Common Gull - Blue 2CIP

Common Gull - Blue 2CIP

An email from Jack Morris on the 10th April 2024 provided a very much welcomed sighting of one of my Common Gulls that was colour-ringed on Rathlin Island.  Jack spotted -  2CIP  earlier that day on the shore of Laggan Bay on the west coast of the Isle of Mull, Scotland.  This was a first re-sighting for this bird which was ringed as a chick on the 27th June 2022 at Rue Point, Rathlin.  Having submitted Jack's sighting to the BTO, the recovery gave an official distance as being 135 kms / 83 miles north from Rathlin, and the duration since being ringed, was 1 year, 9 months and 14 days.

I began my colour-ringing project on Rathlin Island back in 2017.  With a breeding population that I estimated was around 100+ pairs, the aim of the project was to see how many colour-ringed chicks survive to full maturity to return and integrate into the overall breeding population.  Most immatures appear to avoid the island over the first two years, and begin to return to prospect nest sites, before breeding for the first time in the following year.

My project has been hampered with several poor breeding seasons and the possibility of bird flu effecting the number of chicks which fledge each year.  Although I have yet to see a Rat or Ferret during my visits to Rathlin, apparently there is a severe plague of both which is currently being dealt with, with a five year project to eradicate both species.  Apparently, they have been highlighted as a major cause of nest failure by feasting on seabird eggs and chicks.

The recently published 2023 Rathlin Island Bird Report (PDF), which has been produced by islanders Ric Else and Hazel Watson, gave a 2023 Common Gull breeding population as being around 161 pairs.  This is a good deal higher than my estimates, but does include accurate counts at two east coast colonies, where I could not gain permission from the landowner to visit the sites.  The total also includes a small previous unknown colony on the north coast of Rathlin.  The count did not confirm whether the nests had eggs or young.  The count therefore could be an over-estimation, as some immature pairs prospect nest-sites, with some actually building nests which are never used.

Over this past autumn/winter, only a few gulls have been reported away from Rathlin, which has been very disappointing.  From my experience, many of my gulls go un-noticed during the winter months, therefore the wintering sites for many of my gulls, remain unknown.  One exceptional sighting was reported to me on the 5th January 2024.  A chick -  2CJK ,  colour-ringed on the 19th June 2023 at the Arkill Bay colony, turned up on the Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall - 596 kms / 370 miles (S).

My thanks goes to Jack for reporting -  2CIP , and for his permission to use his photo.  Hopefully the gull will return to Rathlin sometime in the future.  It's always nice to know that there are gulls out there that are still alive and well.  This one is just the second bird to have been spotted in Scotland, though Scotland is just a 'stones throw' away from Rathlin Island.

Common Gull  -   2CIP   -  Laggan Bay, Isle of Mull, Argyll & Bute, Scotland  (10 Apr 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 27th June 2022, at Rue Point, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Jack Morris)

*******************************************************

Antrim Marina - (Sunday 31st March 2024)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 31st March 2024

Today saw me undertaking my final weekly visit to Antrim Marina for the 2023/2024 season, where I study a wintering population of Black-headed Gulls.  My wintering study at the Marina began in September 2013, but includes results from Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study, which began with the ringing of -  2AAA  on the 12th November 2012, at Antrim Marina.

Having made my first visit on the 31st July 2023, over the next few weeks, I quickly realised that many of my colour-ringed gulls had failed to return.  Having recorded around 50 colour-rings last winter, only 27 of those Black-headed Gulls were recorded this winter, which meant I had around 50% losses.  There is no doubting that 'Bird Flu' took a heavy toll on the gulls during the breeding season.  Overall wintering numbers of these gulls was also noted to be well down, as totals rarely exceeded the 100 mark, whereas in the past, 200+ would have regularly recorded.  These heavy losses amongst the Black-headed Gulls, were also noted by other birdwatchers working around their areas, with several foreign colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls having failed to return during the past winter.

I found it very hard to get motivated to go to Antrim Marina, as I knew most surviving gulls will have now departed to return to their breeding sites, and the expectations would be very low today.  I eventually got myself into gear and arrived at the very late time of 11:44am.  It was calm and sunny, with the temperature gauge in my car reading 14°C.  As the morning wore on, an increase in the easterly wind made it feel quite chilly.

Around 30 Black-headed Gulls were dotted around the Marina on my arrival, and they were already getting a good charge of bread being fed to the ducks.  Overall numbers did take me by surprise, as on several occasions 50 to 60+ were noted.  Another thing that caught my eye, was the number of juveniles present.  All through the winter, you could have counted the juveniles on one hand, sometimes adding a finger or two, but at one point, I had around 20 youngsters.

The reading of colour-rings was another drawn out affair, with just 9 being recorded by my departure at around 3pm.  The ever present resident -  2CJT  was the first ring read at 12:31, with the ring of -  2FJL  being the final ring to be read at 14:51.   2FJL , along with  2FJF , are both birds that were ringed during the autumn of 2023, along with 6 others.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJF   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (31 Mar 2024)

(Ringed as a Juvenile, on the 12th November 2023, at Antrim Marina)

One gull that I was surprised to see today, was -  2FIJ .  This was the 7th sighting here at the Marina this winter, which almost doubles previous sightings since being ringed here as an adult in January 2022.  Previously, I stated that I had strong suspicions that this is a foreign bird, which uses Antrim Marina as a 'staging post'.  After two initial sightings in August and September 2023, it did not resurface here until January 2024 with three sightings.  When spotted on the 25th February 2024, I thought this would be my last sighting until next autumn.  The gull's first four re-sightings were made on the 21st March 2022, 8th & 15th August 2022, and on the 12th December 2022.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIJ   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (31 Mar 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 10th January 2022, at Antrim Marina)

An adult Black-headed Gull bearing a BTO sized metal-ring, touched down onto the low wooden jetty at 1:33 and quickly took off again.  I kept an eye for the bird returning, but it never did.  If it stays in the locality to breed on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform', I may have a chance to capture the number in May or June during random visits.  I will not visit the Marina in April, so as to create a 'buffer' before recording the summering birds.

The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335 , was not seen today, so surely it must be well on it's way back to Iceland.  Despite all my efforts to try and catch this one to fit it with a colour-ring, I would very much doubt if the bird will be spotted back home, though I can look forwards to it's return to the Marina next autumn.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 31st March 2024

2CJT	2FJF	2CSR	2AAN	2FIK	2FIJ	2FFA	2FIL	2FJL

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

2AAB	2ABN	2ACV	2AFD	2BRA	2BRD	2CSK	2CTA	2FDJ
2FDK	2FDL	2FFT	2FFX	2FHC	2FHT	2FHV	2FIA	2FIF
2FIP	2FJA	2FJH	2FJK	2FJN	2FJP	2FJT

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

As usual, the large numbers of Mute Swans present, caught my eye on my arrival.  16 (White) Mute Swans were counted, these include a couple of immatures.  The usual group of 4 cygnets stayed together at all times, these having hatched last summer, just upstream from the Marina.  No additional swans arrived, and all legs were checked, but no rings.

A Mallard count on my arrival, gave me a total of around 15 birds, but no further counts were made.  There was a noticeable absence of females, so I reckon a few are sitting on eggs, possibly in the scrub on the other side of the river.  Danny, who is a volunteer for the Lough Neagh Rescue Team arrived just before I departed at 3pm.  Danny stated that one duck arrived during the week with a brood of five or six ducklings, but there was no sign of them today.  I asked Danny if the man that went missing in December in Antrim Town had ever been found.  Sadly, he was found on the eastern shore of Lough Neagh around nine miles south from Antrim about two weeks ago.  He was in such bad condition, that it was not possible to say if there had been any 'fowl play' involved.

One adult, and two juveniles Common Gulls were perched on the rails of the concrete jetty where I parked my car.  One juvenile quickly flew off leaving me with the other two until 2:20 when a second adult arrived.  Presumably, the usual pair Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived at 12:40, and the resident pair of Herring Gulls finally arrived at 2pm.  The Mediterranean Gull which first appeared here two weeks ago, made several brief visits to raid bread from the Black-headed Gulls

Mediterranean Gull  -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (31 Mar 2024)

At 1:31, a Buzzard suddenly appeared flying southwards low over the trees spooking all of the gulls.  It made a hasty return to the direction it came from when chased by a Lesser Black-backed Gull.  Two Rooks and 1 Hooded Crow made very brief appearances, whilst 4 Jackdaws made repeat visits.

*******************************************************

Antrim Marina - (Sunday 24th March 2024)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 24th March 2024

Today, I was making my penultimate weekly visit to Antrim Marina.  I arrived later than normal, hoping gull numbers would be at their maximum from around lunchtime onwards.  Arriving at 11:51, it was a calm, sunny day, with the temperature gauge in my car reading 11°C.

Around 40 Black-headed Gulls were mostly gathered around the small concrete jetty where I park my car.  I did not expect to see that many gulls today, and as things panned out, numbers never exceeded the 40 mark.  A grand total of 35 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls were recorded here this winter, which included 8 birds that were caught and ringed before Christmas.  One of these 8 gulls was found dead in mid February, and having been tested for 'Bird Flu', the results came back as negative.

Reading colour-rings was another drawn out affair, with a final total of 11 being read before my departure at 3pm.  The first two rings read at 11:51, were those of  2ACV  and  2FIK , whilst the ring of  2AAN  was the last to be read at 2:47pm.  Among the 11 rings read, were the juvenile  2FJF , and the adult  2FJL , both ringed last Autumn.

Whilst I am still learning of the status of the Blue-rung gulls, the status of those ringed with Orange Darvic's is known.   2CJT ,  2AAB ,  2CSR  and  2CSK , are year round residents at the Marina.   2ACV , was considered to be a breeding bird at the RSPB's Leighton Moss Nature Reserve in Lancashire, England, but last year, I recorded it at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast, though I could not confirm whether it bred there or not.  Had this gull changed it's choice of nest-site?  Back in August 2023,  2ACV  had a very severe leg injury, which has now healed, as the bird can now stand on both legs.   2AAN , was considered to be a winter visitor to the Marina, and back in June 2022, it was spotted in Larne, County Antrim, which would suggest that it breeds at the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been keeping an eye out for an English-rung Black-headed Gull -  2K48 .  The gull first appeared at the Marina in March 2022, having been ringed in January 2022 in Southport, Merseyside.  A second sighting at the Marina in June 2022, suggested that it bred locally, before being recorded back in Southport in November and December 2022.  Last year, the gull was once again spotted at Antrim Marina, on three occasions in March 2023, but has not been seen since.  I checked the gull's metal number on the BTO's DemOn Ringing Database, but there are no updates since March 2023.  It looks likely that this gull has also fallen foul to 'Bird Flu'. 

The Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull -  543335 , was recorded last week, which I thought, might be my final sighting of the gull this winter.  It proved me wrong, when it arrived at 1:41pm.  Having been ringed in July 2023 in Iceland, it was first recorded at the Marina on the 8th August 2023.  Today's sighting is my 30th for this bird this winter, with the duration since being ringed - 8 months and 10 days.

Black-headed Gull  -  Iceland   543335   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (24 Mar 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 14th July 2023, at Laugarvatn, Iceland)

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 24th March 2024

2ACV	2FIK	2CJT	2AAB	2FJF	2FIL
2CSR	2FJL	2FIF	2CSK	2AAN

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

2ABN	2AFD	2BRA	2BRD	2CTA	2FDJ	2FDK	2FDL
2FFA	2FFT	2FFX	2FHC	2FHT	2FHV	2FIA	2FIJ
2FIP	2FJA	2FJH	2FJK	2FJN	2FJP	2FJT

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

Among the 40 Black-headed Gulls perched around the concrete jetty when I arrived, was the adult Mediterranean Gull which first appeared during last week's visit.  I still cannot believe how confident that this bird is being around people.  Also on the jetty, was the Cormorant which is now a regular sighting, whilst drying out it's wings.  One adult Common Gull and a juvenile Common Gull, were also present, with the juvenile departing soon afterwards.

20 Mute Swans, along with the four locally reared cygnets, were counted on my arrival.  A pair of Mute Swans swam in from Lough Neagh at 1:33, taking the total of (White) Mute Swans to 22 birds.  All legs were checked, but no rings were recorded.

19 Mallards were counted initially, with a maximum of 23 birds counted at 2pm.  Most, if not all legs were checked, but as usual, no rings.

A pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived at 12:30, thereafter making repeated visits.  The resident pair of Herring Gulls were late to arrive, at 2:44.  At 1:50, two adult Common Gulls were counted, which was the maximum for the day.

Two Rooks and four Jackdaws, were the only other species to be recorded today.

******************************************************

Antrim Marina - (Monday 18th March 2024)

Antrim Marina - Monday 18th March 2024

Seeing as Sunday 17th March was St. Patrick's Day, I thought that it would be wiser not to visit Antrim Marina, as there might just be far too many people about.  With Monday the 18th being a bank holiday, we had the day off work and I decided this would be better suited to make my weekly visit.  Having been blocked from getting out of my back yard by a visiting car, I eventually arrived at the Marina at 11:44.  It was a calm, sunny day, with the temperature gauge in my car reading a 'balmy' 14°C.

On parking beside the small concrete jetty, around 30 Black-headed Gulls were present.  With 34 colour-ringed gulls to look out for, I anticipated that this was going to be another long process for reading rings.  Among the 30 birds present,  2AAB ,  2FJL  and  2FJN , were the first three to be read.

 2AAB , is the oldest surviving Black-headed Gull belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland BHG Study  Having been ringed at the Marina as an unsexed adult, on the 11th December 2012, the duration as of today's sighting, is now 11 years, 3 months and 7 days, since being ringed.   2AAB , is a year round resident in the Antrim area, and hopefully it will survive this summers breeding season.  As each breeding season passes, I usually lose a couple of Adam's gulls, which are often among the oldest.  Bird Flu, took a hugh toll on the breeding gulls last summer, with around half of my colour-ringed birds failing to return.

 2FJL  and  2FJN , were both ringed here as adults on the 3rd December 2023, therefore little is known about these two, except for the fact that both are still here.  My 7th sighting at 12:13, was  2FJF , and it is the only juvenile among the 8 gulls that were caught and ringed here this winter.  I caught this bird on the 12th November 2023, and up to now, it has survived pretty well on the feeds from the public.

Yes, the process of reading rings was really stretched out, with the 12th and final colour-ring -  2AAN  being read at 1:25pm, which meant I had 22 absentees today.  There's no doubting, that many gulls are now well on their way to their breeding sites.

Throughout my visit, Black-headed Gull numbers fluctuated between none and a maximum of around 40 altogether, which is not surprising of late.  The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335  appeared at 1:41pm, just in time before my departure at 2pm.  Ringed in Iceland, on the 14th July 2023, it first appeared at the Marina on the 8th August 2023, when a partial number was read.  The whole number was completed on the 21st August 2023.  With my final two visits for this winter coming up, I will be surprised if this gull is still present during these.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 18th March 2024

2AAB	2FJL	2FJN	2FIF	2ACV	2CSR
2FJF	2FIK	2CSK	2CJT	2FIL	2AAN

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

2ABN	2AFD	2BRA	2BRD	2CTA	2FDJ	2FDK	2FDL
2FFA	2FFT	2FFX	2FHC	2FHT	2FHV	2FIA	2FIJ
2FIP	2FJA	2FJH	2FJK	2FJP	2FJT

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

The number of Mute Swans present, easily caught my eye whilst parking beside the concrete jetty.  A count revealed 24 (White) swans and 5 cygnets.  Four of the cygnets are from the same family group, whilst the 5th looked to be a totally new youngster.  This young bird when first spotted, was well out towards the breakwater, and seemed to be a young Whooper Swan with tinges of red on the head and neck.  When it got closer, I could see that it was a young Mute Swan, easily noted by the knob at the base of it's beak.  On a couple of occasions, all of the swans were out of the water, but none were ringed.

A New Juvenile Mute Swan at Antrim Marina  (18 Mar 2024)

A pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also perched on the concrete jetty when I arrived.  Presumably, these were the same two birds that came and went throughout the morning.  A single Common Gull was also perched among the Black-headed's on my arrival.  A juvenile Common Gull made a brief appearance at 12:37, and by 1pm, three adult Common Gulls were present.

At 1:05, the distinctive call of a Mediterranean Gull could be heard, which had me running about with my camera.  The gull was flying about all over the place making repeated calls, and tried to hunt down the Black-headed's as they flew about with bread in their beaks.  Was this Med Gull ringed?  It did not help me by landing on the river.  It then took off and had me on the chase again.  Finally, it landed on the rail of the concrete jetty where I managed to get a photo, and sadly no rings.  Last summer, a 'Live' camera on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform' captured the presence of Mediterranean Gulls, but it is not known whether they bred successfully there.

For an adult that I have not seen here before, this bird turned out to be quite interesting.  Prior to my departure, it was on the slipway among the Black-headed Gulls trying to grab bread underneath the feet of the public and showed no fear.  It was obvious that the gull has had interactions with people in the past.

Adult Mediterranean Gull at Antrim Marina  (18 Mar 2024)

The resident pair of Herring Gulls finally arrived at 12:34.  A juvenile Herring Gull at 1:26, followed by a third calendar year bird at 1:28, flew off again minutes later.

A Mallard count on arrival gave a total off 22 birds, and a second count just after 1pm saw numbers had increased to 37.  With birds on the water at all times, I do not think that all legs were checked, but no rings were spotted among those that did come ashore.

The Cormorant, which has grabbed the attention of many passers by over the last two weeks, hopped up onto the concrete jetty at 12:45.  Again, it gained much attention of passers by, including a Scottish Group possibly staying at the adjacent caravan park.  Having asked what the bird was, I informed them of it's name, and I found it amusing that they had never heard of that species before.  Trying to make comparisons, I asked whether they had ever heard of a Shag.  One lady, to the 'chuckles' of her husband, said 'many of a shag she had had'.  I told her that I did not mean that shag and suggested we change the subject before things got out of hand.  However, the subject continued to the amusement of all.  Really enjoyed that bit of 'banter'.

5 Jackdaws, 1 Hooded Crow, 1 Rook and a Pied Wagtail, were also noted here today.

*******************************************************

Antrim Marina - (Sunday 10th March 2024)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 10th March 2024

Today, I arrived at Antrim Marina at 10am, the weather being overcast, a temperature reading gave 9°C, and a fairly strong wind was blowing in from a north-easterly direction which made it feel a lot colder.  Parking in my usual spot beside the small concrete jetty, just 7 Black-headed Gulls were present.

With 34 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls to look out for, it quickly became clear, that ring reading today was going to be a long, slow process.  The first two rings read, were that of -  2FIP  and -  2CJT  at 10:18 and 10:19.  Just over two hours later at 12:05, the ring of -  2FJN  was the sixth to be read, and just 10 minutes before my 2pm departure, the ring of -  2CSK , was my 9th and final ring of the day.  This left me with a whopping 25 absentees.

Throughout my visit, there was a total lack of gulls, with birds clearly coming and going.  My highest count of Black-headed Gulls, gave me a total of 34 birds at 12:09, with just the one colour-ringed bird among them.  I was beginning to think that the metal-rung Icelandic bird -  543335  would not appear today, but it was eventually spotted at 1:15pm.  Having appeared at the Marina on the 8th August 2023, it should head back off to Iceland any time now.  I really had hoped to add one of my colour-rings to this gull before it departs, and despite a couple of near misses, I doubt that I will catch it now.

Another three visits will complete this winter's surveying at the Marina, and overall, results have been really disappointing, especially with half of my colour-ringed gulls having failed to return in the first instance.  The lack of wintering Black-headed Gulls here only emphasises the loses due to bird flu during the breeding season. 

I respond to four Northern Ireland colour-ringing projects (2 Common and 2 Black-headed Gull), and sighting reports from other observers have just about been non-existent this winter, which also highlights the plight of the gulls elsewhere.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 10th March 2024

2FIP	2CJT	2FIK	2FJA	2FJF	2FJN	2AAB	2CSR	2CSK

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

2AAN	2ABN	2ACV	2AFD	2BRA	2BRD	2CTA	2FDJ	2FDK
2FDL	2FFA	2FFT	2FFX	2FHC	2FHT	2FHV	2FIA	2FIF
2FIJ	2FIL	2FJH	2FJK	2FJL	2FJP	2FJT

Graham McElwaine - Monday 11th March 2024

An email arrived with me on Monday evening on the 11th March.  Graham, who lives in County Down, surveys Whooper Swans in the Toome area of County Antrim.  As usual, on completing his survey, Graham calls in to Antrim Marina to walk his dog before returning home.  Well aware of my gull project at the Marina, Graham recorded five colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls among an estimated 30 birds that were present.  Two of these -  2FDJ  and -  2FJL , were absent during my visit yesterday (Sunday 10th March).  His sighting of -  2FDJ  was of special interest, as I have not seen this gull since the 18th February 2024, and thought it had departed enroute to Estonia

Back in 2021,  2FDJ  was recorded on 4 occasions in February (Scotland), before turning up in eastern Estonia on the 4th April 2021.  Having been spotted just 44 kms from the border with Russia, which country it actually bred in, is unknown.

 2FJL , is an adult, which I caught and ringed at the Marina, on the 3rd December 2023.  Since being ringed, it is not regularly recorded at the Marina, with Graham's sighting being the 6th record for this bird.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina by Graham McElwaine on Monday 11th March 2024

2CJT	2FDJ	2FIP	2FJA	2FJL

Graham had read my blog about the recent appearance of a very confiding Cormorant, with that bird back on the concrete jetty during his visit today.  Graham noted a lady taking photos of the bird, and she too was surprised with the birds confiding nature, and even knew what species it was.

Leaving the Marina, Graham made his way to Rea's Wood.  The entrance to the wood, is on the edge of the main car park beside the Marina.  There is a footpath which runs alongside the edge of Lough Neagh, and a scene from 'Game of Thrones' was actually filmed there.  Graham stated that there were lots of gulls on a sand-bar, but he did not have his telescope with him.  I found this of interest, as I walked that stretch years ago in search of possible sites to view gulls, and there were no sand-bars at that time.  I must take a look during my next visit to Antrim Marina.  As always, my thanks goes to Graham for his sightings.

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present on my arrival, though they flew off shortly after.  Presumably, two of these made several brief returns during the morning.  The resident pair of Herring Gulls were also present throughout my visit, but not one Common Gull appeared today.

12 Mute Swans, plus the family group of 4 cygnets, were also present throughout my visit.  A further 3 adult Mute Swans swam in from Lough Neagh at 11:18, and the overall total of (White) Mute Swans increased to 17, with two more having slipped in un-noticed when a count was made at 12:30.  With so many feeds of bread being available, all legs were checked, but no rings.

Mallard numbers were up just slightly, with an initial 22 birds at first, increasing to 31 altogether at 12:30.  Once again, I would be fairly certain that all legs were checked for rings.

The confiding Cormorant that appeared for the first time last week, popped up onto the small concrete jetty at 10:24.  A 2nd Cormorant appeared at 11:00, and it too hauled itself onto the jetty.  Both birds caught the attention of many passers-by, and appeared calm whilst having their photos took.  A third Cormorant arrived at 12:10, and after swimming around in lots of circles beside the jetty, was not so sure about the number of folk about, making a hasty retreat.

Cormorants on the Short Concrete Jetty at Antrim Marina  (10 Mar 2024)

4 Jackdaws, 1 Rook and a male Pied Wagtail, were the only other birds noted today.

*******************************************************

Antrim Marina - (Sunday 3rd March 2024)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 3rd March 2024

Today at Antrim Marina saw an initial 50/50 cloud cover, which quickly became 80/20 leaning towards a blue sky with plenty of sunshine.  The temperature gauge in my car read 6°C on arrival, increasing to 11°C shortly before my departure at 1:45pm.

Arriving at the Marina at 10am, a total of just 21 Black-headed Gulls were present, most at the short concrete jetty where I parked my car.  None of these were ringed, but -  2FIA  was the first to arrive at 10:11.  As the morning wore on, it slowly became clear that I was going to have many absentees today.  After the recent death of -  2FJJ , I was on the lookout for 34 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls altogether.

At no time, did numbers exceed the 30 mark, and at times, no gulls were present at all.  Recording ringed birds was a very slow and laborious task.  My 13th and final ring sighting was that of -  2CSK  at 12:43, an hour before my departure, by which time all of the gulls had disappeared once more.  I had 21 absentees altogether today.

Two of the gulls recorded today -  2FJN  and -  2FIL , had rings that were very hard to read, and I actually had to zoom in with my camera to enable me to read the codes.  There was no doubting that they had been in muddy fields possibly on the outskirts of Antrim Town.  Perhaps this is where many of today's absentees were at as well.  Now that we are closing in to another breeding season, a few of the gulls may also be on their way to their breeding sites.

One of today's absentees -  2BRD , was spotted by Suzanne Belshaw on the 23rd and 26th February 2024 at the lake in Lurgan Park in County Armagh.  Although -  2BRD  was ringed at Antrim Marina in February 2015 as an adult Male, over the years since, it is well known to visit Lurgan Park for a few weeks prior to the onset of the new breeding season.  Unfortunately, where that breeding site is, is still unknown.

The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335 , was also recorded again today at 10:19, with this bird having been absent during last week's visit.   543335 , has been here since the 8th August 2023, and having attempted to catch and colour-ring this bird before it returns to Iceland for the summer, my efforts have failed completely.  The chances of it being seen in Iceland will be very slim now.

After all of the years that I have been coming to the Marina during the Autumn/Winter months, I have never seen so many people arriving with bag-loads of bread to feed to the birds.  The swans, and what few ducks that were here, had a field-day concerning feeds, and the gulls also helped themselves to more than their fair share as well.

This was a really boring visit, and I have a feeling that my final four visits may end up being similar.  I took a minute to look at the nearby former 'Torpedo Platform' used as a nesting site, but it was practically deserted.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 3rd March 2024

2FIA	2FJA	2FJF	2CSR	2ACV	2FIF	2AAB
2ABN	2FJN	2FIK	2FIP	2FIL	2CSK

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

2AAN	2AFD	2BRA	2BRD	2CJT	2CTA	2FDJ
2FDK	2FDL	2FFA	2FFT	2FFX	2FHC	2FHT
2FHV	2FIJ	2FJH	2FJK	2FJL	2FJP	2FJT

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

A Cormorant caught the eyes of many people today, and several asked me what the name of this species was.  The bird had already hauled out of the water and rested on the end of the short concrete jetty, often spreading it's wings out to dry.  What was unusual, despite all of the passer's by, this was the first time that I have ever seen a Cormorant here staying 'put', as normally they would just head back onto the river.

The resident pair of Herring Gulls were present through to 1pm, and then flew out to the breakwater on the edge of Lough Neagh.  Only one Common Gull appeared today, making a brief visit at 11:23, and likewise, a brief visit was made by a Lesser Black-backed Gull at 12:42.

Mallard numbers remain disastrously low, with 25 present on my arrival, declining to just 16 by the time of my 1:45 departure.

16 Mute Swans, and the family group of four cygnets, were also present throughout my visit today.  All eventually came ashore, but none had rings.  No further swans arrived during my visit.

A surprising increase to 8 Jackdaws was noted, along with 4 Rooks.  All made repeated visits, leaving to hoard beak-fulls of bread seeing as there was so much on offer today.  A male Pied Wagtail, made up today's list of other birds.

*******************************************************

Antrim Marina - (Sunday 25th February 2024)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 25th February 2024

It was approaching 10am when I arrived at Antrim Marina this morning.  It was calm and sunny, with the temperature gauge in my car reading 8°C.  As the morning wore on, the gauge read 11°C, but as an easterly breeze began to blow in, it felt quite chilly.

On parking beside the small concrete jetty,  2AAB  was the first ring to be read at 10:00.  The gull was standing on top of the security fencing, so I got out of the car and hand fed the bird with a few bits of bread.  With the death of -  2FJJ  recently, I was on the lookout for 34 colour-rings altogether.  37 Black-headed Gulls were counted on my arrival, and numbers never exceeded 50 at any time.  Reading rings was a long drawn out affair, but as the morning wore on, so did the numbers read.  Gulls were clearly coming and going, with my 24th and final ring being read at 13:54 - just minutes from my 2pm departure.

Notable sightings were of the Latvian -  2AFD , and the Icelandic -  2FHV  (read below).  One other bird which was not recorded today, was the Estonian -  2FDJ , which was recorded here last Monday.  Looking at my records, this gull departed from the Marina and was spotted on 4 occasions in Scotland in February 2021 before turning up in eastern Estonia on the 4th April 2021.  I think this gull has now gone, and hopefully someone will record it on it's travels back home.  Spotted just 44 kms away from the border with Russia, which country it actually bred in is unknown.

Another bird of note today is -  2FIJ , with it's 6th sighting here this winter.  It was spotted on two occasions in the Autumn - 8th August and 4th September 2023, and then disappeared until the 7th January 2024.  I have a feeling that the gull is using the Marina as a 'staging post', and is wintering somewhere else.  I still reckon that this one is a foreign breeding bird, though this can only be confirmed if it is spotted during the spring or summer months.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIJ   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (25 Feb 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 10th January 2022, at Antrim Marina)

Once again, with the gulls having been well fed by passers-by feeding the ducks, I had no chance to catch any new birds for ringing.  Talking of new birds, I believe a couple of today's Black-headed Gulls may well be birds returning to breed here for the summer.  When you work with a set of gulls all winter, the traits of new arrivals are easily noticed.  One bird I will be especially looking out for over the next couple of weeks, is the return of -  2K48 .  This gull was ringed as an adult in January 2022 at Southport in England, and then arrived at Antrim Marina in March 2022 followed by a second sighting in June 2022, which suggested it bred here that summer.  Spotted back in Southport in November and December 2022, it arrived back at the Marina for a second summer running in March 2023.

There could be one slight problem concerning -  2K48 .  My last sighting of this gull was on the 23rd March 2023, and on checking the BTO's DemOn Database, my sighting remains the last for this bird.  Did it survive last seasons breeding season?, has it wintered back in Southport un-noticed, the next couple of weeks should answer that question - will it return once more?

Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 25th February 2024

2AAB	2FDK	2CSK	2FFX	2CJT	2FIJ	2FHV	2FIK
2FJN	2FIL	2AAN	2CSR	2FIF	2BRA	2FJT	2ACV
2AFD	2FJL	2FHC	2FFA	2FJA	2FJF	2FJH	2FIP

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

2ABN	2BRD	2CTA	2FDJ	2FDL	2FFT	2FHT	2FIA	2FJK	2FJP

At 1:12pm, I spotted a Black-headed Gull on the rails of the small concrete jetty in front of my car, and this bird had a metal-only ring on it's right leg.  Immediately, I was hoping that this was the Swedish bird that appeared on the 4th February 2024, where I was missing the 4th & 5th digits from it's ring -  654**88 .  Grabbing my camera, I managed to obtain one photo of the ring, then the gull flew off.  All I got was the first digit ( 5 ), showing the address above, which told me that this one was not Swedish.  The Swedish rings have the address below the number, so my thoughts turned to the gull being the Icelandic -  595818 , which has been recorded twice this winter (12th November 2023 and 28th January 2024).

Luckily, at 1:37, the gull returned to the concrete jetty, where I was able to complete the number this time, and it was indeed -  595818 .  My three sightings at Antrim Marina are the first for this bird since it was ringed at Akureyri in Northern Iceland as an unsexed adult on the 11th July 2023.  The duration since being ringed, is now 7 months and 14 days, and the distance from Akureyri, is 1,379 kms / 857 miles (SSE).

The photo below of -  595818 , shows it standing next to -  2FHV , so I had two Icelandic birds standing side by side.   2FHV , was ringed as an unsexed adult at Antrim Marina, on the 8th November 2021.  It is also associated with Akureyri, having been spotted there on two occasions - 26th June 2022 and 8th July 2022.

Another Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543334 , has been recorded regularly at the Marina since the 8th August 2023.  The ring on this gull is fitted on the bird's left leg, but there was no sign of this one today.  A third metal-rung adult Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  527948 , was spotted on just the one occasion at the Marina this winter (18th September 2023).

Black-headed Gull  -  Iceland   595818   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (25 Feb 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 11th July 2023, at Akureyri, Eyjafjarðarsýsla, N. Iceland)

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

19 (White) Mute Swans and 5 cygnets, were present on my arrival this morning.  Four of the cygnets, stayed together throughout my visit, and are presumably the youngsters which hatched out upriver during the summer.  An adult swam in from Lough Neagh at 10:27, giving me 20 (White) swans.  All birds eventually came ashore, but no rings were noted.   Z78580 , has not been seen since the 14th January 2024, and I have no idea what has happened to this one.  No Council staff were about, so I do not know anything more about the male swan that was found dead here recently.

3 adult, and 3 juvenile Common Gulls were also present on my arrival.  By 11:05, 5 adults were chasing the Black-headed's trying to rob them of their feeds.  The small Scottish metal-rung female -  EY64036 , has only been seen on a single occasion this winter (14th January 2024).  The way things are 'panning' out, I was lucky to get this one, though the gull has probably visited the Marina on occasions when I was not about.  The January sighting, was this bird's 62nd record at the Marina, since first being spotted here as a juvenile in February 2014.

Mallard numbers are getting worse all of the time.  Today, just 21 ducks were counted on my arrival, with just 13 present by the time of my departure at 2pm.  I do not have the foggiest about what is happening here.  For this time of the year, numbers should be close to, or even exceeding the 100 mark.

The female from the pair of Herring Gulls arrived at 10:39, and the male finally turned up at 11:48.  Once together, they were still present when I departed.  A Lesser Black-backed Gull made the first of two brief appearances at 12:24.

There was no sign of either of the Moorhens, who had been pottering about the Marina for several weeks.  A pair of Rooks made repeated visits, and I think they were hoarding bits of bread being fed to the ducks.  A male Pied Wagtail, and just two Jackdaws, were the only other species recorded today.

*******************************************************