Antrim Marina - Sunday 17th August 2025...

Antrim Marina - Sunday 17th August 2025

Today saw me making my third weekly visit to Antrim Marina to study a wintering population of Black-headed Gulls.  With the breeding season over, the non resident gulls will slowly return in numbers.  Some of these gulls have been colour-ringed over previous winters, and I'm eager to see the return of these birds.

Before I go any further, I must make mention of an email that I received on Wednesday 20th August.  It was sent by Eimear Rooney who is one of the 'leads' of the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group.  Eimear called by Antrim Marina on Friday 15th August, where she recorded four colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls by the picnic tables.  Three of these were already on this winter's list of sightings, being -  2ACV ,  2CJT  and  2FFA .  The fourth on the list was that of -  2BRA , which was not recorded during my first two weekly visits, or during my third visit today.   2BRA , is actually a year round resident to the Marina and was recorded during my random summer visits to specifically identify which gulls are residents.

 2BRA , was ringed as an adult female on the 1st February 2015, at the Marina.  The duration since being ringed, is now 10 years, 6 months and 14 days.  Although I have yet to record this gull during my weekly visits, I will add it onto this winter's list.  My thanks goes to Eimear for sending me her sightings.

I arrived at Antrim Marina just before 10am this morning.  It was very sunny with the temperature gauge in my car reading 21ºC, and there was a light westerly breeze.  Around 50 Black-headed Gulls were present, and this was actually the highest count of the visit.  Numbers fluctuated from just a handful of birds to around 40 thereafter.  The arrival of two paddleboarders at 12:05, had the gulls fleeing.  The paddleboarders made their way upriver, and the gulls began to return just after 12:30.

Over my previous two visits, I had recorded 15 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls forming the basis of this winters list of re-sightings.  With a total of 13 colour-rings read today, 3 of these were added to the list and I had 5 absentees.

The 3rd of these additions was the 12th ring read at 11:48, but this was a bird I really needed to catch.  Despite my sighting of it, the gull soon flew off.  The gull concerned was -  2FDK  which is a year round resident to the Marina and the surrounding town of Antrim.  I recorded it at Antrim Marina during a random summer visit on the 8th June 2025, but on the 16th July, I received a rather disturbing email.  The gull was photographed at Antrim's Junction One Shopping Centre, the colour-ring having slipped over the bird's ankle and toes - which is not ideal.  Although colour-rings are used by many birdwatchers, it is extremely rare for these to slip.

I told Emma Tweed who sent me the photo, I would try to catch -  2FDK , though my best hope would be at Antrim Marina once I begin my weekly visits in August.  Although the gull flew of within minutes of me spotting it today, just as I was using the last of my brown bread to feed the swans before my departure,  2FDK  landed beside me on the slipway.  Dropping some bread onto the ground beside the male Mute Swan, the gull edged it's way in.  Standing up slightly, I could see the bird disappearing as I looked over the back of the swan and I made a lunge for it, and caught it.  

Happy days, I moved the ring back into it's normal position and cleared the debris compacted around the toes which I spread out.  Unfortunately, the toes looked 'slightly wasted', but I'm now hoping with them having been freed, they will improve.  The leg otherwise, looked to be quite healthy.  I informed Emma that I had caught the gull and it had been freed from it's predicament, much to Emma's delight.  She was glad to hear that it was still alive.  I will try to get a photo whenever possible.

The first of today's new birds, was that of -  2ABN , my third sighting of the day at 10:20.   2ABN , is a winter visitor at Antrim Marina.  Two sightings away from the Marina, were reported in March 2022 and in May 2024, at Peatlands Park in the south-west corner of Lough Neagh.  No breeding colonies are known in the area of Peatlands Park, but by continuing the line south-west, it may possibly see this bird nesting somewhere in the County Fermanagh Lakelands or further still into the Republic of Ireland.

 2ABN , was among the first gulls to be ringed belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study (2012 to 2018).  Ringed at the Marina as an adult female, on the 23rd January 2013, the duration since being ringed, is now 12 years, 6 months and 25 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ABN   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (17 Aug 2025)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 23rd January 2013, at Antrim Marina)

Following on from the sighting of -  2ABN , my fourth sighting of the day at 10:26, was the return of a gull which I regard as slightly special, as I had colour-ringed it here as a juvenile/1st winter bird on the 12th November 2023.  Ringed -  2FJF , my final sighting during the 2023/2024 winter was made on the 31st March 2024.

Despite no sighting's during random visits to the Marina during the breeding season,  2FJF  had returned by the 4th August 2024.  Having then recorded it through to the 12th January 2025, an email arrived on the 17th January 2025.  Sent by Scott Black,  2FJF  was photographed earlier that day at Strathclyde Country Park near Motherwell in Scotland.  This was an extremely early movement, and seeing as this gull had reached maturity, it was obviously making a move to it's breeding site.  Many young gulls return to their natal colonies to breed, but the question now - was  2FJF  breeding in Scotland, or moving further north-east which could take it into Scandinavia?

I had hoped for further sightings, but nothing came in.  What makes this bird special, is that it is of known age and the fact that it is breeding outside of Northern Ireland.  Really pleased to record it's return and I also informed Scott of the sighting, which was appreciated by him.  It is now 1 year, 9 months and 5 days since being ringed here.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJF   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (17 Aug 2025)

(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 12th November 2023, at Antrim Marina)

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 17th August 2025

2FJA	2FJN	2ABN	2FJF	2FJK	2FFA	2FFT
2FHV	2ACV	2CJT	2FJT	2FDK	2AAN

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today

2CSK	2CSR	2FFX	2FIL	2FJV

I kept a close watch for any Black-headed Gulls that were ringed with just a metal-ring.  An Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335 , is already due back, but there was no sign of it today.

With the addition of three returning gulls today, and Eimear's sighting of -  2BRA , my winter list has now increased to 19 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.

I noted that several people tried to obtain pellets from the dispenser to feed the ducks, but the dispenser was obviously empty.  Due to this, many of the gulls and ducks were especially eager to get a feed when folk arrived with bread.  Perhaps in the next few weeks, it may be easier to catch some new gulls to be ringed.  Last winter, I found it to be quite difficult trying to catch the gulls after the dispenser had been installed.  I reckon the pellets seem to fill the gulls easier than bread.

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

On my arrival, the Mute Swan family was already present on the slipway, the female is ringed -  X4707 .  I once again tested to see how confident the six cygnets are when taking bread from my hand.  Three are very confident, with the other three slightly more cautious.

A count of the Mallards on arrival gave a total of 51 birds, and a second count around 1:30 gave me a total of 52.  Most of the ducks spent their time lying on the jetties enjoying the sun, therefore not many legs could be checked for rings.

The resident male Herring Gull was present throughout my visit, but there was no sign of his youngster today.  The female made a brief appearance around 11am, standing alongside her partner.  Just the one Lesser Black-backed Gull today - a 3rd calendar year bird which could be the same gull seen last week.  It remained for around 20 minutes before flying off.

The first Common Gull for this winter arrived at 12:40.  An adult bird, it was still present when I departed at 2pm.

The Sand Martins that were nesting in the 'Swift Holes' in the wall of the 'Gateway Centre' have gone.  Five Jackdaws which included one juvenile were noted on several occasions, and two Rooks arrived to drink some water from the river before flying off again.

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