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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