Five from David Nixon...

From David Nixon

Having recently secured a new part time job, I now find that I have much more time to undertake the birdie stuff.  Although many ring sightings have been reported to me, I just did not have time to do any blog work on these.  Behind the scenes, I have still edited and labelled many photos, as well as adding the sightings to my main Ring Reading Spreadsheet and also submitting sightings to the BTO.

I shall from now, try to keep up with reported sightings and make blog reports on those.  Next weekend will also see me returning to Antrim Marina to further my study of the wintering Black-headed Gulls there.  A few random summer visits were made at Antrim Marina to record resident gulls, but not nearly as much as I had hoped for.  Through numerous problems, this past summer has not gone to plan, and raptor surveying had to come to a complete standstill.

David Nixon has recently reported 5 gull sightings.  While visiting Ardglass harbour in County Down on the 22nd July 2024, he made a re-sighting of a Great Black-backed Gull -  U10:M .  This is now the 10th sighting in a row at the harbour.   U10:M , was ringed as a chick, on the 8th July 2021, on the Calf of Man, just off the southern coast of the Isle of Man.  As a juvenile, it's first re-sighting was made on the 8th December 2021, at Rush Harbour in County Dublin.

Since then, all 10 re-sightings have occurred at Ardglass Harbour, beginning on the 8th April 2022, the first of four sightings that year.   U10:M , was spotted on one occasion at the harbour in 2023, and a total of five times this year.  The duration since being ringed, is now 3 years and 14 days.  Ardglass Harbour is situated 57 kms / 35 miles (WNW) from the Calf of Man.

Great Black-backed Gull  -   U10:M   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (22 Jul 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 8th July 2021, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

David's visit to the Sprucefield Shopping Centre in County Down on the 24th July 2024, resulted in the sightings of two well known visitors to the car park there, especially, seeing as there is a McDonalds outlet on site.  The first of two Black-headed Gulls -  2ACP  belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study (2012 to 2018).   2ACP  was caught and ringed at the Sprucefield Shopping Centre as an unsexed adult, on the 9th February 2013.

A well known winter visitor to Sprucefield, the gull has on occasions been spotted nearby close to Suzanne Belshaw's home in Lisburn.  Recorded regularly every winter since 2013, as yet, we still do not know where this gull goes to breed.  David's sighting is now the 43rd for this bird since being ringed, and the third for this autumn, as Suzanne Belshaw also spotted -  2ACP  at Sprucefield on the 4th and 10th July 2024.  The last sighting last winter, was made on the 11th February 2024 in Lisburn.  The duration since being ringed, is now 11 years, 5 months and 15 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ACP   -  Sprucefield Shopping Centre Car Park, Co. Down  (24 Jul 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd February 2013, at Sprucefield Shopping Centre)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

Any sighting of the second Black-headed Gull -  250B , is always welcomed.  Unless I'm mistaken, I reckon this is the oldest known Black-headed Gull currently spotted here in Northern Ireland.   250B , was ringed as a chick, on the 6th June 2008, at Lough Mask in County Mayo.  David's sighting is now the 40th record for this bird since being ringed, with sightings every year at Sprucefield.

Over the years, it has been established that -  250B  uses Sprucefield as a 'staging post' to and from it's wintering site wherever that may be.  Until last winter, no sightings had ever been made between the months of October through to February, then David came up with a surprise sighting at Sprucefield on the 20th December 2023.  Having questioned the gull's health, David reported back that it seemed to be in good order.  This autumn, Suzanne Belshaw reported the birds return to Sprucefield on the 7th and 10th July 2024.

Although we do not get full updated sightings from the ringer of -  250B , it has been recorded back at Lough Mask during the breeding season.  The duration since being ringed, is now 16 years, 1 month and 18 days, and Sprucefield is situated 232 kms / 144 miles (NNE) from Lough Mask.

Black-headed Gull  -   250B   -  Sprucefield Shopping Centre Car Park, Co. Down  (24 Jul 2024)

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

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

David's two latest sightings were made on the 27th July 2024, at the high tide roost on the Dundrum Inner Bay (South), in County Down.  Herring Gull -  U59:M , was caught and ringed on the Calf of Man, as an unsexed 3rd calendar year bird on the 1st November 2021.  This is now the 9th sighting of this gull, with all sightings having been made at Dundrum.  The duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 8 months and 26 days, with the distance from the Calf of Man, being 72 kms / 44 miles (WNW).

Herring Gull  -   U59:M   -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Dundrum, Co. Down  (27 Jul 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 3rd Calendar Year Bird, on the 1st November 2021, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

Great Black-backed Gull -  S63:D , was ringed as a chick, on the 10th July 2021, on Ireland's Eye Island in County Dublin.  All five sightings since being ringed, have been reported at Dundrum, the first being on the 6th July 2022.  It has been spotted twice in June 2023 and once in June 2024.  This latest sighting takes the duration since being ringed, to 3 years and 17 days.  Dundrum is situated 96 kms / 59 miles (N) from Ireland's Eye Island.

My thanks goes to David for his latest sighting reports, along with the photos.

Great Black-backed Gull  -   S63:D   -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Dundrum, Co. Down  (27 Jul 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 10th July 2021, on Ireland's Eye Island, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

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Rathlin Island - (26th June 2024)

Rathlin Island - Wednesday 26th June 2024

My fifth visit to Rathlin Island on Wednesday 24th June, has turned out to be me last for this summer.  Normally, I would undertake two visits a week to the island during the month of June, both to read colour-rings on adult Common Gulls and to colour-ring chicks to add to my project.  Due to a couple of problems, I have been held back on my intentions.  I had hoped to make one final visit this week, but a dodgy left knee cap is giving me problems (this could possibly be age related).  My legs have covered quite a few miles over the years, as well as taking a number of knocks and bangs along the way.

My focus today, was to colour-ring as many Common Gull chicks as possible.  Starting off at the northern section of the Arkill Bay colony, I was really disappointed to see that there were very few chicks about.  A small number had fledged and were spotted on the sea.  Despite a good look around, only 8 chicks were found that were large enough to take a colour-ring.  I also came across a young Oystercatcher hiding in a crevice, but when I returned with the correct size of ring, it had disappeared and I could not find it again.

I never went near the southern colony at Arkill Bay, as it lies within the RSPB's Craigmacagan Reserve and I cannot ring there.  The two sections at Arkill Bay form the largest of the sub-colonies on the island, and to lose half is a major setback.

My next stop was to visit the shore at Roonivoolin where a new pair of Great Black-backed Gulls had set up a nest site last year.  Islander Ric Else said the pair were back this year so I went over with the aim of ringing their chicks.  On reaching the shore, there was no sign of the gulls, though I did find their nest on a tall rock islet.  The nest itself showed signs that chicks had hatched there, but why they failed is unknown.  Ric suggested that someone with a tent nearby could be the cause of the failure.  A couple of Common Gull pairs were alarm calling, and a search for chicks revealed one large enough to take a colour-ring, though two other chicks were too small.

Making my way back up the cliff, I had time to visit Doon Bay before making my way back to the harbour.  Passing by the small rock islet on Ushet Lough, just five Common Gull chicks could be seen on the water and just one on the islet.  This was a massive reduction compared to last summer, where this site seemed to fare the best.

On reaching Doon Bay, a scan for chicks saw less than a dozen present, with five swimming on the sea.  With the tidal nature of the site, it was very awkward to get around, with just two chicks being found and ringed.  With little time to spare, I retreated to the hillside to scan the adults.  One ring was spotted, being the first sighting this summer of -  2BNJ .  Ringed here at Doon Bay on the 26th June 2019, the duration since being ringed, is 5 years to the day (PDF).

Common Gull  -   2BNJ   -  Doon Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim  (26 Jun 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 26th June 2019, at Doon Bay)

To me, the Common Gulls have had yet another poor nesting season this year.  This was noted very early, when several breeding pairs in the sub-colonies just vanished whilst during the incubation period.  The lack of full grown chicks now cements that idea.

In an email from Ric on the 4th July, he, along with Hazel counted 32 large chicks on the rocks at Rue Point, with a further 19 at Doon Bay, which he reckoned was far better than what he was expecting.  I suggested that some of those chicks had moved southwards from Arkill Bay to Rue Point, as this was the closet section of the island before making their way over to the mainland.

Just 16 Common Gull chicks were colour-ringed this summer, along with 4 Great Black-backed Gull chicks.  The reduced number of visits was partly to blame for this.  Another poor breeding season, and disturbance by visitors certainly did not help either.

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