Rathlin Island - Wednesday 15th May 2024

Rathlin Island - 15th May 2024

Today I undertook my first visit this summer to Rathlin Island to record colour-ringed Common Gulls.  Back in 2016, I surveyed the sub colonies of these gulls with the view of starting a new colour-ringing project.  Having estimated an overall population of 100 plus pairs, I began my study on the island in 2017.  My aim was to see how many colour-ringed chicks survived to adulthood and integrate into the overall population.  Over the years since 2017, it became obvious that the output of chicks through to the fledging stage was rather hit or miss.  More often than not, the gulls have had poor breeding seasons, though 2019 and 2022 were exceptionally good years.  The reasons for the poor output of chicks was unknown, but recently, though I have never seen either during my visits, Ferrets and Rats appear to the main culprits.  Apparently, the island is infested with both species, and work is now underway to eradicate them.

Another factor that may be affecting the populations around the island is 'Bird Flu'.  Last summer, a fair proportion of gulls that had been colour-ringed over previous years, failed to show up at their respective colonies.  All of these problems, are making a difference to my overall aims.

On today's visit, I travelled over on the 10am ferry, and returned to Ballycastle on the 5pm ferry.  I went to the sub-colony at Arkill Bay, which is now split into two parts.  The southern section is now looked after by the Royal Society for the Protection of birds and is now known as the Craigmacagan Reserve.  The north section is on private land.  As things panned out, I spent the whole afternoon scoping backwards and forwards between the two sections.

I would sit on the hillsides overlooking the colonies for any sign of rings, and when spotted, I would zoom in with my powerful Nikon P1000 to take photos of each gull and ring.  As it turned out, I could not have chosen a worse day to visit.  The heat haze rising off of the rocks was nothing normal, and by zooming in, the haze just got worse.  The only decent photo I took, was of my ninth ring-sighting just after 3pm.  Shortly beforehand, a cool easterly wind began blowing in from the sea which helped.

Below are the 'cropped out' rings for all nine gulls that were recorded, a series of other photos were so poor due to the haze, nothing could be read on those rings with certainty.  The very first ring, though in poor condition, belongs to -  2BBF .  I know this for definite, as he was spotted at his favoured nest site from previous years.  He was also the only one spotted today having been ringed when I began my project in 2017.  He was ringed at this same colony on the 24th June 2017.  Away from the island, I spotted him twice as a juvenile at Carnlough in County Antrim in June and July 2018.  The duration as of today's sighting, is 6 years, 10 months and 21 days since being ringed.

Colour-ringed Common Gulls Recorded at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island on Wednesday 15th May 2024

 2BJX , was ringed as a chick at Arkill Bay, on the 24th June 2019.  It's only two sightings away from Rathlin Island were recorded as a juvenile by Jan Rod in January 2022, when spotted on Gormanstown Beach in Co. Meath, in the Republic of Ireland.  Since then, it has been recorded by me at Arkill Bay in June 2022 and June 2023.  The duration, is now 4 years, 10 months and 21 days.

The only decent photo that I took today, was that of -  2BTL .  This one turned out to be a first ever sighting of the bird, despite being ringed as a chick here at Arkill Bay, on the 15th June 2021.  The duration is now 2 years and 11 months exactly since it was ringed.

Common Gull  -   2BTL   -  Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim  (15 May 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th June 2021, at Arkill Bay)

 2BVH , was ringed as a chick at Arkill Bay, on the 22nd June 2021, and I recorded the bird as fledged on the 11th July 2021.  Since then, the only other sighting was made at this colony, on the 14 May 2023.  The duration, is now 2 years, 10 months and 23 days.

With the exception of one gull -  2CCL , the final four were all first ever sightings.   2CCL , was ringed at the Arkill Bay colony as a chick, on the 14th June 2022.  It was spotted by holiday makers Pete and Ann Wilson on the 15th July 2023, on the beach at Ballycastle, just a 'good' stones throw away from Rathlin.  Today's sighting comes 1 year, 11 months and 1 day since being ringed.

 2CAV ,  2CFA ,  2CFK  and  2CFL , were all ringed at the Arkill Bay colony in June 2022.  These four, along with -  2CCL  would be prospecting nest sites, as they will not be full breeding age until next year.  I am fairly sure, but I will need to confirm this on another visit, but it looks likely that -  2CFK  and  2CFL  are paired up together.  This would be something, seeing as I ringed them one after the other.  The duration for these gulls, are just under 1 year and 11 months since being ringed.

As stated above, my main aim was to see how many surviving chicks would integrate back into the overall breeding population.  Not only have today's nine sightings returned to Rathlin, but all have returned to their own natal colonies.

Overall, I think the population is slightly lower in both sections at Arkill Bay.  The legs of those gulls sitting on eggs could not be seen, and for many, their partners were obviously away feeding.  In this case, there is plenty of scope for more rings to be read here over the next two months.  My next visit to Rathlin, will see me covering the Doon Bay and Rue Point sub-colonies, as well as checking the small islet on the freshwater Ushet Lough.

Resident islander Ric Else, has said he will try to visit the Portawillan and Portcastle sub-colonies which lie to the north from Arkill Bay.  So far, I have been unable to obtain permission from the landowner to visit these colonies.  I would be fairly confident, that some of my colour-ringed Common Gulls can also be found at these two sites.

It has also come to light through the Rathlin Island Bird Report (PDF), that a further two sub-colonies were found at Bull Point in the west of the island and on the north coast.  With most of Rathlin's Common Gulls being located along the east coast, these two new sites are a 'trifle' out of the way.  If I can find the time, I might just take a look at these anyway.

Since quitting my job back in early April, I have been doing voluntary work with the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group.  The main focus, is surveying the hills for Hen Harrier and Merlin nest sites, as well as looking for nest sites of other Raptors.  Many long hours is involved sitting scanning for these birds.  Although this is sensitive work, I do hope to get a few good photos for my blog.  Something a bit different from Ring Reading.

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Antrim Marina - (Wednesday 8th May 2024)

Antrim Marina - Wednesday 8th May 2024

At Antrim Marina, I study a wintering population of Black-headed Gulls.  Whenever possible, gulls are caught and colour-ringed and these birds are my primary interest.  I began my study to run alongside Adam McClure's Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study, which ran from 2012 until 2018, when Adam had to end his project.  The initial colour-ringed Northern Ireland Black-headed Gulls were ringed at Antrim Marina, and these birds became the 'backbone' of my study.  Having retrained as a ringer myself, I now colour-ring gulls to add to my study.

Each winter, I begin a weekly series  of visits beginning in the first weekend of August, finishing on the last weekend in March.  During each visit, I record the colour rings, the results being entered onto a spreadsheet where full histories of the gulls are recorded.  Also during my visits, I also record the number of Black-headed Gulls present, both ringed and un-ringed, this giving us an idea how the wintering population varies from winter to winter.

Once finished at the end of March, I skip April before beginning random visits over the months of May and June to record the resident gulls, most of which probably breed on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform'.  Antrim's non-residents, have been recorded during the breeding season in countries such as Iceland, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Germany, before returning to the Marina for a further winter.

Today saw me undertaking my first random visit for this summer.  During a three and a half hour visit, 8 colour-rings were recorded, with most having been recorded in the first hour of the visit.  By the time of my departure at 4pm, no further rings had been recorded for over two hours.  With just 8 rings recorded, there will be no panic setting in just yet, as many residents will be at their nests and should appear at sometime, especially after the chicks hatch which will free up females to look for food as well.

Black-headed Gulls were present throughout today's visit, with just 5 birds at minimum, and maximum numbers never exceeded the 30 mark.  Some past summer visits, would have seen no gulls at all on a few visits.

The very first ring to be read here today, was that of -  2AAN , which had me wondering - what are you doing here?  Since being ringed at the Marina in December 2012, over the years, this gull has never been recorded here in the months of May and June, though July sightings suggested that it had returned after it's breeding season had ended, and the possibility it's nesting site was not too far away.  This idea was confirmed in June 2022.  A Geraldine Seymour sent me an email, to say she had spotted -  2AAN  on the 16th June 2022, on the Inver River in Larne, County Antrim, adding a photo.  With Blue Circle Island on Larne Lough being the nearest colony, the gull may well have nested there.  As it stands, this is the only record for this gull away from Antrim Marina.

Both  2CSR  and  2CJT , are long established year round residents at Antrim Marina, though I have one sighting of -  2CJT , which was spotted at Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, Scotland.  Having been regularly recorded at Antrim Marina throughout the winter of 2020/2021,  2CJT  was spotted on the 25th February 2021 and there was a photo to prove it.  By the 21st April 2021, it was back at the Marina and has never strayed since.  I reckoned that the gull may have got pulled away by continental birds returning home.

The gulls ringed with the Blue Darvics, are birds belonging to me, and I am still in the process of building profiles for these birds.  Two gulls of note that were recorded today, are -  2FJL  and  2FJN .  Both were ringed as adults during this past winter, so today's sightings suggest that they are going to be year round residents.   

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Wednesday 8th May 2024

2AAN	2CSR	2CJT	2FFA	2FJN	2FJL	2FIL	2FIF

Black-headed Gull  -   2AAN   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (06 May 2024)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 21st December 2012, at Antrim Marina)

Black-headed Gull  -   2CSR   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (08 May 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 24th December 2017, at Antrim Marina)

Black-headed Gull  -   2CJT   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (08 May 2024)

(Ringed as Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 4th December 2016, at Antrim Marina)

Black-headed Gull  -   2FFA   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (08 May 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 23rd November 2020, at Antrim Marina)

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJN   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (08 May 2024)

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

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJL   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (08 May 2024)

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

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIL   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (08 May 2024)

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

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIF   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (08 May 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 23rd November 2021, at Antrim Marina)

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

Knowing the calls made by the various species of birds, the sound of numerous Sand Martins caught my attention after parking beside the small concrete jetty.  This was unusual, as I have never seen so many here at one time in the past.  Occasionally, the odd one or two would have been seen high in the sky.  As the birds remained, I began to investigate for possible nesting sites.  Possibly gaps in the stone-worked wall of the Gateway Centre, but the birds did not fly near these.  After a while, I discovered that they were flying into holes in the walls just below the flat roof.  Looking at these closer with my binoculars, the damaged plaster indicated that they had been chiselled out to accommodate nest holes for Swifts, but the Martins had got there first.  I had meant to get a photo of one such hole, but seeing as my camera was in the car, I ended up forgetting.

13 Mute Swans, included the 4 youngsters that hatched upriver last summer.  They have moulted into their white feathers and very few juvenile feathers remain.  As usual, all legs were checked, but no rings on these birds.

I was surprised to note that their were no ducklings about.  Most of the Mallards that numbered around 20 birds were males, therefore, numerous females are on nests somewhere in the area.

A single adult Lesser Black-backed Gull made several brief visits, whilst the resident male Herring Gull and a single adult Common Gull, both made a single visit.  They are all likely to be nesting on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform'.

The Cormorant that appeared in the weeks before completing my wintering study of the Black-headed Gulls at the end of March, hauled out of the river onto the small concrete jetty moments after I arrived.  It was still there when I departed, and due to the heat, panted like a dog the whole time.  Some folk thought there was something wrong with it, but I soon enlightened them.

A pair of Pied Wagtails kept appearing, collecting flies from around the car park, a sure sign that they are feeding chicks somewhere close by.

Likewise, a pair of Hooded Crows, 4 Jackdaws and a single Rook, made repeated visits, filling their beaks with bread being thrown down for the ducks.  No doubting, their partners or chicks were getting plenty to eat.   

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Study Gull Sightings...

From Linda Thompson

An email from Linda Thompson on the 27th April 2024, provided me with one of those 'WoW' moments.  Earlier that day, Linda came across one of Adam McClure's Black-headed Gulls from his former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study (2012 to 2018).  The gull -  2BJL , was spotted on the stretch of water at Carrickfergus Leisure Centre known as the Mill Ponds.

 2BJL , was ringed as a chick, on the 19th June 2014, at the Wetland and Wildlife Trust's Castle Espie Reserve in County Down.  The first re-sighting, was made by myself, on the 5th September 2014, when I spotted the juvenile at a housing estate in Ballymena, Co. Antrim.  I remember that sighting very well.  At that time, as a taxi driver, I had dropped a customer off to her house, and as I was leaving the estate, I noticed that one of the Black-headed Gull's had an Orange Darvic.  I rushed to my own house a short distance away and returned with a camera.  Those were the days before I purchased the more powerful Nikon P900, latterly followed by the amazing Nikon P1000, and managed a few photos which also showed the code on the ring.   2BJL , had travelled 53 kms / 33 miles (NW) to reach Ballymena, and was sighted 2 months and 17 days after being ringed.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BJL   -  Doury Road Housing Estate, Ballymena, Co. Antrim  (05 Sep 2014)

The second sighting was made by a holiday visitor, who came over for the Christmas period to visit family in Ballyclare, and included some birdwatching here.  Jeff Higgott spotted -  2BJL  on the 21st December 2019, on the shore at Kilroot Power Station on Belfast Lough.  I was obviously delighted with this sighting seeing as I had recorded this gull in the past.  At that time, the duration since being ringed, was 5 years, 6 months and 2 days, the distance from Castle Espie, being 22 kms / 13 miles (NNW).  Unfortunately, Jeff was unable to obtain a photo.

At that time, the shore at Kilroot was unknown to me, but I have made many visits since to see if I could spot that gull for a second time.  As time passed by, I began to think that the gull had died, so Linda's recent sighting came as a 'bombshell' moment.  Kilroot is situated to the north, adjacent to Carrickfergus, so the area is obviously a favourite haunt.  What I do find interesting, is the April sightings, and as far as I know, there are no breeding colonies in Carrickfergus.  Gulls often return to their natal colonies, but with lots of eyes at Castle Espie,  2BJL  has never been re-sighted there.

This third sighting, comes 9 years, 10 months and 8 days since being ringed, and the distance from Castle Espie to the Mill Ponds, is 21 kms / 13 miles (NNW).

My thanks goes to Linda for this sighting report along with a photo.  I would still love to record the gull myself again, at least I know it is still alive and well.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BJL   -  Carrickfergus Leisure Centre, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim  (27 Apr 2024)

(Ringed as a chick, on the 19th June 2014, at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Linda Thompson)

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Two Common Gull Sightings

Having completed another winter studying wintering Black-headed Gulls at Antrim Marina, my focus has moved on to nesting raptors.  Occasionally when I'm on the coast, I would check gull flocks for rings, and on the 22nd April 2024, I fell in with two Common Gulls ringed as chicks on Rathlin Island.  Since 2017, I have colour-ringed chicks with the view of recording birds that return as adults to integrate into the overall breeding population of around 100+ pairs.  Normally in their first two years, most chicks appear to avoid the island, with some third year birds returning to prospect nest sites.  Some of these prospectors go as far as building nests, but I have yet to record eggs being laid.  It appears to be the norm, that as fourth year birds they do breed for the first time.

I have found that sightings of the colour-ringed Common Gulls away from Rathlin Island, are few and far between, especially over the winter months.  The best time to read rings, are when the gulls return to their colonies, where rings can be read at a distance using a telescope or the use of a camera.

The first of my two sightings was that of -  2BXN , spotted in a group of around a dozen Common Gulls on Cushendall Beach where a fresh water outlet flows across the shore.  This was a first re-sighting, with the gull having been ringed as a chick, on the 11th July 2021 at the Rue Point colony on Rathlin.  The duration since being ringed, was 2 years, 9 months and 11 days, and the distance from Rathlin to Cushendall Beach, is 22 kms / 13 miles (SSE).  Seeing as -  2BXN  is now in it's 3rd year, it should be prospecting a nest site.  A small population of normally four pairs breed along the shore between Cushendall and the southern Red Bay, therefore -  2BXN  may join that population.

Common Gull  -   2BXN   -  Cushendall Beach, Cushendall, Co. Antrim  (22 Apr 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th July 2021, at Rue Point, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim)

The second Common Gull -  2CHN , was also a first re-sighting and was spotted on the beach at Waterfoot, slightly south of Cushendall Beach.   2CHN  was ringed as a chick, on the 21st June 2022, at the Arkill Bay colony on Rathlin.  The duration since being ringed, was 1 year, 10 months and 1 day, and the distance from Rathlin, is 26 kms / 16 miles (SSE).

Common Gull  -   2CHN   -  Waterfoot Beach, Waterfoot, Co. Antrim  (24 Apr 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 21st June 2022, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim)

As stated above, sightings away from Rathlin are few and far between.  It is always nice to know, that there are surviving birds out there somewhere.  I'm sure that many more will be found in the future.  Now that we are into the month of May, many of the Common Gulls on Rathlin Island will be on eggs.  Soon I shall begin my summer visits to scope the rings, and among the known adults, perhaps a few returning birds will be recorded for the first time.  Having skipped the month of April, I will also begin random visits to Antrim Marina to record the resident Black-headed gulls over May and June.  Anyone visiting Antrim Marina, ring sightings would be welcomed - plattgareth@yahoo.co.uk.

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