Antrim Marina - Wednesday 7th May 2025...

Antrim Marina - Wednesday 7th May 2025

Today I undertook the first of my random summer visits to Antrim Marina.  The object is to record the resident colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls which breed in the Antrim area, with most nesting on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform' which was formerly used to test torpedo's during World War Two.  The gulls belong to my study at Antrim Marina, where I study a wintering population from the months of August through to March each winter.

Over the summer months, other Black-headed Gulls from my study, head off to their own countries to breed with sightings being reported in Iceland, Sweden, Latvia, Poland, England and in Belfast.  Two other countries - Germany and recently, the Netherlands were added to the list, where two of my gulls were found dead within breeding colonies.  The German gull tested positive for 'Bird Flu', and I'm waiting for test results for the Dutch bird.

Several other gulls from my study are always absent at the Marina over the summer months, though their countries of origin are not known, and I have to wait for any sightings.  Each autumn and winter, these gulls return to the Marina.

Today's visit lasted for four and a half hours, arriving at 12:15 and departing at 16:45.  With 12 known residents, 9 of these were recorded during today's visit.  Last winter, I caught and colour- ringed four new Black-headed Gulls, but none of them were recorded today.  The main aim for these summer visits, is to establish the residential status for the gulls which have been ringed more recently.

The 3 resident gulls that were absent today, are -  2AAB ,  2AAN  and  2FFA .   2AAB  is the oldest surviving Black-headed Gull belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study, and was colour-ringed here at the Marina in December 2012.  When last seen here on the 3rd March 2025, the duration since being ringed, was 12 years, 2 months and 20 days.

 2AAN  joined the residential list last summer.  Also ringed at the Marina in December 2012,  2AAN  was absent every summer and where it went to was unknown until June 2022, when it was spotted in Larne on the County Antrim coast.  That sighting suggested that it could be nesting on the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough.   2AAN  broke it's routine last summer, as it remained at Antrim Marina indicating a change of breeding site.

Of today's 9 sightings, visits of  2BRA  and  2FIL  were so brief, I did not get photos of them. 

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Wednesday 7th May 2025

2CSK	2CJT	2FJL	2BRA	2FJN	2FIF	2FIJ	2CSR	2FIL

Black-headed Gull  -   2CSK   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 17th December 2017, at Antrim Marina)

Black-headed Gull  -   2CJT   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2025)

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

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJL   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2025)

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

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJN   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2025)

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

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIF   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 29th November 2021, at Antrim Marina)

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIJ   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 10th January 2022, at Antrim Marina)

Black-headed Gull  -   2CSR   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2025)

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

The number of Black-headed Gulls present during my visit varied widely ranging between 10 to around 50 birds.  At times, perhaps half were 2nd year birds having hatched out last summer and therefore are immatures.  A fair number of people arrived to feed the ducks and swans, with the gulls managing to get more than their fair share.

There is a live camera on the 'Torpedo Platform', but when I checked it today (15th March), it was not available.  With access via YouTube, I found that it was working on the 13th March.  I have added the link here, so keep trying it :-

Torpedo Platform Livestream - Lough Neagh Partnership

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

The resident male Herring Gull made a brief visit, as well as an adult Common Gull.  Lesser Black-backed Gulls were frequent visitors, with a maximum of three at any one time.

Around 30 Mallards were present throughout my visit, but no broods of ducklings appeared to my surprise.  As some Mallards would lay eggs in March, they would have hatched by now.  Talking to a couple of regular visitors to the Marina, they had not seen any ducklings either.

A pair of Mute Swans were quickly joined by 5 others which swam in from Lough Neagh.  A further three swans attempted to join them, but were chased back out towards the Lough.  A couple of people told me that a swan was sitting on a nest just a short distance upriver from the Marina.  Last year, birds in that area apparently hatched chicks, but they soon perished for some reason.  The problem might be due to the reduction of insects/flies due to the problems with algae during the previous two summers.

Suzanne Belshaw reported on the return of Sand Martins on the 31st March 2025.  Last year, they were nesting in the holes high up in the walls of the 'Gateway Centre'.  These holes were created to attract Swifts to nest in.  Although Sand Martins were seen occasionally, they did not appear to be using the nest holes.

The only other birds to appear, were three Rooks.

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