 and on the 7th February 2022.

I would love to know more about this gull, and I feel that it is a foreign nesting bird.  Wintering wise, does it remain in the Antrim area, or does it winter somewhere else in Northern Ireland?  With just that single sighting last winter, I am now wondering if this will be the only sighting this winter.  At least it had the decency to call by to let me know it is still alive and well.  The duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 9 months and 10 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FFT   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, County Antrim  (01 Oct 2022)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 21st December 2020, at Antrim Marina)

With the return of -  2FFT , this winter's total now rises to 23 birds.  On my arrival today, all of the gulls were nicely settled, with most lying down facing into the wind.  A head count, gave a total of 69 birds, and a second count at 11:00am, gave exactly to same total, though it was clear that some of the colour-ringed gulls recorded earlier were not present.

The Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull -  543335 , was spotted at 9:44, this bird having been recorded here since the 8th August 2023.  The second metal-rung Icelandic bird -  527948 , recorded here two weeks ago, has not been seen since.  I doubt that it will be a regular visitor, but seeing as it was ringed just two years ago, it might still stop by from time to time on passage.

With it being Sunday, and with the weather having faired, families along with their kids began arriving to feed the ducks.  From this point until I departed, it was total chaos with most of the gulls trying to grab a share of the bread.  No further counts were possible, but I am sure the overall total remained under the one hundred mark. 

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gull Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 1st October 2023

2CJT	2CSR	2FIK	2FFA	2FIA	2ACV	2AAN	2FHC	2FHV
2ABN	2FIL	2AAB	2CSK	2FFX	2FIF	2FJA	2FFT

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

2BRA	2BRD	2FDK	2FHT	2FIJ	2FIP

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

On passing through the vehicle barrier leading into the front car park, I immediately noticed loads of Mute Swans.  On parking beside the small concrete jetty, the first thing that I did was to take a head count, which revealed 16 birds altogether, with one of these being a second year bird.  Although some were on the water, eventually all came ashore, and just the one was ringed -  Z78580 .

 Z78580 , was ringed as a juvenile here at the Marina, on the 15th November 2020, by Debbie Nelson along with Aiden Crean.  The then youngster was the fourth of four juveniles to be ringed, with it's siblings having also been ringed with colour-rings.  Debbie did not have four-colour rings with her, hence this bird being ringed with a metal only.  I've heard nothing about the three colour-ringed youngsters since April 2021.

Since being ringed in 2020, there has been a steady stream of re-sightings of -  Z78580  at the Marina, with today's sighting being the 32nd for this bird.  It was last recorded at the Marina, on the 20th March 2023, and the duration up until today, is now 2 years, 10 months and 16 days.

Mute Swan  -   Z78580   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (01 Oct 2023)

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

The resident pair of Mute Swans along with their four cygnets, just happened to be swimming in from Lough Neagh, as I was counting the other swans present.  The male made a charge at three swans that were on the river by the end of the long wooden jetty, forcing them towards the Lough entrance.  Re-joining his family, they made their way towards the slipway.  On seeing the other swans on the slipway, the whole family continued upriver and weren't seen again.

A head count of the Mallards on my arrival, gave a total of 31 birds.  By the time of my departure, the ducks were all over the place due to the feeds they were getting, though I reckon the numbers were still around the 30 mark.

The normal adult male Herring Gull appeared at 11:07, followed by possibly the usual Lesser Black-backed Gull at 11:43.  Just one Common Gull today, and this was a juvenile which arrived at 12:05.  It joined the Black-headed Gulls on the long wooden jetty, with most of them lying down soaking in the sunshine.

4 Jackdaws were the only other birds present today.

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