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.

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