| Rathlin Island - Monday 27th May 2024 |
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Today I made my second visit for this summer to read the colour-rings on Common Gulls at their breeding colonies, with the sub-colonies at Doon Bay, Rue Point and Ushet Lough being today's targets. Previously, I visited the colony at Arkill Bay on the 15th May.
Despite many gulls sitting tight on their nests a total of 14 colour-rings were read today, 4 at Doon Bay, 9 at Rue Point, and none on Ushet Lough. One was spotted feeding at Mill Bay. Scoping these sub-colonies from a distance, I spotted two nests with newly hatched chicks at the Doon Bay colony. This gives me a date of the 10th June 2024 onwards to begin colour-ringing this year's chicks.
Another thing that I noticed today, was the number of juvenile / 2nd calendar year birds present. In the past, the odd one or two would appear, but today I had two at Doon Bay, around a dozen at Rue Point and three on the islet on Ushet Lough. Not a single one was ringed. If they were reared on the island, then quite a few are being missed around the time of ringing.
As more nests hatch out, the colour-rings on the adult gulls will be readily read. Many partners of birds currently sitting on nests were absent, and no doubt were away feeding.
Seven of today's colour-ring sightings were of full adults which have been breeding here over the past few years, and their full histories can be seen in the PDF files :-
2APT - Ringed as a chick at Rue Point, on the 12th June 2017. Recorded today at Rue Point, the duration being 6 years, 11 months and 10 days(PDF).
2BBC - Ringed as a chick at Arkill Bay, on the 24th June 2017. Recorded today at Doon Bay, where it has been a regular nester, the duration being 6 years, 11 months and 3 days(PDF).
2BBK - Ringed as a chick at Rue Point, on the 16th June 2018. Recorded today at Rue Point, the duration being 5 years, 11 months and 9 days. I saved this bird from certain death back on the 2nd May 2021(PDF).
2BBL - Ringed as a chick at Doon Bay, on the 26th June 2018. Recorded today at Doon Point, the duration being 5 years, 11 months and 1 day(PDF).
2BJK - Ringed as a chick at Rue Point, on the 18th June 2019. Recorded today at Rue Point, the duration being 4 years, 11 months and 9 days(PDF).
2BPL - Ringed as a chick at Rue Point, on the 26th June 2019. Recorded today at Rue Point, the duration being 4 years, 11 months and 1 day(PDF).
2BXA - Ringed as a chick at Doon Bay, on the 29th June 2021. Recorded today feeding at Doon Bay, though it breeds at the Rue Point colony, the duration being 2 years, 10 months and 29 days(PDF).
The remaining seven gulls have appeared on the island for the first time this year since being ringed in 2022. 2022 was a very good breeding season, with 84 chicks being colour-ringed that summer. Non of these birds returned to Rathlin in 2023 as juvenile / 2nd calendar years birds. The reason they are here now, is that they are prospecting nest sites for when they reach full maturity next year (2025).
In alphabetical order, the re-sighting of - 2BXX was a first ever for this bird.
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Common Gull - 2BXX - Rue Point, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim (27 May 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 12th June 2022, at Rue Point)
The sighting of - 2CCT , was the first on Rathlin, but I did recorded this one on Kinnegar Beach on Belfast Lough, on the 9th April 2023. Kinnegar Beach lies 74 kms / 45 miles (SSE) from Rathlin.
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Common Gull - 2CCT - Doon Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim (27 May 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2022, at Doon Bay)
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Common Gull - 2CDJ - Rue Point, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim (27 May 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2022, at Rue Point)
2CDK , another first ever re-sighting.
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Common Gull - 2CDK - Rue Point, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim (27 May 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2022, at Rue Point)
The sighting of - 2CFK , was the second for this bird since being ringed. Although I spotted it today at the Doon Bay colony, the first sighting was made by me on the 15th May 2024 at Arkill Bay which lies 2 kms to the north. During that sighting it appeared as if it was in courtship display with - 2CFL which was not seen today. As an immature, it looks as if this gull is having a look at other colonies as well as it's own natal colony.
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Common Gull - 2CFK - Doon Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim (27 May 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 21st June 2022, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim)
My sighting of - 2CFT at Rue Point, was it's second record here, as islander Ric Else made the initial sighting at Rue, on the 5th May 2024.
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Common Gull - 2CFT - Rue Point, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim (27 May 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 21st June 2022, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim)
My favourite sighting of the day was that of - 2CIP . Although spotted away from the island recently, I did not think it would return so soon. 2CIP , had been spotted by a Jack Morris during a visit to the Isle of Mull in Scotland, on the 10th April 2024. Laggan Bay on the west coast of the Isle of Mull, lies 135 kms / 83 miles (N) from Rathlin Island.
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Common Gull - 2CIP - Rue Point, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim (27 May 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 27th June 2022, at Rue Point)
Whilst I had no luck with the Common Gulls on Ushet Lough, on scoping through the Greylag Geese on the Lough, I spotted one with an Orange Neck Collar. Zooming in with my camera, it was a bird that I first recorded here on the 18th June 2018, with further sightings here in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
BVJ was ringed along with his partner - BVI , on Rathlin Island on the 10th February 2017. He has a new partner now as BVI has not been seen since 2019. Although there were plenty of Greylag broods on the lake, this pair does not have any chicks of their own. It has been 7 years, 3 months and 17 days since - BVJ was ringed.
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Greylag Goose - BVJ - Ushet Lough, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim (27 May 2024)
Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 10th February 2017, on Rathlin Island)
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