Wednesday, 28 August 2024

Antrim Marina - Monday 26th August 2024


      Antrim Marina - Monday 26th August 2024       
As I've been back to work since early July, I have reverted to the Sunday visits as I now work a day shift from Monday to Friday.  I got up on Sunday morning with the intentions of visiting Antrim Marina, but the rain began to fall soon after.  Looking at the weather maps, it was forecasted to rain all day, and so it did.  Luckily for me, I was off work on Monday due to a Bank Holiday, therefore I made my visit today instead.

I opted for a slightly later visit, arriving at 11am and had intended to stay until 3pm.  By 2pm, so few colour-rings were now being recorded, I decided to call it a day.  Although cloudy, the wind was light and the temperature gauge in my car was reading 16ºC.

Around 70 Black-headed Gulls were spread across the jetties, with colour-rings being read at a steady pace.  With the addition of -  2BRD  last week, this winter's total for colour-rings had risen to 22 altogether.  Hopefully, if all of my colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls make it back for the winter, the overall total should hit 34.  So far, it is looking fairly good for returning birds, when compared to last winter, when I realised at an early stage, many of my gulls were missing.  I lost nearly half of my colour-ringed gulls most likely due to the effects of Bird Flu.

With the ring of last winter's juvenile -  2FJF  being the first to be read at 11:05, by 12:13 the ring of -  2ABN  was the 16th to be read.  I kept a special watch on -  2ABN , as on my first visit (4th August), it was suffering from a really bad leg injury.  Today, it was able to put weight on the leg, although it still had a slight limp.  It should heal fully over the next few weeks.

A total of 19 colour-rings were read today, the last being -  2ACV  at 1:21pm.  The total included one new returnee, my 6th sighting at 11:09.  Reaching for my camera, it was the Icelandic bird -  2FHV  which I made comment about in my previous Antrim post.  Ringed as an unsexed adult  in November 2021, return dates for both 2022 and 2023, were recorded on the 8th August.  Better late than never, the duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 9 months and 18 days.

 2FHV , was spotted during the breeding season months of June and July 2022, in the Akureyri area in northern Iceland.  No breeding season sightings were reported from Iceland in 2023 or 2024.  In Iceland, a full census on Black-headed and Common Gulls is carried out every fifth year, therefore -  2FHV  may go unnoticed until the next census.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FHV   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (26 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 8th November 2021, at Antrim Marina)

With the return of -  2FHV , this winter's total now rises to 23 colour-rings.  With 11 more still to return, the breeding sites for many of these are still unknown.   2FDL  (Sweden),  2FDJ  (Estonia) and  2AFD  (Latvia), will eagerly be awaited on.   2AFD  is normally the last to arrive - usually around the third week of November.  The Swedish -  2FDL  for some reason arrived back very late last winter, not appearing until the 14th January 2024.  Having been ringed in November 2019 this gives some indication of an arrival date.

Overall, numbers remained between 60 to 80 birds during the course of my visit.  Juvenile numbers are still very low, with less than 10 present.  Some of these juveniles are growing ever confident when being around people.  I should be able to catch a few in the coming weeks as natural food becomes less available.

One Black-headed Gull which did not appear today, was the Icelandic metal-rung bird -  543335 .

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 26th August 2024
 2FJF   2FJL   2FJN   2AAN   2FFX   2FHV   2AAB   2FFA   2CSK   2FJA 
 2FIL   2FFT   2FIF   2FJK   2CJT   2ABN   2BRA   2FJT   2ACV   

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today
 2BRD   2CSR   2FHC   2FIJ 

Other Birds at Antrim Marina
With no Mute Swans present during my three previous visit, there was still no birds to be seen on my arrival.  Minutes later, a single bird appeared at the breakwater, making it's way in towards the Marina.  Hauling out onto the slipway at 11:07, it was the metal-rung -  X4707  X4707 , was ringed as an adult male, on the 5th April 2024, at Bartins Bay on Lough Neagh - 21 kms / 13 miles (SSW).  It first appeared at Antrim Marina on the 21st May 2024, with a further sighting here in May, and two in June, the last being on the 23rd June.

During these early sightings,  X4707  was paired with a female.  Talking to Danny from Lough Neagh Rescue, he said a swan was found dead a couple of weeks back, so it could be the partner of  X4707 .  The duration since being ringed, is 4 months and 21 days.  The one good feature with these deeper metal-rings, is that the code is also included on the ring 'butt', which makes reading the address side of the ring a whole lot easier.

Mute Swan  -   X4707   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (26 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 5th April 2024, at Bartins Bay, Lough Neagh, Co. Antrim)

Shortly after the arrival of  X4707 , a pair of swans with a single cygnet rounded the breakwater.  Coming in slowly, they landed onto the slipway at 11:20.  Meeting the adults with some bread, they quickly came to hand.  Neither bird was ringed, but they were certainly used to being around people.  The cygnet was tiny for this time of the year, indicating a very late hatching date.  Although this youngster seems happy to be around people, it 'hisses' when being offered bread.

Mute Swan Cygnet Along With it's Father  -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (26 Aug 2024)

The crying sound of the juvenile Herring Gull was constant throughout.  Along with it's father, they were present the whole time.  The female arrived at 11:26, and she tried to distance herself from the youngster as much as she could.  Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls made repeated visits, and once again, not a single Common Gull appeared.

1 Hooded Crow and 1 Rook made brief visits, whilst 5 Jackdaws made repeated visits.

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Sunday, 25 August 2024

Bann Estuary - 24th August 2024


      Bann Estuary - Saturday 24th August 2024       
Last Saturday, I visited the Bann Estuary near Castlerock, hoping to have a second encounter of a colour-ringed Osprey which I photographed on the 29th August 2023.  This year the bird returned to the Estuary on the 10th August, with many sightings having been reported on an almost daily basis on the NIBA website.  On visiting the hide that overlooks the Estuary, I was informed that the Osprey had departed from the area about an hour before I got there.  Undaunted, I began to read colour-rings on Sandwich Terns on an incoming tide which pushed the birds closer to me.  Altogether, 7 Sandwich Tern rings were read, along with one Oystercatcher which had managed to lose some of it's rings.

This morning, while finishing and publishing my latest blog post concerning my Antrim Marina Study, I had a look at the NIBA website, which read, that an Osprey with a white ring was present this morning.  No second guessing what I did next.  On reaching the Estuary, I went straight over to the hide, which had two gents inside.  They told me that the Osprey was present, and it was resting since 8:30.  A quick look across the mudflats with my binoculars, there it was, perched on a fence post.  I explained to them, that I had photographed this bird last year showing the coded ring, and I was here to obtain another photo of the bird.

I asked them if it was ok with them, if I walked over towards the bird in order for my camera to have the reach to get a photo.  The bird was fairly distant, but if I could cut the distance by half, my camera should get what I needed.  No sooner had I been given the ok by them, my bird flew off.  I then tracked it's every move with my binoculars to see where it goes to.  At times it was a distant spec, before coming closer to us.  I had followed the bird for a good half hour, when a second Osprey appeared, with both in view of my binoculars at he same time.  Keeping a watch on my bird, it broke away from the second bird, and landed back onto it's fencepost.

With one down, I began looking for the second bird again.  A short time later, I picked it up, just in time to see it plunging into the River Bann, lifting up again with a large fish.  One of the gentlemen took a few photos, which he said were of poor quality, but reckoned that this bird had a Blue colour-ring.  This news had me 'fired up', and I did not want to lose it.  Hoping for the bird to land somewhere nearby to eat it's catch, it flew away over to distant farmland disappearing completely out of view.  I never saw this one again.

With my target still resting on the fencepost, I walked over and roughly at the halfway point, I was able to get my photo.  (White) EY, was ringed as a female chick in a nest containing two chicks, on the 23rd June 2012, in the Dornoch Firth area of the Highland Region in Scotland.  Before turning up here on the Bann Estuary last year, it's only previous sighting was in Gambia on the 13th January 2020.  Having contacted Tim Mackrill of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, the breeding site for (White) EY is still unknown.  The distance from Dornoch to the Bann Estuary, is roughly 337 kms / 209 miles (SW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 12 years, 2 months and 1 day.

With the Osprey sorted, I went to look for Sandwich Terns.  With several men spread out along the shore waist deep whilst fishing, nearly all birds had relocated themselves to the other side of the Estuary.  A trifle disappointing, but at least I got what I wanted.  I'll keep an eye on the NIBA Website, and should there be any further sightings of the Blue-rung Osprey, I might have another go for that one next weekend.

Osprey  -  (White)  EY  -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (24 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick (Female), on the 23rd June 2012, at Dornoch Forth, Highland Region, Scotland)

Osprey  -  (White)  EY  -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (29 Aug 2023)

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Saturday, 24 August 2024

Antrim Marina - Sunday 18th August 2024


      Antrim Marina - Sunday 18th August 2024       
Today saw me making my third weekly visit to Antrim Marina to study the wintering population of Black-headed Gulls.  My four hour visit began at 10am, finishing at 2pm.  Weather-wise, it remained fairly cloudy throughout my visit, and a fairly strong wind was blowing in from the west.  The temperature gauge in my car read 15ºC, rising to 19ºC by the time of my departure.

Among the Black-headed Gulls, I was looking for a total of 21 colour-ringed birds, with five of these having been added to this winter's list after last Sunday's visit.  The overall total this winter, should reach 34 once all of the returning birds arrive back.  As the weeks pass by, I will attempt to catch and ring more gulls to add to my project.  Last winter, roughly half of my colour-ringed gulls failed to return with 'Bird Flu' having been the major cause of the fatalities.  Under normal circumstances, only a few might not return, the reason being for natural reasons.

Parking alongside the small concrete jetty, a quick count of the Black-headed Gulls, gave a total of around 70 birds.  All were spread out over all of the jetties, and due to the strong wind, most were lying down making rings impossible to read.  Usually, the bulk of the colour-rings would be read in the first hour after arrival.  Today, it was a long drawn out task, with the ring of -  2ABN  being the last of 18 rings to be read at 1:31pm.   2ABN  was absent last week, but on my first winter visit the week before, it arrived with a really bad leg injury.  When I saw the gull briefly today, it was difficult to tell if there was any improvement.

The very first ring to be read today, was not one of my gulls, but the Icelandic metal-rung bird -  543335  which arrived back to the Marina last week for a second winter running.  Ringed in July 2023, it remained at the Marina from August 2023 till late March 2024.

There was one new addition to this winter's list, as my 5th sighting saw the return of -  2BRD .  This was one of four birds ringed here by Adam McClure on the 1st February 2015, as part of his Northern Ireland Study which ended in 2018.  An adult male,  2BRD  is an infrequent visitor to the Marina each winter, though I reckon it does remain in the area around the town of Antrim.  We still do not know where this bird goes to breed each summer, but every spring in the weeks leading up to the breeding season, it can be found at Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh which is 28 kms / 17 miles (SSW) from Antrim.  The duration since being ringed, is now 9 years, 6 months and 17 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BRD   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (18 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 1st February 2015, at Antrim Marina)

Last week, I reported on seeing -  2AAB , which had survived the breeding season.  Unfortunately, I could not get a photo, as once the gull had a good feed of bread from my hand, it took a good drink of water and then decided to lie down on the jetty.  Year round resident -  2AAB  is Northern Ireland's oldest 'home' ringed bird, having been ringed here by Adam on the 11th December 2012.  With a duration of 11 years, 8 months and 7 days, it falls well short of -  250B  which is currently wintering at Sprucefield in County Down, having been ringed in County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland in June 2008 - 16 years, 2 months and 3 days when last seen.

Black-headed Gull  -   2AAB   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (18 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 11th December 2012, at Antrim Marina)

Overall, numbers remained around the 70 mark for most of today's visit, dropping off slightly shortly before my departure.  There was little sign of the 'Blue-Green Algae' around the Marina, and even the slipway which was sitting thick with a green coating was now clear.

With the addition of -  2BRD  today, this winter's total now sits at 22 birds.  With 12 still to return, the next few weeks will be interesting.  Not one of gulls from known foreign countries were reported during the past breeding season.  One such bird -  2FHV , is already late returning from Iceland.  Ringed here in November 2021, the return dates over the past two winters, are, 8th August 2022 and 8th August 2023.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 18th August 2024
 2FFA   2FJT   2CSK   2FIL   2BRD   2FJA   2FFT   2FJK   2FIJ 
 2FJN   2ACV   2FHC   2AAB   2FIF   2FFX   2CJT   2CSR   2ABN 


Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded This Autumn/Winter at Antrim Marina but Absent Today
 2AAN   2BRA   2FJF   2FJL 

Other Birds at Antrim Marina
The large number of Mallards present, caught my eye for a second week running.  A count gave roughly 70 birds on my arrival, with 80 to 85 present when I departed.  Until people started to arrive with bread, most like the gulls were lying down on the jetties.  Once on the move, most legs were checked for rings, but as usual, none were to be found.

For the third visit running, not a single Mute Swan turned up.  Several people that I talked to asked about the swans wondering why none were present.  A couple wondered if the 'Algae' had anything to do with it, though I did say to them that the 'Algae' had no effect on the swans here last winter.

The squealing of the juvenile Herring Gull, could be heard for the large part of my visit.  Present along with his father when I arrived, it constantly followed 'papa' begging for food until late on, when it managed to get it's share of bread being fed to the ducks.  The female did not appear until 10:53.

Juvenile Herring Gull Begging for Food from his Father  - Antrim Marina  (18 Aug 2024)

Not a single Common Gull appeared during the visit.  Three adult along with a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull arrived together at midday.  All managed to get some bread before flying away again shortly afterwards.

At 11:55, a Cormorant came ashore on the slipway.  Limping heavily with an injured right leg, it walked up onto the short concrete jetty, resting on the far corner.  I wonder if this is the same bird which appeared here to rest on the jetty during my final weeks last winter.

Up to 7 Jackdaws were constant visitors throughout my stay, and a single male Grey Wagtail and a Rook made brief appearances.

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Wednesday, 21 August 2024

Bann Estuary - 17th August 2024


      Bann Estuary - Saturday 17th August 2024       
Over the past couple of weeks, up to three Ospreys had been seen around the Bann Estuary, where the river Bann flows out into the ocean between Castlerock and Portstewart.  Two of these birds bore colour-rings - (White) EY, and (Blue) NS2.  Today I decided to visit the Bann Estuary hoping to photograph both birds, especially - EY, as I photographed this bird on the 29th August 2023 and it would be great to record this one again.  Should neither bird be present, I should have been able to record some colour-ringed Sandwich Terns instead.  As it panned out during my visit, I had missed the presence of a single Osprey about an hour before I arrived, the info having been supplied by a gentleman in the hide overlooking the estuary.

I then moved into position to record the Sandwich Terns on an incoming tide.  A nice flock of up to 80 birds were in the area.  I found a nice position on the edge of the vegetation line from where I could scope the terns.  Keeping myself as small as possible, the birds would feel less threatened, therefore allowing closer approach as the tide came in.

At first, it was difficult to see colour-rings properly, although some birds did have them.  The problem was caused by the terns standing on shallow water which obscured the codes on them.  As the tide crept in further, the terns would take to the air, landing ever closer towards me.  A colour-ringed Oystercatcher was quickly sorted out, this one having a plain black ring on the lower left leg, with a metal ring on the upper left leg.  I quickly assumed that this was an Icelandic bird, which had lost a second colour-ring on the left leg, as there should be two plain colour-rings, and a coded colour-ring was missing on the right leg.

On returning home, I had a look at my spreadsheet to see if I could find any possible Oystercatchers having been recorded on the Bann Estuary over past years.  I did find one match, and this was - Yellow over Black on the left leg and - Grey (UY) on the right leg.  I reported my sighting to Boddi in Iceland, who replied a couple of days later.  B/Y-G(UY), was last sighted in September 2023 at Portstewart by my former ringing trainer John Clarke, and at that time, all rings were present.  Boddi thought it would be strange for the bird to have lost two colour-rings, but at the same time, he could not discount it.  The only solution would be to try and obtain numerals on the metal ring, which I did try without success.

Perhaps someone will have better luck over the coming weeks, especially as this bird should now remain in the area over the winter.

Oystercatcher  -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (17 Aug 2024)

With the tide creeping ever closer, the terns began to settle down on drier sandy areas where I could scan through them with my camera.  By the time that I reckon all birds with colour-rings were photographed, on checking my photos back at home, I had recorded 7 birds in total.

Three of these belonged to my current ringing trainer, Richard Donaghey.  Richard has taken over a long standing ringing project concerning Sandwich Terns at Inch Island in County Donegal.  The project formerly belonged to Ken Perry, but when Richard took over, the colour-rings were then introduced into the study.  These three birds which I recorded were my first from Richard's Study, and my thanks goes to Richard for supplying the details.

 512 , was ringed as a chick on the 19th June 2019 on Inch Island.  Two previous sightings were made in July 2021 in County Donegal, and here on the Bann Estuary in September 2021.  The duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 1 month and 29 days, and the Bann is situated 46 kms / 28 miles (ENE) from Inch Island.

Sandwich Tern  -   512   -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (17 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2019, at Inch Island, Co. Donegal, Republic of Ireland)

 527 , was also ringed as a chick, on the 19th June 2019, at Inch Island.  This one has three previous sightings - June 2022 on the Farne Islands in England, May 2023 in the Andalusia Region in Spain, and more recently, here on the Bann Estuary in July 2024.  The duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 1 month and 29 days, and the distance from Inch Island, is 46 kms / 28 miles (ENE).

Sandwich Tern  -   527   -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (17 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2019, at Inch Island, Co. Donegal, Republic of Ireland)

 683 , was ringed as a chick, on the 24th June 2022, at Inch Island.  My sighting was a first for this bird, coming in after 2 years, 1 month and 24 days.  The Bann Estuary is situated 46 kms / 28 miles (ENE) from Inch.

Sandwich Tern  -   683   -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (17 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 24th June 2024, at Inch Island, Co. Donegal, Republic of Ireland)

The fourth and fifth Sandwich Terns belonged to Roision Kearney's Study at the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Nature Reserve on Larne Lough, Co. Antrim.   3L0 , was ringed as a chick, on the 17th June 2021. 1 month and 18 days after being ringed, as a juvenile it was spotted here on the Bann Estuary.  In July 2023, it was then spotted at Stranraer in Scotland, before returning to the Bann Estuary the following month (15th August 2023).  Today's sighting take the duration since being ringed, to 3 years and 2 months.  The distance from Blue Circle to the Bann Estuary, is 75 kms / 46 miles (WNW), although the distance would be greater than this assuming the bird is flying around the coast.  I already had details for this tern on my spreadsheet.

Sandwich Tern  -   3L0   -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Antrim  (17 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 17th June 2021, at Blue Circle Island, Larne Lough, Co. Antrim)

I am still waiting for a reply from Roision concerning both of my sightings.  The second bird -  3C9 , will also have been ringed as a chick.  I will edit this section once Roisin supplies me with details.

Sandwich Tern  -   3C9   -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (17 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the )

A Sandwich Tern with a plain Red Marker Ring was also spotted.  Some details about the history of these plain rings are known.  They were used by Alistair Smith who sadly died before all of the records for these rings were released.  What is known, is that Alistair used the same colour to ring all chicks at the Ythan Nature Reserve in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.  In each subsequent year, a different colour or a combination of two colours were used on each years chicks.

The problem, is that we do not know the year each colour was used, but this changed when Ewan Weston began using colour-coded rings at Ythan.  It could be possible, that surviving birds from Alistair's time could be over 20 years of age.

On my spreadsheet, I have two examples of these Red Marker Rings.  The first here at the Bann Estuary was recorded on the 15th August 2018, when Richard Donaghey had a bird with Blue over Red.  Today's bird, might possibly be the same one having lost the Blue Ring.  The second example, was that of a sighting made by Suzanne Belshaw on the 22nd September 2019.  On this occasion, Suzanne photographed a Sandwich Tern with a single plain Red Marker Ring on Kinnegar Beach at Belfast Lough.

We will never know the true circumstances of these Sandwich Terns.  Only by reading the metal numbers, can we obtain the true date of ringing, and it would be a 'tall order' to read these metal rings.

Sandwich Tern  -  Red Marker Ring  -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (17 Aug 2024)
(Ringed on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire, Scotland)

My final Sandwich Tern sighting was the best of the lot.  Having obtained the code -  N39 , I checked the cr-birding site, and found that the ring was Dutch.  I sent an email to Mardik Leopold, who replied with the birds details.  My sighting turned out to be a first for this bird.  It was ringed during a ringing expedition to Senegal, where Senegalese metals were used in conjunction with Dutch colour rings.  

The bird was ringed on the 1st April 2023 as an unsexed adult, at La Langue de Barbarie.  This then reminded me about another Sandwich Tern which I also recorded here on the Bann Estuary on the 29th August 2023.   N57 , was ringed at La Langue de Barbarie on the 29th March 2023 during the same ringing expedition.  Better than that, I was informed this summer of another sighting of -  N57 , this time, on the 1st July 2024, at a breeding colony in Holland.

The distance from La Langue de Barbarie to the Bann Estuary, is 4,442 kms / 2,760 miles (NNE), and the duration since -  N39  was ringed, is now 1 year, 4 months and 16 days.  My thanks goes to Mardik for his quick reply.

Sandwich Tern  -   N39   -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (17 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 1st April 2023, at La Langue de Barbarie in Senegal)

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Friday, 16 August 2024

Antrim Marina - Sunday 11th August 2024


      Antrim Marina - Sunday 11th August 2024       
Today saw me making my second weekly visit to Antrim Marina to study the wintering population of Black-headed Gulls.  I arrived at 9:40, staying until 1:30pm.  It was dry and quite sunny, with a fairly strong wind blowing in from the east.  The temperature gauge in my car read 17°C initially, rising to 22°C by the time of my departure.  The 'Blue-Green Algae' which was present last week, had thinned out to a large extent, possibly helped by the wind, blowing it back out onto Lough Neagh.

Last week, I recorded 16 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls out of an expected total of 34 having been recorded last winter.  Today's total also finished with 16 colour-rings, but five of these were not recorded last week.  Four of these -  2AAB  2FIL  2BRA  and  2FIJ , make up the remaining 12 summer residents recorded here during the breeding season, with the other 8 having been recorded last week.  I was really pleased to see -  2AAB , as it is the oldest surviving bird from Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Study.  I had hoped to obtain a photo, but having had a good feed from my hand, it had a quick drink of water and decided to lie down on the jetty.  I did not see it again after that.  Ringed at the Marina on the 11th December 2012, the duration since being ringed, is now 11 years and 8 months.  I'll try for a photo on my next visit.

The 5th bird, and the first to be recorded today at 9:46, had me reaching for my camera.  Knowing that the code -  2FJK  was not regularly seen, on returning home, my suspicion was correct.   2FJK , was one of 8 new gulls to have been caught and ringed here last winter.  It was ringed as an unsexed adult, on the 3rd December 2023, and the only re-sighting of this one was made on the 7th January 2024.  It is always good to know when I have a surviving bird, but the question now, will it remain for the winter or is it just passing through?

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJK   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (11 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)

Last week, also saw the return of another rarely seen gull -  2FFT .  This one appeared again at 10:34, being my 11th sighting today.

Another gull of interest last week, was -  2FJF , but I did not get a good photo of it.  Today, it was my 6th sighting at 10:11.  Of the 8 birds that I caught and ringed last winter,  2FJF  was the only juvenile to be colour-ringed.  It was ringed on the 12th November 2023, with the duration now being 8 months and 30 days.  It was last seen here on the 31st March 2024, and I wonder where it spent it's summer.  With such good feeding over the winter months, it's no wonder that it is still here.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJF   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (11 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 12th November 2023, at Antrim Marina)

Around 70 Black-headed Gulls were present on my arrival, with numbers holding steady until the arrival of a canoeist when they all flew off.  After this, numbers were fairly low.  I recorded 13 of the 16 colour-rings in my first hour, with the final 3 being recorded at 12:15, 12:31 and -  2FFX  at 12:53.  I forgot to mention juveniles last week.  With just 8 noted,  today's total was just two higher.  It is looking likely, that numbers reared on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform' may not too high.  This summer, the 'Live' camera on the platform did not give great views of the platform, so it was really difficult to see what was happening out there.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 11th August 2024
 2FJK   2FJL   2FIF   2AAB   2FJA   2FJF   2CSK   2FJN 
 2CJT   2FIL   2FFT   2CSR   2AAN   2BRA   2FIJ   2FFX 

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today
 2ABN   2ACV   2FFA   2FHC   2FJT 

For me, the best sighting today, was the return of a metal-rung Black-headed Gull from Iceland.   543335 , was caught and ringed on the 14th July 2023, as an unsexed adult at Laugarvatn in Southern Iceland.  The capture method included the use of a 'Whoosh Net', and it may have been possible, that the gull was a caught accidentally in an effort to catch smaller bird species.

On the 21 August 2023, it turned up at Antrim Marina, and thereafter, was recorded during most weekly visits through to the 24th March 2024 - 30 sightings altogether.  The gull is extremely people friendly, and on many occasions, I was within inches of catching it, to add one of my colour-rings to it's right leg.  I had hoped to do this before it returned to Iceland, as it would have been far easily spotted in or around it's breeding area.

Last winter, two other metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gulls were also recorded at the Marina, one on a single occasion, and the other was spotted twice.  Those birds carried the metal ring on their right leg, whilst -  543335  is ringed on the left leg.  No matter what leg the metal ring is on, the number has to be checked in any case just to be sure which gull has appeared.  There is always the chance of a metal-rung gull from a different country appearing.

 543335 , arrived at 10:50 this morning, as I saw it landing on the jetty in front of my car.  Soon after, I had enough photos to confirm the number.  A short time later, I found myself 'teasing' this gull with bread.  Again, just inches away from me, I pretended that I was going to throw it some bread, which saw the gull getting itself ready to jump.  It did get a few bits to keep it keen.  I know this one will remain for the winter, so once again, I will try to catch it.

I also reckon, that this gull has been coming to Antrim every winter for years before it was caught and ringed.  The duration since being ringed, is now 1 year and 28 days, and the distance from Laugarvatn, is 1,332 kms / 827 miles (SE).

Black-headed Gull  -  Iceland   543335   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (11 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 14th July 2023, at Laugarvatn, Southern Iceland)

Other Birds at Antrim Marina
I often go on about the lack of Mallards at the Marina, which was often the case last winter.  On parking beside the small concrete jetty, there appeared to be ducks everywhere.  After checking the Black-headed Gulls for colour-rings, I then made a count of the ducks which reached an amazing total of 83 birds altogether.  Some of them were clearly grown up ducklings which remained together in small groups of brothers and sisters.  Over the course of my visit, most legs were checked for metal-rings, but none were seen.  Later on, numbers dropped off slightly, with many having received a good feed of bread.  The high numbers came as a complete surprise for this time of the year.  I would expect higher numbers as the winter creeps in.

For a second week in a row, not a single Mute Swan appeared.  After a couple of hours, a canoeist arrived to the slipway having paddled his way down-river.  He tied up his craft and walked over to the café.  On his return, I asked him if he had seen any swans during his travels.  He had come quite a distance down-river, but not a single swan was seen.  It would appear, that a pair that normally nests just a short distance away, has either not nested or possibly failed.

The resident pair of Herring Gulls along with their fledged chick, was present throughout my visit.  Both the male and female were continually being chased by the 'begging' youngster.  I quickly gained the attention of this youngster, and after a good feed of brown bread, now content, it parked itself on the far corner of the short concrete jetty and it's parents finally got some peace and quiet.  Presumably the same pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, brief visits were made throughout the morning.

No adult Common Gulls appeared today, but a juvenile arrived at 12:41, quickly followed by a second juvenile Herring Gull.  Both birds flew off a short time later.

Other species making brief visits, were a pair of Pied Wagtails, and an adult Hooded Crow with two juveniles in tow.  Two Jackdaws made repeated visits, and the Sand Martins that were nesting in the Swift nestboxes on the Gateway Centre are no longer present.

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Saturday, 10 August 2024

Antrim Marina - 4th August 2024...


      Antrim Marina - Sunday 4th August 2024       
Today begins my 12th winter at Antrim Marina to study a wintering population of Black-headed Gulls, and also to record any other birds and animals on each visit.  I began my study to run alongside Adam McClure's Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study, with his initial gulls having been ringed at the Marina.  Adam's study ran from the winter of 2012, until the summer of 2018, when he had to give up due to work and family commitments.  I then decided to continue with my study at the Marina, as well as to respond to sightings of Adam's colour-ringed gulls.  Each winter, my weekly visits begin on the last weekend of August, ending on the last weekend of March the following year.

When I began my weekly visits last winter, it soon became clear that many of my study gulls were missing.  Birds which should have returned as well as a number of residents, simply were not there.  Within a few weeks, it became clear, around half of my colour-ringed gulls had perished, most likely through contracting 'Bird Flu' in their respective breeding colonies.  Only one gull was reported as having died, and this was at Germany's largest breeding colony.  This gull -  2FFC , was later confirmed to have died of the virus.

Just 27 of my colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls returned to the Marina last winter.  A further 8 new gulls were caught and ringed to add to my project bringing the total up to 35 altogether.  However, one bird -  2FJJ  was found dead near the Marina last winter, having been ringed a few weeks before.  Tested for the 'Bird Flu', it came back as negative.  The winter ended with an overall total of 34 colour-ringed gulls.

During the past breeding season, a few random visits were made to the Marina to identify the resident gulls.  I had hoped for 10 to 15 visits altogether, but due to several unforeseen circumstances only 5 visits were made, one of these was by Suzanne Belshaw.  Between us, 12 residents were recorded, which included four of the surviving seven birds that were ringed last winter.

As for the gulls that are known to breed in foreign countries, not a single sighting was reported for any of them during the summer.  Not sure whether this is good or bad, but I'll have to wait to see if any of them return again this winter.  The Latvian -  2AFD  is always the last to return, around the third week in November.

In the days before my first visit, news broke out the that 'Blue-Green Algae' that effected Lough Neagh so badly at the tail end of the summer of 2023, was once again present, especially in the north-east of the Lough, which includes the area where Antrim Marina is situated.

Arriving at the Lough, I could see that the river flowing past the river towards the Lough was sitting thick with the algae.  The strong westerly wind was pushing the algae upriver, and some passers by told me that it was really thick upstream.

Blue-Green Algae on the Slipway at Antrim Marina  (04 Aug 2024)

From last year's experience, the algae had no ill effects on the gulls, ducks or swans.  People still came to feed the ducks, throwing bread directly onto the algae which was being eaten despite being covered with the 'green muck'.  I noticed that the colour-ringed gulls were getting their share, and they still survived the winter, with many of the same gulls present today.

I arrived at 10:45am, the day being dull and cloudy, the temperature gauge in my car was reading 15°C, and as mentioned, a strong westerly wind was blowing in.  Around 2:05, the rain began to fall, and by 2:30, it was falling so hard, the water was flowing through my car window and I had to call it a day.

Around 60 Black-headed Gulls were dotted around the Marina, with numbers holding at 60 to 70 birds, before dropping off slighting shortly before my departure.  With a total of 34 colour-ringed gulls to look for, 16 were recorded today, with 7 of these being residents recorded here during the breeding season.

For this post, I will report about four of today's sightings in the order of when I spotted them today.  The first of these being the fifth bird spotted today, was -  2ACV .  The gull was reported to me on the 14th July 2023, by a lady called Hollie.   2ACV  had landed on the bonnet of her car at Carrickfergus Harbour.  In my reply to Hollie, I stated that the gull was likely to be on it's way back to Antrim Marina for the winter, and should be present when I make my first visit of this winter.

The question was, where did the gull breed at.   2ACV , was ringed as a juvenile/1st winter bird at Antrim Marina on the 21st October 2013.  My sighting today, is the 278th for this gull, with all but four having been made at Antrim.  On the 23rd July 2015,  2ACV  was spotted by Suzanne Belshaw at the Sprucefield shopping centre in County Down, no doubting the gull was on it's way back to Antrim.  On the 24th April 2016, the gull was spotted in a breeding colony at Leighton Moss in Lancashire, which suggested that it bred in England.  However, a sighting by me on the 20th May 2023, had me wondering if the gull had changed it's breeding site, as I found it at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast.  Did Hollie's sighting mean the gull was returning from England or did it breed in Belfast, moving northwards to Carrickfergus before return to Antrim?

The duration since being ringed, is now 10 years, 9 months and 14 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ACV   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (04 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 21st October 2013, at Antrim Marina)

 2FFX , was my 6th sighting today.  It ringed at Antrim Marina as a juvenile/1st winter bird, on the 21st December 2020.  My sighting today, is the 79th record for this gull.  The first sighting away from the Marina, was made by me on the 26th June 2022, where I discovered it on nesting platform one at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast.  Although still an immature, I reckoned it was there to prospect a nest site for 2023 when it will have reached breeding age for the first time.

Indeed, 2023 saw four sightings at the Window on Wildlife Reserve, two having been made by voluntary warden Derek Polley and two by myself.  Three sightings were made in March, when the gull was seen carrying nesting material, and a sighting on the 20th May 2023, saw the bird feeding chicks.  I made two trips to the reserve this past summer, but failed to find -  2FFX , and no sightings came in from Derek.  Even if the gull did not nest on either platform, it could have nested among the vegetation surrounding the lagoon.  Despite no sightings, I would strongly believe it did nest on the reserve.  The duration since being ringed, is now 3 years, 7 months and 14 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FFX   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (04 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 21st December 2020, at Antrim Marina)

My 13th sighting today was that of -  2ABN  2ABN , was the only gull that was reported away from Antrim Marina during the breeding season, albeit, not too far away.  Of 255 sighting records, all but two have been made at Antrim.  Back on the 15th March 2022, Ronan Owens spotted the gull at Peatlands Park in Co. Armagh.  This south-westerly movement, suggested that the gull may have been on its way to the County Fermanagh Lakelands, or even further, into the Republic of Ireland.

This idea got 'hit on the head', when I received an email from a Neil McCartney.  The gull was back a Peatlands Park on the 16th May 2024.  Neil said it was the only gull present, and he did not know of any breeding colonies in the area.  Did it actually breed this summer?  On recording the gull today, I noted it has a badly injured right leg.  My last sighting last winter, was made on the 3rd March 2024.  Did the gull sustain an injury soon after, hence not getting too far.  One of Adam's original birds, ringed at the Marina as an adult female, on the 23rd January 2013, the duration since being ringed, is now 11 years, 6 months and 12 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ABN   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (04 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 23rd January 2013, at Antrim Marina)

My 16th and last sighting of the day, had me racing back to my car to get the camera.  I knew by the ring code -  2FFT , this gull was not a regular at the Marina, though I knew it was ringed here.  Returning home and consulting my spreadsheets, I remembered that I had assumed that -  2FFT  was using Antrim Marina as a 'staging post' to and from it's breeding and wintering sites.

 2FFT  was ringed as an unsexed adult at the Marina, on the 21st December 2020.  Today's sighting is only the 7th record for this gull, and last winter (2023/2024), I only recorded it on the one occasion (1st October 2023).  During the winter of 2022/2023, it was seen on four occasions - twice in November 2022, and in January and February 2023.  A sighting on the 10th October 2022, was the only one during the 2022/2023 winter.  It would be great to know where exactly this gull goes to in both the summer and winter.  The duration since being ringed, is now 3 years, 7 months and 14 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FFT   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (04 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 21st December 2020, at Antrim Marina)

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 4th August 2024
 2CJT   2FIF   2FFA   2AAN   2ACV   2FFX   2FJF   2CSR 
 2FJA   2FHC   2CSK   2FJT   2ABN   2FJL   2FJN   2FFT 

Other Birds at Antrim Marina
A juvenile Common Gull arrived at 11:14, landing on the rails of the short concrete jetty.  It did not stay for too long, but I reckon the same juvenile made another brief appearance at 12:25.  The only adult Common Gull was spotted resting at the end of the long wooden jetty at 11:40, and this one had me racing back to collect my camera.  Bearing a metal ring, could this possibly be the small Scottish-rung female -  EY64036 ?

WoW, a few photos later, the gull was indeed the same bird.  For week after week last winter, I was eagerly awaiting the return of this bird, and with Christmas having come and gone, I was beginning to think it may also have succumbed to 'Bird Flu'.  I remember that I was really delighted having once again recorded this bird on the 14th January 2024, the only sighting made last winter.

 EY64036 , was ringed as a chick, on the 20th June 2013, at Hunterston in Ayrshire, Scotland.  It's first appearance to Antrim Marina as a juvenile was made on the 9th February 2014, and it has returned to the Marina every winter since then, barring 2023, when no sightings were recorded.  Today's sighting is the 63rd overall, with all sightings having been made here since being ringed.  Having recently contacted Iain Livingstone who is the ringing coordinator for the Clyde Ringing Group, the Common Gull colony at Hunterston no longer exists as it was bulldozed over.

Antrim Marina lies 141 kms / 87 miles (SW) from Hunterston, and the duration since being ringed, is now 11 years, 1 month and 15 days.  Over recent years, sightings of this bird has decreased, but nevertheless, it was great o see it back today, and hopefully there will be a few more sightings this winter.

Common Gull  -   EY64036   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (04 Aug 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 20th June 2013, at Hunterston, Ayrshire, Scotland)

A pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present throughout today's visit.  A juvenile Herring Gull was crying out to be fed on my arrival.  Soon afterwards, the resident male appeared and the juvenile quickly flew over to it to be fed.  Not ignoring the youngster, it quickly became clear, that this was his offspring.  The female eventually arrived, and was seen limping heavily.  Both adults fed the youngster, which looks as if it is here to stay for the winter.  Once it gets used to being around people, I might get a chance to catch and ring it.

Usually I start this section mentioning swan numbers, but not a single swan appeared today.  Talking to passers by, a pair has been around recently, and no-one has seen any cygnets upriver.  Around 40 Mallards were present on my arrival, and numbers remained around the 40 mark throughout my visit.

The Sand Martins are still busy with their nests having taken over the Swift nestboxes high up on the Gateway Centre.  Two Jackdaws were the only other species noted today.

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