tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45007938747132812132024-03-16T18:52:02.622+00:00Ring Watching At Antrim Marina& Rings Spotted ElsewhereGareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.comBlogger432125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-5488903154411178832024-03-16T16:55:00.000+00:002024-03-16T16:55:55.725+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 10th March 2024)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 10th March 2024</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, I arrived at Antrim Marina at 10am, the weather being overcast, a temperature reading gave 9°C, and a fairly strong wind was blowing in from a north-easterly direction which made it feel a lot colder. Parking in my usual spot beside the small concrete jetty, just 7 Black-headed Gulls were present.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With 34 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls to look out for, it quickly became clear, that ring reading today was going to be a long, slow process. The first two rings read, were that of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIP </span></span> and - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CJT </span> at 10:18 and 10:19. Just over two hours later at 12:05, the ring of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJN </span></span> was the sixth to be read, and just 10 minutes before my 2pm departure, the ring of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CSK </span>, was my 9th and final ring of the day. This left me with a whopping 25 absentees.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Throughout my visit, there was a total lack of gulls, with birds clearly coming and going. My highest count of Black-headed Gulls, gave me a total of 34 birds at 12:09, with just the one colour-ringed bird among them. I was beginning to think that the metal-rung Icelandic bird - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span> would not appear today, but it was eventually spotted at 1:15pm. Having appeared at the Marina on the 8th August 2023, it should head back off to Iceland any time now. I really had hoped to add one of my colour-rings to this gull before it departs, and despite a couple of near misses, I doubt that I will catch it now.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another three visits will complete this winter's surveying at the Marina, and overall, results have been really disappointing, especially with half of my colour-ringed gulls having failed to return in the first instance. The lack of wintering Black-headed Gulls here only emphasises the loses due to bird flu during the breeding season. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I respond to four Northern Ireland colour-ringing projects (2 Common and 2 Black-headed Gull), and sighting reports from other observers have just about been non-existent this winter, which also highlights the plight of the gulls elsewhere.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 10th March 2024</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Graham McElwaine - Monday 11th March 2024</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An email arrived with me on Monday evening on the 11th March. Graham, who lives in County Down, surveys Whooper Swans in the Toome area of County Antrim. As usual, on completing his survey, Graham calls in to Antrim Marina to walk his dog before returning home. Well aware of my gull project at the Marina, Graham recorded five colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls among an estimated 30 birds that were present. Two of these - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> and - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJL </span></span>, were absent during my visit yesterday (Sunday 10th March). His sighting of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> was of special interest, as I have not seen this gull since the 18th February 2024, and thought it had departed enroute to Estonia</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back in 2021, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> was recorded on 4 occasions in February (Scotland), before turning up in eastern Estonia on the 4th April 2021. Having been spotted just 44 kms from the border with Russia, which country it actually bred in, is unknown.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJL </span></span>, is an adult, which I caught and ringed at the Marina, on the 3rd December 2023. Since being ringed, it is not regularly recorded at the Marina, with Graham's sighting being the 6th record for this bird.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina by Graham McElwaine on Monday 11th March 2024</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 50%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Graham had read my blog about the recent appearance of a very confiding Cormorant, with that bird back on the concrete jetty during his visit today. Graham noted a lady taking photos of the bird, and she too was surprised with the birds confiding nature, and even knew what species it was.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Leaving the Marina, Graham made his way to Rea's Wood. The entrance to the wood, is on the edge of the main car park beside the Marina. There is a footpath which runs alongside the edge of Lough Neagh, and a scene from 'Game of Thrones' was actually filmed there. Graham stated that there were lots of gulls on a sand-bar, but he did not have his telescope with him. I found this of interest, as I walked that stretch years ago in search of possible sites to view gulls, and there were no sand-bars at that time. I must take a look during my next visit to Antrim Marina. As always, my thanks goes to Graham for his sightings.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present on my arrival, though they flew off shortly after. Presumably, two of these made several brief returns during the morning. The resident pair of Herring Gulls were also present throughout my visit, but not one Common Gull appeared today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">12 Mute Swans, plus the family group of 4 cygnets, were also present throughout my visit. A further 3 adult Mute Swans swam in from Lough Neagh at 11:18, and the overall total of (White) Mute Swans increased to 17, with two more having slipped in un-noticed when a count was made at 12:30. With so many feeds of bread being available, all legs were checked, but no rings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallard numbers were up just slightly, with an initial 22 birds at first, increasing to 31 altogether at 12:30. Once again, I would be fairly certain that all legs were checked for rings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The confiding Cormorant that appeared for the first time last week, popped up onto the small concrete jetty at 10:24. A 2nd Cormorant appeared at 11:00, and it too hauled itself onto the jetty. Both birds caught the attention of many passers-by, and appeared calm whilst having their photos took. A third Cormorant arrived at 12:10, and after swimming around in lots of circles beside the jetty, was not so sure about the number of folk about, making a hasty retreat.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZytGkUYcAljwR3z7gsVHfP02FdSvLH_pqUL5_EFU87MaiuryND226ahlHi7W7ztBsB5CZfgOGPdCisqFOfbgLYP5ArceEFykOVj_mHLSGcLWV577APyEGQZL_XfEE5nPVcxZ-YkAQ8OWT-qeSYfdC9MIKhhKx3WwTI0rnxPTlaj3DGHy0HW3NehiXCo0/s4608/DSCN5723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZytGkUYcAljwR3z7gsVHfP02FdSvLH_pqUL5_EFU87MaiuryND226ahlHi7W7ztBsB5CZfgOGPdCisqFOfbgLYP5ArceEFykOVj_mHLSGcLWV577APyEGQZL_XfEE5nPVcxZ-YkAQ8OWT-qeSYfdC9MIKhhKx3WwTI0rnxPTlaj3DGHy0HW3NehiXCo0/w640-h480/DSCN5723.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cormorants on the Short Concrete Jetty at Antrim Marina (10 Mar 2024)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4 Jackdaws, 1 Rook and a male Pied Wagtail, were the only other birds noted today.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-32687907909241927582024-03-08T18:09:00.001+00:002024-03-08T18:09:42.399+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 3rd March 2024)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 3rd March 2024</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">Today at Antrim Marina saw an initial 50/50 cloud cover, which quickly became 80/20 leaning towards a blue sky with plenty of sunshine. The temperature gauge in my car read 6°C on arrival, increasing to 11°C shortly before my departure at 1:45pm.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Arriving at the Marina at 10am, a total of just 21 Black-headed Gulls were present, most at the short concrete jetty where I parked my car. None of these were ringed, but - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIA </span></span> was the first to arrive at 10:11. As the morning wore on, it slowly became clear that I was going to have many absentees today. After the recent death of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span>, I was on the lookout for 34 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls altogether.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At no time, did numbers exceed the 30 mark, and at times, no gulls were present at all. Recording ringed birds was a very slow and laborious task. My 13th and final ring sighting was that of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CSK </span> at 12:43, an hour before my departure, by which time all of the gulls had disappeared once more. I had 21 absentees altogether today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two of the gulls recorded today - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJN </span></span> and - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIL </span></span>, had rings that were very hard to read, and I actually had to zoom in with my camera to enable me to read the codes. There was no doubting that they had been in muddy fields possibly on the outskirts of Antrim Town. Perhaps this is where many of today's absentees were at as well. Now that we are closing in to another breeding season, a few of the gulls may also be on their way to their breeding sites.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of today's absentees - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BRD </span>, was spotted by Suzanne Belshaw on the 23rd and 26th February 2024 at the lake in Lurgan Park in County Armagh. Although - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BRD </span> was ringed at Antrim Marina in February 2015 as an adult Male, over the years since, it is well known to visit Lurgan Park for a few weeks prior to the onset of the new breeding season. Unfortunately, where that breeding site is, is still unknown.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, was also recorded again today at 10:19, with this bird having been absent during last week's visit. <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, has been here since the 8th August 2023, and having attempted to catch and colour-ring this bird before it returns to Iceland for the summer, my efforts have failed completely. The chances of it being seen in Iceland will be very slim now.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After all of the years that I have been coming to the Marina during the Autumn/Winter months, I have never seen so many people arriving with bag-loads of bread to feed to the birds. The swans, and what few ducks that were here, had a field-day concerning feeds, and the gulls also helped themselves to more than their fair share as well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This was a really boring visit, and I have a feeling that my final four visits may end up being similar. I took a minute to look at the nearby former 'Torpedo Platform' used as a nesting site, but it was practically deserted.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 3rd March 2024</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A Cormorant caught the eyes of many people today, and several asked me what the name of this species was. The bird had already hauled out of the water and rested on the end of the short concrete jetty, often spreading it's wings out to dry. What was unusual, despite all of the passer's by, this was the first time that I have ever seen a Cormorant here staying 'put', as normally they would just head back onto the river.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The resident pair of Herring Gulls were present through to 1pm, and then flew out to the breakwater on the edge of Lough Neagh. Only one Common Gull appeared today, making a brief visit at 11:23, and likewise, a brief visit was made by a Lesser Black-backed Gull at 12:42.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallard numbers remain disastrously low, with 25 present on my arrival, declining to just 16 by the time of my 1:45 departure.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">16 Mute Swans, and the family group of four cygnets, were also present throughout my visit today. All eventually came ashore, but none had rings. No further swans arrived during my visit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A surprising increase to 8 Jackdaws was noted, along with 4 Rooks. All made repeated visits, leaving to hoard beak-fulls of bread seeing as there was so much on offer today. A male Pied Wagtail, made up today's list of other birds.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-2409408824440327772024-03-01T18:16:00.000+00:002024-03-01T18:16:46.066+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 25th February 2024)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 25th February 2024</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">It was approaching 10am when I arrived at Antrim Marina this morning. It was calm and sunny, with the temperature gauge in my car reading 8°C. As the morning wore on, the gauge read 11°C, but as an easterly breeze began to blow in, it felt quite chilly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On parking beside the small concrete jetty, <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AAB </span> was the first ring to be read at 10:00. The gull was standing on top of the security fencing, so I got out of the car and hand fed the bird with a few bits of bread. With the death of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span> recently, I was on the lookout for 34 colour-rings altogether. 37 Black-headed Gulls were counted on my arrival, and numbers never exceeded 50 at any time. Reading rings was a long drawn out affair, but as the morning wore on, so did the numbers read. Gulls were clearly coming and going, with my 24th and final ring being read at 13:54 - just minutes from my 2pm departure.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notable sightings were of the Latvian - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span>, and the Icelandic - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span> (read below). One other bird which was not recorded today, was the Estonian - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span>, which was recorded here last Monday. Looking at my records, this gull departed from the Marina and was spotted on 4 occasions in Scotland in February 2021 before turning up in eastern Estonia on the 4th April 2021. I think this gull has now gone, and hopefully someone will record it on it's travels back home. Spotted just 44 kms away from the border with Russia, which country it actually bred in is unknown.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another bird of note today is - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIJ </span></span>, with it's 6th sighting here this winter. It was spotted on two occasions in the Autumn - 8th August and 4th September 2023, and then disappeared until the 7th January 2024. I have a feeling that the gull is using the Marina as a 'staging post', and is wintering somewhere else. I still reckon that this one is a foreign breeding bird, though this can only be confirmed if it is spotted during the spring or summer months.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-isdfzwJ_wDNSL-JJdNNfj4WTZauVzedcK0jf3NEeqtoyg2un90nCL26Edi-HERq-HwUETnpwvpCZYgVEep5zGkaCwdjE-Etnp9Bmne6bPNr08EigMrpkx7yfO6kA9tuoFjmDJ7BPqb5fscGEs-i50h8zXCqWNyWtJeGABEbjK4JlzgPur6_35xsgIfaZ/s1920/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FIJ%20(20240225%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-isdfzwJ_wDNSL-JJdNNfj4WTZauVzedcK0jf3NEeqtoyg2un90nCL26Edi-HERq-HwUETnpwvpCZYgVEep5zGkaCwdjE-Etnp9Bmne6bPNr08EigMrpkx7yfO6kA9tuoFjmDJ7BPqb5fscGEs-i50h8zXCqWNyWtJeGABEbjK4JlzgPur6_35xsgIfaZ/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FIJ%20(20240225%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIJ </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (25 Feb 2024)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 10th January 2022, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once again, with the gulls having been well fed by passers-by feeding the ducks, I had no chance to catch any new birds for ringing. Talking of new birds, I believe a couple of today's Black-headed Gulls may well be birds returning to breed here for the summer. When you work with a set of gulls all winter, the traits of new arrivals are easily noticed. One bird I will be especially looking out for over the next couple of weeks, is the return of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2K48 </span></span>. This gull was ringed as an adult in January 2022 at Southport in England, and then arrived at Antrim Marina in March 2022 followed by a second sighting in June 2022, which suggested it bred here that summer. Spotted back in Southport in November and December 2022, it arrived back at the Marina for a second summer running in March 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There could be one slight problem concerning - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2K48 </span></span>. My last sighting of this gull was on the 23rd March 2023, and on checking the BTO's DemOn Database, my sighting remains the last for this bird. Did it survive last seasons breeding season?, has it wintered back in Southport un-noticed, the next couple of weeks should answer that question - will it return once more?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 25th February 2024</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At 1:12pm, I spotted a Black-headed Gull on the rails of the small concrete jetty in front of my car, and this bird had a metal-only ring on it's right leg. Immediately, I was hoping that this was the Swedish bird that appeared on the 4th February 2024, where I was missing the 4th & 5th digits from it's ring - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 654**88 </span>. Grabbing my camera, I managed to obtain one photo of the ring, then the gull flew off. All I got was the first digit (<span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 5 </span>), showing the address above, which told me that this one was not Swedish. The Swedish rings have the address below the number, so my thoughts turned to the gull being the Icelandic - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span>, which has been recorded twice this winter (12th November 2023 and 28th January 2024).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Luckily, at 1:37, the gull returned to the concrete jetty, where I was able to complete the number this time, and it was indeed - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span>. My three sightings at Antrim Marina are the first for this bird since it was ringed at Akureyri in Northern Iceland as an unsexed adult on the 11th July 2023. The duration since being ringed, is now 7 months and 14 days, and the distance from Akureyri, is 1,379 kms / 857 miles (SSE).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The photo below of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span>, shows it standing next to - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span>, so I had two Icelandic birds standing side by side. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span>, was ringed as an unsexed adult at Antrim Marina, on the 8th November 2021. It is also associated with Akureyri, having been spotted there on two occasions - 26th June 2022 and 8th July 2022.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543334 </span>, has been recorded regularly at the Marina since the 8th August 2023. The ring on this gull is fitted on the bird's left leg, but there was no sign of this one today. A third metal-rung adult Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 527948 </span>, was spotted on just the one occasion at the Marina this winter (18th September 2023).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDqlFBrjzCgwuHdxSe-sJOHIPZOJ15Ghhm684HE5X1zNYAvgQ-3PrAvIJ8GjqUZeGd1aCAD9G0j-kt11RLmLgGulYs0q06zYiZrNIx8wIjISLp5ktb6tj5bYaq48XFNUSayRPhTSCA4PIBdxrtqBKsyRs7fL8KcmlDU0PTQs0L76xPxJ6N2W1eGea7fZI/s1920/BHG%20-%20Iceland%20595818%20(20240225%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDqlFBrjzCgwuHdxSe-sJOHIPZOJ15Ghhm684HE5X1zNYAvgQ-3PrAvIJ8GjqUZeGd1aCAD9G0j-kt11RLmLgGulYs0q06zYiZrNIx8wIjISLp5ktb6tj5bYaq48XFNUSayRPhTSCA4PIBdxrtqBKsyRs7fL8KcmlDU0PTQs0L76xPxJ6N2W1eGea7fZI/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Iceland%20595818%20(20240225%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - Iceland <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (25 Feb 2024)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 11th July 2023, at Akureyri, Eyjafjarðarsýsla, N. Iceland)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">19 (White) Mute Swans and 5 cygnets, were present on my arrival this morning. Four of the cygnets, stayed together throughout my visit, and are presumably the youngsters which hatched out upriver during the summer. An adult swam in from Lough Neagh at 10:27, giving me 20 (White) swans. All birds eventually came ashore, but no rings were noted. <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span>, has not been seen since the 14th January 2024, and I have no idea what has happened to this one. No Council staff were about, so I do not know anything more about the male swan that was found dead here recently.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 adult, and 3 juvenile Common Gulls were also present on my arrival. By 11:05, 5 adults were chasing the Black-headed's trying to rob them of their feeds. The small Scottish metal-rung female - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> EY64036 </span>, has only been seen on a single occasion this winter (14th January 2024). The way things are 'panning' out, I was lucky to get this one, though the gull has probably visited the Marina on occasions when I was not about. The January sighting, was this bird's 62nd record at the Marina, since first being spotted here as a juvenile in February 2014.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallard numbers are getting worse all of the time. Today, just 21 ducks were counted on my arrival, with just 13 present by the time of my departure at 2pm. I do not have the foggiest about what is happening here. For this time of the year, numbers should be close to, or even exceeding the 100 mark.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The female from the pair of Herring Gulls arrived at 10:39, and the male finally turned up at 11:48. Once together, they were still present when I departed. A Lesser Black-backed Gull made the first of two brief appearances at 12:24.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was no sign of either of the Moorhens, who had been pottering about the Marina for several weeks. A pair of Rooks made repeated visits, and I think they were hoarding bits of bread being fed to the ducks. A male Pied Wagtail, and just two Jackdaws, were the only other species recorded today.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-55525422334258439362024-02-25T19:43:00.001+00:002024-02-25T19:45:43.469+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 18th February 2024)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 18th February 2024</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">In my previous post, I wrote about the death of Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span>. I caught and ringed this gull as an unsexed 2nd Winter Bird, here at the Marina, on the 12th November 2023. After being ringed, I recorded the bird regularly during my weekly visits to the Marina, including last week - Sunday 11th February 2023. Sadly, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span> was reported dead the following day, and was reported to DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) via the 'Bird Flu' hotline by a member of the public. It was subsequently collected for testing for the virus.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During the week, a recovery was received from the BTO, giving Michelle Thompson from DAERA as the finder, though I knew she had received a copy of the recovery as it was herself that submitted the bird. I contacted Michelle via the listed email address, and Michelle was able to furnish me with the test results. I knew by my final sighting of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span>, it was in very good health and could not possibly have 'Bird Flu', and the 'Negative Results' confirmed my assumption. Seeing as - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span> was found at Castle Gardens, 1km east from the Marina, my suspicions now rested on a possible strike by a Sparrowhawk. I have asked Michelle, if any photos were taken before the gull was lifted. I am still waiting on a reply, but a scattering of feathers would confirm that the gull had indeed been hit. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span> would have hatched out during the 2022 breeding season, and when found, had been ringed three months to the day earlier.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, I arrived at Antrim Marina at 10am, it was calm and sunny, with the final whips of a morning fog disappearing fast. The temperature gauge on my car was reading 9°C. As I was parking my car beside the small concrete jetty, around 20 Black-headed Gulls that were perched there on the rails suddenly took to the air and flew off. The culprits, were three paddleboarders, a father and his two sons?, who came down river from the Antrim Town direction.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For the first time in weeks, there was no sign of the Lough Neagh Rescue Team, but later in the morning, a Rescue Vehicle did appear on the main road into the car park. I asked one member of the team about the missing man, and he has still not been found. He went missing back on the 17th December 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first gulls began returning around 10:40, with the ring of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CJT </span> being the first to be read at 10:43. With the untimely loss of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span>, I was on the lookout for 34 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls, which included 7 birds that had been caught and ringed here this autumn. By 11:41, the ring of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJT </span></span> was the 17th to be read. Just four further rings were read, taking the total for this visit to 21 - 11:45 - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CSR </span>, 11:54 - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIF </span></span>, 11:54 - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIK </span></span> and 1:32 - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJL </span></span>. Overall numbers varied widely, from just a couple of dozen birds, to a maximum of around 70 by midday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With 13 absentees today, a look at my Antrim Marina spreadsheet showed up four gulls of note. Two of these have had just a single sighting this winter - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FFT </span></span> and <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHT </span></span>, whilst - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIA </span></span> has not been seen since the 26th November 2023, having been regularly recorded from the beginning of August. The fourth is the Swedish - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span>, who was late in returning to the Marina, and has only been seen once since.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Four other gulls recorded today, have not been recorded on a regular basis, including two adults that were ringed here this winter - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJN </span></span> and <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJL </span></span>. <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span>, which was ringed here in December 2018, had been written off as dead by me earlier this autumn, and announced that it was still alive on the 26th November 2023. Today's sighting is now the sixth record for this winter, with the head looking really dark now as the new breeding season approaches. As yet, we have no idea as to where - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span> goes to in the breeding season, though I would suspect it is a foreign bird. The Latvian - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span>, is one of the Marina's star birds. In recent years, it has rarely visited the Marina, preferring to 'hang out' at the Castle Way cark park in the centre of Antrim Town, but due to much reduced Black-headed Gull numbers this winter, gulls have only congregated at the car park on one occasion. I have no idea where - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> is going to now, but today's sighting at the Marina is the sixth for this bird.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHz_pEtsOsxJUpkcrOSOvwXdCWC9ga-vu9TZtfhEKEf1yS8HV0sPUsFSgiEmr3KZP8fvFguU69c0CMoP-NSqSS3Shy6uQ_4FrL3-KLTMHwbUm3_kVAgbrTPX1mEbdJdoB3Wc8UukNP7o-VfiGPeFaEw8SV5KmbLlH56vXb8JlwVaUixgHOqe2sTh-2JrLJ/s4608/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJN%20(20240218%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHz_pEtsOsxJUpkcrOSOvwXdCWC9ga-vu9TZtfhEKEf1yS8HV0sPUsFSgiEmr3KZP8fvFguU69c0CMoP-NSqSS3Shy6uQ_4FrL3-KLTMHwbUm3_kVAgbrTPX1mEbdJdoB3Wc8UukNP7o-VfiGPeFaEw8SV5KmbLlH56vXb8JlwVaUixgHOqe2sTh-2JrLJ/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJN%20(20240218%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJN </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (18 Feb 2024)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EEPduHmgjhSstHt9RHXV20rTz2_zeJkQnjtDIv2FptJlOBq54IJiEMlNP8itz6r4RUP1OKETvkkP0CJR4MPiB0Vr6So9WEIiQs_2t0dc13RjMk5uJ0xXs6ICxaQoanKG8F8UQLRkiVjlytjZXzAP_fEtgwx_VTAo6EdCb3u1DjvY6eCsBYhm0uRzjK0v/s4608/BHG%20-%20Orange%202CTA%20(20240218%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EEPduHmgjhSstHt9RHXV20rTz2_zeJkQnjtDIv2FptJlOBq54IJiEMlNP8itz6r4RUP1OKETvkkP0CJR4MPiB0Vr6So9WEIiQs_2t0dc13RjMk5uJ0xXs6ICxaQoanKG8F8UQLRkiVjlytjZXzAP_fEtgwx_VTAo6EdCb3u1DjvY6eCsBYhm0uRzjK0v/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Orange%202CTA%20(20240218%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (18 Feb 2024)</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 10th December 2018, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYBe8yummUVGpF6w9x3MHbbTv-SAYXEOGRfPdwBD82RF6gyU_R-egSIC9MYUsZZg7yH6RDq4hm4j8ml1Cm4DYKJu91JzXpA6nqu93vYUa7MO_fa6RsTjO3ugJfGdq4AE7vrFf7UfZAEQ1kqjDnBKd-9nb3osE7plorb5MYrHrMtUkDX1Z26KQpKtlOqxLR/s4608/BHG%20-%20Orange%202AFD%20(20240218%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYBe8yummUVGpF6w9x3MHbbTv-SAYXEOGRfPdwBD82RF6gyU_R-egSIC9MYUsZZg7yH6RDq4hm4j8ml1Cm4DYKJu91JzXpA6nqu93vYUa7MO_fa6RsTjO3ugJfGdq4AE7vrFf7UfZAEQ1kqjDnBKd-9nb3osE7plorb5MYrHrMtUkDX1Z26KQpKtlOqxLR/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Orange%202AFD%20(20240218%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (18 Feb 2024)</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 12th February 2014, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvVaPo0E4k3jwct29QFIw8S4VAK9Id8pPPz19QiW4LhT8c_J9LufXgbMXyw0t6223sIrWzMIKP_fT6MttCD2576Ycdid20c0C89Ds2Zk2C1AwpNLba6HsC3vBsX7qsvHbfBn9v65YZvzUJ_apzc_wr-TCItykFzsCOXcMixV85XLXJAQw3SB1WYI9RsSC/s4608/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJL%20(20240218%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvVaPo0E4k3jwct29QFIw8S4VAK9Id8pPPz19QiW4LhT8c_J9LufXgbMXyw0t6223sIrWzMIKP_fT6MttCD2576Ycdid20c0C89Ds2Zk2C1AwpNLba6HsC3vBsX7qsvHbfBn9v65YZvzUJ_apzc_wr-TCItykFzsCOXcMixV85XLXJAQw3SB1WYI9RsSC/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJL%20(20240218%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJL </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (18 Feb 2024)</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, was spotted at 11:25. This bird has regularly been recorded here throughout the winter, since first being spotted on the 8th August 2023. It continues to come quite close to me, but I still cannot catch it to fit a colour-ring.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 18th February 2024</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">15 (White) Mute Swans and the four locally reared cygnets were present on my arrival. I had just parked beside the short concrete jetty, when a staff member from the Gateway Centre beside me stopped by for a chat. She was aware that I was studying the gulls, but was left fascinated when I explained that I was studying a wintering population, with colour-ringed birds turning up in so many different countries. I was also informed, that a male Mute Swan was found dead here during the week, and had been removed by a Council Parks Warden. She had no idea whether the bird had been picked up for testing. The lady had not heard of any other swans being found dead locally in recent weeks, as I explained that the metal-rung - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span> had gone missing. A further three adults flew in from the direction of Lough Neagh at 10:50, taking the total to 18. Again, all legs were checked, and still no further sign of the metal-rung bird. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The female Herring Gull was also present on my arrival. At 11:27 she began calling out loudly, and looking around, the resident male arrived high in the air flying from the direction of Antrim Town. No Common Gulls were present at first, with a juvenile appearing at 11:09. Just three adults turned up today, arriving at 11:44, 12:27 and 13:33.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallard numbers still remain low, with counts totalling between 24 and 29 altogether.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The adult Moorhen was spotted on a number of occasions feeding on the other side of the river, and did not come over to my side until 11:18. No sign of the juvenile this week. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The sighting of four Goldfinches, may well be a first at the Marina (at least as far as I can recollect). I spotted them at 10:25 feeding on seed on the small sandy beach, which someone had thrown down for the swans. Just 2 Jackdaws completed today's other species. In the past, as many as 14 Jackdaws would have spotted here, so what's happening to the Jackdaws?</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-24972589927365762842024-02-18T18:14:00.002+00:002024-02-18T18:14:37.459+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 11th February 2024)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 11th February 2024</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">Before I begin this Sunday's account, I must make mention of an email received during the week from the Icelandic Bird Ringing Centre. At last, the ringing details for a metal-rung Black-headed Gull, had arrived. As I was told, the gull was likely to have been ringed during the summer of 2023, but details from the ringer had been requested. The Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span>, had been recorded on two occasions at Antrim Marina this winter - 12th November 2023 and 28th January 2024. The gull was ringed as an unsexed adult, on the 11th July 2023, at Akureyri, a town close to the north coast of Iceland. The distance to Antrim Marina, was given as 1,379 kms / 857 miles (SSE), and the duration since being ringed, was 6 months and 17 days, as of the 28th January. Akureyri, is also the sighting location of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span> which did not appear during today's visit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Arriving at Antrim Marina today, a slight fog was quickly burned off by the sun, leading to a bright day, with an initial temperature of 6°C, and just a slight westerly breeze. A nice collection of Black-headed Gulls were well settled around the Marina, which led to an easy count of around 74 birds. The first ring to be read, was that of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AAB </span>, which was ringed at the Marina, and is now Northern Ireland's oldest colour-ringed Black-headed Gull - at 11 years, and 2 months since being ringed as an unsexed adult.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Less than 30 minutes later, the 18th ring to be read, was that of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ACV </span> at 10:35. I reckoned that I was in for a good total for the day, however, just two further ring sightings were made at 11:37 - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AAN </span>, and 12:29 - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDK </span></span>. With 20 rings read altogether, I had a total of 15 absentees. Many of the gulls are now developing their 'black hoods', which means that the new breeding season is fast approaching.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My 10th sighting today, was that of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span>, and sad news of this gull was reported to me the next day. An email arrived with me from Ronan Owens of DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs), to say that - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span> had been reported to them via the Avian Influenza Hotline, as dead on Monday 12th February 2024, by a member of the public. The gull was subsequently recovered and will now be tested for 'Bird Flu'. When I recorded - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span> today, the gull showed no signs of illness, and was very active in pursuing bread being thrown out to the ducks. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span> was caught and ringed at the Marina this winter (12th November 2023), as an unsexed 2nd calendar year bird (hatched 2022). It was discovered in the grounds of the nearby Castle Gardens, 1km east from the Marina. When found, it had been three months exactly since it was ringed. I have requested a copy of the test results, but I reckon it did not have 'Bird Flu', and due to the nature of the area where it had been found, could it have been hit by a Sparrowhawk?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One Black-headed Gull was spotted hunched-up beside the wall of the slipway. This one was definitely ill, and later, had parked itself under the bushes beside the small sandy beach. It might well be suffering from the 'Bird Flu', but once you see birds in this condition, there is not much hope for them.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 11th February 2024</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, which has regularly been recorded since the 8th August 2023, was spotted again at 10:14. Overall numbers decreased from my initial count, and varied wildly from 20 to 40 gulls. Once again, with so many feeds from the public, I could not tempt the gulls to come close to me to be caught and ringed. <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span> is fairly fearless, but remains just inches away from being captured. Time is quickly fading away to fit a colour-ring to this gull before it departs to Iceland for the summer.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">17 (White) Mute Swans and the 4 cygnets that were hatched upriver from the Marina during the summer, were present on my arrival. A further three adult swans flew in from the Lough at 11:49, taking the total to 20. I say (White) Mute Swans, as some are definitely immature birds. The metal-rung - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span> has not been seen since the 14th January 2024, and I am now fearing the worst for this bird. It was ringed here as a juvenile, on the 15th November 2020, the duration being 3 years, 1 month and 30 days when last seen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallard numbers remain pitifully low. 23 birds were counted on my arrival, and 29 were present when I departed. One all white duck, which had been seen here since my first visit in late July, has now disappeared as well. This bird, which was paired to a Mallard, was here last winter. All legs were checked today, but still no rings this winter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The resident pair of Herring Gulls did not appear until 10:38 this morning, remaining throughout the remainder of my visit. One adult Common Gull was present on my arrival, with a second adult, along with two juveniles arriving almost together at 10:24. By 12:18, I had five adults, with a 6th arriving at 12:42. The small metal-rung female from Scotland, was absent again, with just a single sighting this winter. A Lesser Black-backed Gull made a brief appearance at 11:53.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A Kingfisher was heard calling as I parked beside the small concrete jetty. I could not locate it, though I reckoned it was flying upriver at the time. Both the adult and juvenile Moorhens were also present throughout todays visit, and 4 Jackdaws made up today's list of other birds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I now have a nice list of ring sightings from other observers, but unfortunately I'm having trouble in finding time to blog on these. Even this blog post is very late to be published, as normally I would prefer to get it out by Friday at the latest. As I finish this post, it is now supper time on Sunday evening, and I was at the Marina earlier today undertaking my latest visit. During the week, my landlord had decided to replace our radiators for newer more economical radiators, which has led to some upheaval around the house.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-38448722478429171352024-02-10T16:01:00.001+00:002024-02-10T16:04:02.430+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 4th February 2024)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before I begin on this weeks account for Antrim Marina, I must make mention of an email that I received this week. Tirso Fernández from Galicia in Spain, was directed to contact me with ten Black-headed Gulls that he recorded at Antrim Marina, back on the 10th December 2023. These sightings were made around 3:30pm. All ten gulls had been recorded earlier that day during my weekly visit. My thanks goes to Tirso for taking the effort to make sure I obtained these sightings, all of which were backed up with photographs. I replied with full re-sighting histories for each gull, but only the Estonian - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> has a history of any worthy note. Although Tirso has not got back to me, I would assume he was in Northern Ireland on holiday at that time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded by Tirso <span style="text-align: justify;">Fernández </span>at Antrim Marina on Sunday 10th December 2023</div>
<center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 4th February 2024</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, I arrived at Antrim Marina at the slightly later time of 10:20, departing at 2:45pm. On my way to the Marina, I stopped by the Castle Way car park in the centre of the town of Antrim, just in case the Latvian Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> might be there. For the first time this winter, a small flock of around 40 Black-headed Gulls were standing around the car park, but my gull was not among them. Seeing as - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> did not appear at the Marina today, I called by the car park again on my way home, but there was still no sign of him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the Marina, a very strong wind was blowing in off Lough Neagh, and the showers of drizzle were practically non-stop. The temperature gauge in my car read 9°C, though it felt a lot colder. A head count of 41 Black-headed Gulls were dotted all around the car park. Not many were keen on standing on the metal rails of the jetties for too long.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With 35 colour-rings to look out for, the first was that of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ACV </span> at 10:25. Recording rings was a slightly slow process, and by 12:04, what was to be my final colour-ring sighting, was that of the juvenile - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJF </span></span> which was ringed here on the 12th November 2023. The Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, which has been here since the 8th August 2023, was also spotted again at 11:30.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During last weeks visit, I had my second sighting of another Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span>, having first recorded it here on the 12th November 2023. At 12:14, I spotted a metal-rung Black-headed Gull on the top rail of the short concrete jetty directly in front of my car. Seeing as the ring was on the gull's right leg, I thought this was going to be another sighting of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span> (<span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span> is ringed on the left leg). Scoping this bird, I noted a '<span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 6 </span>' in the number, and unlike Icelandic rings, the address was below the numbers - I had a new sighting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Camera in hand, I took a photo of the gull, and a zoomed in shot of the metal ring, revealing '<span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 645 </span>' and the beginning of the word Stockholm - a Swedish bird. The sighting could not have occurred at a worse time, as a couple of folk arrived to feed the ducks. Eventually, I managed to relocate the bird and managed one more photo before it flew off again, disappearing completely. The second photo revealed the final two digits '<span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 88 </span>', but I knew Swedish rings have seven numbers in total - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 645**88 </span>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I remembered, that I recorded a Swedish bird here in more recent winters, and when I returned home, I made a search of - Sweden '<span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 645 </span>' on my spreadsheet, and found a match. Unfortunately, that bird which was recorded here on the 17th February 2020, was rung - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 6453864 </span>. I doubt whether I will see the gull again this winter, but I have entered the partial sighting onto my spreadsheet for future reference should it reappear again.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwG-fspu2GuQ7LjpquZnHaXMAAyNMZDWjl03oxenPjGgDByK8et85Eserg2g_fpqvmoQvg1Bl_5W5b5dlPjs7PuL3JeCqWXatrdHDXUtfenMdlk7kCMDV1ZrWWpHASWt7PI4IspkLcJkBReLOT7GuiMTDY62vLMwYVqireLzvURjM6ynePyeOPODlPA9t/s1920/BHG%20-%20Sweden%20645--88%20(20240204%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwG-fspu2GuQ7LjpquZnHaXMAAyNMZDWjl03oxenPjGgDByK8et85Eserg2g_fpqvmoQvg1Bl_5W5b5dlPjs7PuL3JeCqWXatrdHDXUtfenMdlk7kCMDV1ZrWWpHASWt7PI4IspkLcJkBReLOT7GuiMTDY62vLMwYVqireLzvURjM6ynePyeOPODlPA9t/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Sweden%20645--88%20(20240204%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Swedish Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 645**88 </span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (04 Feb 2024)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite having recorded my final colour-ring at 12:04, I had hoped for a flurry of late arrivals, as was the case last week. It wasn't to be, so my final total finished on 18, with 17 absentees. No further returnees have been recorded since the late return of the Swedish - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span>, on the 28th January 2024. Overall numbers fluctuated widely throughout the morning, with a maximum number of an estimated 70 Black-headed Gulls around 13:10 (Photo Below). Once again, with all of the birds having had several feeds, I made no attempt to catch and ring any new birds.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66if2JmY_g4CPpxrQh-in_BUuFnjzOJsQbtRtQabFZxcPzXa9f5oebs43DU0616Lkbt4MGv8GHjJ2NKo9Jk2MEmx_xUWTtghpcLF7vls33j5TF19hZJxLhx8yz6_Ye2SfPJ8CvNeftDMvXtA8a8Jxlf788bFKpFJi90HrPVx29LiD91PDVeyF4tld0OZ6/s1920/DSCN5692a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66if2JmY_g4CPpxrQh-in_BUuFnjzOJsQbtRtQabFZxcPzXa9f5oebs43DU0616Lkbt4MGv8GHjJ2NKo9Jk2MEmx_xUWTtghpcLF7vls33j5TF19hZJxLhx8yz6_Ye2SfPJ8CvNeftDMvXtA8a8Jxlf788bFKpFJi90HrPVx29LiD91PDVeyF4tld0OZ6/w640-h480/DSCN5692a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ducks, Swans and Black-headed Gulls Spread Out Over The Car Park</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Small Concrete Jetty is Just to the Left Behind the Fencing</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 4th February 2024</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gull Recorded This Autumn/Winter at Antrim Marina but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On my arrival today, 13 Mute Swans and two cygnets were already out of the water standing around the slipway. A third cygnet announced it's arrival having flown down river from the direction of Antrim town at 11:01, and was followed at 11:20, by a further 6 swans and a 4th cygnet. I'm fairly certain, that the four cygnets were siblings having hatched during the summer a short distance upstream. With all legs checked for rings, there was no sign of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span>, for the third week in a row. I asked Danny, who volunteers for the Lough Neagh Rescue Team, if he had heard of any swans having been found injured over recent weeks, but he has not heard anything. Danny and his team mates had been out searching the nearby shore's of Lough Neagh for the man who has been missing since the 17th December 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This must be the worst week ever regarding the Mallards. Just 14 birds were present when I arrived, with just 27 present by the time of my departure. Upwards of 100 birds would normally be found here in previous winters, but I have not got a clue as to what is going on with these birds. All legs were checked, but still no rings this winter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Talking of low numbers, not a single adult Common Gull appeared today. Two juveniles were spotted at 10:55 and 1:06pm, and I know these were different birds, as the first had heavy black feathering around the wing butts. It was really surprising not to record at least a couple of adults.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The usual Herring Gull pair arrived at 10:38, closely followed by the 3rd calendar year bird which first appeared a couple of weeks ago. It did not hang about for long, as it was constantly being chased by the resident pair.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Both the adult and juvenile Moorhens were present throughout my visit. The juvenile is growing ever confident being around people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One Hooded Crow and a single Rook, both made brief appearances, and a pair of Pied Wagtails appeared several times. A Cormorant spent around 30 minutes fishing along the length of the Marina before flying out towards Lough Neagh.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-42582389795845467642024-02-03T16:31:00.000+00:002024-02-03T16:31:02.292+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 28th January 2024)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 28th January 2024</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">This week's weekly visit to Antrim Marina, was undertaken in exceptionally unseasonable conditions as the temperature was reading 12°C on my arrival just before 10am. It remained dry, with heavy cloud cover and a fairly strong wind was blowing in from the direction of Lough Neagh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the long overdue return of the Swedish Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span>, recorded on the 14th January 2024 (expected in late November 2023), I was on the lookout for 35 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls, which included 8 birds ringed this winter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On my arrival, 70 to 80 Black-headed Gulls were already present, and as things 'panned out', this was a high for the day, as numbers dropped off slightly. The ring of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FFA </span></span> was the first to be read at 9:59am, the total slowly building up to 20 by 11:35, with the sighting of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJN </span></span> which is one of the gulls ringed this winter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For some unknown reason, all of the gulls departed from the Marina at 12:30, almost one hour after the 20th ring had been read. With 1:30 quickly approaching and with still no gulls about, I was contemplating the thought of departing, when a few birds arrived. In no time at all, around 30 Black-headed Gulls were back, with 5 more ring sightings being added. This took the day's total to 25, with 10 absentees. Strangely, none of the gulls recorded earlier, returned in this bunch.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A few 'key' rings were read today, which included the second sighting of the Swedish - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span> mentioned above, as well as the Estonian - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span>, and the Latvian - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span>. I had hoped that the Icelandic - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span> would appear as well to complete the quartet of known foreign gulls.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ACV </span>, was once spotted at a breeding colony at Leighton Moss in England, but last summer, I spotted the gull at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast, though I was unable to record the gull nesting there. Having said that, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FFX </span></span> was spotted several times on a nest on the reserve, and was recorded on the same nesting platform in 2022 as a prospecting immature. The whereabouts of the breeding site of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ABN </span> is still unknown, but one pre-season sighting saw the gull south-west from Antrim, possibly moving towards Lough Erne in County Fermanagh, or possibly further afield to the Republic of Ireland. <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AAN </span>, has been recorded during the breeding season at the town of Larne in County Antrim - the nearest breeding colony would be the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AAB </span>, <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BRA </span>, <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CJT </span> and <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CSR </span>, are year round residents at Antrim Marina and may all be nesting on the nearby 'former' Torpedo Platform, which was used to test torpedo's during World War Two. There is a small 'rooftop' nesting Black-headed Gull around buildings close to the former Enkalon Factory in Antrim Town, and a few pairs also nest on the rooftop of the Tesco Warehouse at Kilbegs in Antrim. The status of several gulls with Blue Darvics, is still unknown, as they have been ringed during more recent winters. <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FIJ </span></span>, which was recorded today, has my suspicions as being a foreign bird due to the lack of re-sightings since being ringed in January 2022.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 28th January 2024</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, was recorded again at 10:53. This bird was caught and ringed at Laugarvatn on the 14th July 2023, and was first spotted at Antrim Marina on the 8th August 2023. Since it's arrival, the gull has been recorded on most weekly visits. Today's sighting is the 23rd record for the gull this winter, and it has now been 6 months and 14 days since it was ringed. The distance from Laugarvatn is 1,332 kms / 827 miles (SE). With all of the gulls having had a good feed of bread from visitors, there was still no chance for me to catch this gull so that I could add one of my colour-rings. I'm desperately trying to colour-ring this gull before it returns to Iceland in the spring.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ring on - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, is fitted upside-down on the gull's left leg, and at 11:01, I spotted another metal-rung Black-headed Gull, though the ring on this bird was on it's right leg. Grabbing my camera, the chase was now on, to try and obtain the whole number. It really was a chase, as the gulls kept on flying about due to the feeds they were getting. Each time I relocated the gull, more photos were taken, and I eventually retreated back to my car to work out the number. It soon became clear, that this was another bird from Iceland, and once the number was pieced together, I realised that this was a second sighting this winter of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span>, this being confirmed once I returned home to check my records.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My first sighting was made here on the 12th November 2023, and I soon discovered that the gull was very confident being around people. At the time, I reported my sighting directly to the Icelandic Bird Ringing Centre, and in their reply, they had to contact the ringer concerned for the ringing details. Only recently, I made a second contact asking for details, but the ringer has yet to get back to them, though they reckoned the gull was ringed sometime during 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I will now submit this second sighting, but I reckon I will be kept waiting for a while yet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArMMumcMhO4rjkJ4BBKs5OIjRdIwAiHlVsB0MoKF66F10qY1Sr16jOEq-QZ7oDFngWUjDv5li53XcgsUdyvQUEOo-nmCxxCttoYSPpF68tD0S4xcOFE8aS_8gEjLMXbwmHze9uQfyOga-FwsswFMSfurlCTtu8zZtFuEA4afgOZ_GrXrqXMk9LdlvoaO8/s1920/BHG%20-%20Iceland%20595818%20(20240128%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArMMumcMhO4rjkJ4BBKs5OIjRdIwAiHlVsB0MoKF66F10qY1Sr16jOEq-QZ7oDFngWUjDv5li53XcgsUdyvQUEOo-nmCxxCttoYSPpF68tD0S4xcOFE8aS_8gEjLMXbwmHze9uQfyOga-FwsswFMSfurlCTtu8zZtFuEA4afgOZ_GrXrqXMk9LdlvoaO8/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Iceland%20595818%20(20240128%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - Iceland <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (28 Jan 2024)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Still Waiting for the Ringing Details)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As usual, the large number of Mute Swans grabbed my attention on my arrival, and a quick count gave me 19 birds and no cygnets. An adult, along with one cygnet arrived from up-river at 11:13, and a further two cygnets at 12:15, also from up-river. The 21st (White) swan and a 4th cygnet arrived in un-noticed. The four cygnets stayed together after this, and I was safely assume they were the four reared nearby during the summer. All legs were checked, and for a second week running, there was no sign of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Interestingly, the resident adult male Herring Gull was absent today, though the female that arrived here a few weeks back was present throughout my visit. Just before I departed at 2pm, a 3rd calendar year Herring Gull alighted on top of the yellow Navigation Pole. I am certain, that it was the same bird that first appeared here last week. For a second week in a row, a Lesser Black-backed Gull appeared and came and went throughout the morning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not a single Common Gull was present on my arrival, with five birds arriving almost together at 10:20. A juvenile appeared at 12:20. No sign of the small metal-rung Scottish female, which has been recorded on a single occasion so far this winter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallard numbers are still very low, with 30 birds slowly decreasing to 12 birds by the time of my departure. As stated previously, numbers should be in and around the 100 mark for this point of the winter. As normal, all legs were checked for rings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The adult Moorhen was again present throughout my visit, with the juvenile arriving at 10:57.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1 Rook, 1 Hooded Crow, 4 Jackdaws and a pair of Pied Wagtails were also noted today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-60927985958879611572024-01-27T19:06:00.000+00:002024-01-27T19:06:32.320+00:00Antrim Marina - (Monday 22nd January 2024)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Monday 22nd January 2024</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">I got up on Sunday morning (21st January), and it was already wet and windy ahead of the approaching storm Isha which was soon to hit Northern Ireland. Rather than going to Antrim Marina, where my weekly visit could be cut short by worsening weather, I decided to go on the following day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Isha hit us with some of the strongest winds I haven't witnessed since possibly back in the 80's. Monday morning was still quite windy when I left home in Ballymena to make my way up to Antrim. At the same time, storm Jocelyn was following on the heels of Isha, though wind speeds were not be to so severe. With an estimated time of arrival at Antrim Marina being around 10am, as I drove down the Avenue towards the Marina, I discovered that the road was closed. A fully mature Beech tree in the grounds of Massereene Golf Club to the left of the Avenue, had fallen across the road. Workmen were already in attendance, to cut up the tree and clear the road.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It wasn't until 11:25, that I was able to pass the workmen, with one lane now passable. It was already very windy, with heavy cloud cover, and the temperature read 6°C. Driving through the barrier into the car park, around 60 Black-headed Gulls were resting on the car park beside the small wooden jetty, and they were 'rocked' about whilst facing into the wind.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the return of the Swedish - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span> during my previous visit, I was on the lookout for 35 colour-rings today, which included 8 gulls that had been caught and ringed this winter. The first ring to be read at 11:31, was that of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIK </span></span>, and an hour later at 12:34, the 18th and final ring read for the day was - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span>. By 1:30, conditions became so bad, I decided to call it a day. Heavy, 'squally' rain was now falling and it was so dark, I could hardly read rings. By now, most of the gulls had left anyway, with between 15 to 20 birds remaining.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I would be fairly sure, that, had the weather been slightly calmer, and with more time to read rings, my total would have been far higher. The Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, was spotted again at 11:35. Despite the weather conditions, several people still arrived to feed the birds with both bread and grain, and my single attempt to catch one or two new birds ended in failure - too well fed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 22nd January 2022</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">12 (White) Mute Swans, plus one of the older cygnets, were all out of the water resting around the slipway. All legs were checked, with no rings spotted. One further adult bird arrived from upriver at 12:42.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The adult male Herring Gull was present throughout my visit, and the female from previous weeks appeared alongside him at 11:50. A 3rd calendar year Herring Gull arrived at 1:06, and rested on top of the yellow 'navigation pole'.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One adult Common Gull was also present throughout my visit, resting in among the Black-headed Gulls. A further two adults arrived at 12:22, and none of the three birds were ringed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The adult Moorhen was once again present and on a couple of occasions, was seen eating a 'healthy' diet of swan poo. The juvenile which arrived here a couple of weeks back, appeared around 11:50.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">3 Hooded Crows, 4 Jackdaws and a male Pied Wagtail, were the only other species noted during today's visit.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-17462984920276087042024-01-20T13:05:00.000+00:002024-01-20T13:05:45.162+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 14th January 2024)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 14th January 2024</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, I arrived at Antrim Marina at 9:55am, to find very calm conditions with just a the slightest of breezes, 20% blue sky, with the temperature reading 3°C. Just a short time later, we had a 50/50 blue sky, plenty of sunshine and the temperature reached 5°C. The Lough Neagh Rescue boat was out again and shortly after my arrival, the boat was brought ashore for the day. Talking to shore crew member Danny, the Antrim man that went missing back on the 17th December 2023, had still not been found. During the week, the police had divers in the river, searching upstream from the Marina. It is still not clear whether the man entered the river when he went missing, though it was one option that had to be investigated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Around 60 Black-headed Gulls were present, with this total more or less remaining constant throughout my visit which lasted to 2pm. This total is roughly half that of my previous visit, which easily reached a winter high of 100 to 120 birds. This lower total, was mirrored by the number of colour-ringed gulls recorded today, as I had 16 absentees.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was on the lookout for 34 colour-rings altogether, with 8 of those being gulls caught and ringed this winter. Judging by the colour-rings recorded, the gulls were clearly coming and going, with sightings of rings being well spread out. My 13th sighting was a welcomed returnee, as it was the Swedish bird - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span>. I had expected this gull's return in late November, and seeing as it had not been recorded, I was fearing the worst, especially as around half of my gulls have failed to return this winter. Of course, the bird may have arrived back on time, but had not appeared at the Marina during my previous visits.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span>, was caught and ringed at Antrim Marina, as an unsexed adult, on the 18th November 2019. It's only sighting away from Antrim, was made in a breeding colony, on the 3rd April 2022, at Råstasjön Nature Reserve, at Solna on the edge of Stockholm, Sweden - 1,551 kms / 963 miles (ENE). The duration since being ringed, is now 4 years, 1 month and 27 days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFBRWF7gW-ZhzgmEcq2D59WpEzvAg5H8miEyeDKRXLuZ6tA8cRNETkANQWErok9XNgTIZ2VepFeYmuIJfvSp4wRWmGSvrXJ32vz3PmrbidApTscSBPox5sJIlzoGOyT2RZvP9Jg6fobn141AQuSvPKc2picfQqXrVVwYHrr0n0InYemjICxMyzcCqz-Cc/s1920/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FDL%20(20240114%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFBRWF7gW-ZhzgmEcq2D59WpEzvAg5H8miEyeDKRXLuZ6tA8cRNETkANQWErok9XNgTIZ2VepFeYmuIJfvSp4wRWmGSvrXJ32vz3PmrbidApTscSBPox5sJIlzoGOyT2RZvP9Jg6fobn141AQuSvPKc2picfQqXrVVwYHrr0n0InYemjICxMyzcCqz-Cc/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FDL%20(20240114%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (14 Jan 2024)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 18th November 2019, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With just the 19 colour-rings read today, these included the three gulls that reappeared again last week after lengthy absences - the Icelandic <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span>, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDK </span></span> and <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIJ </span></span>. My final ring sighting was made at 13:09, this being - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJN </span></span>, one of the 8 birds ringed this winter. The metal-rung Black-headed Gull from Iceland - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, was recorded again at 12:29. This gull was ringed on the 14th July 2023, and arrived at Antrim Marina on the 8th August 2023, and has been recorded again during most of my visits.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With so few gulls present, and colour-rings sightings well stretched out, today's visit felt very slow and time seemed to drag by. I made one attempt to catch one or two birds to be ringed, but they did not bite. Before my attempt, a few folk arrived with bread, and one man scattered a whole bag of Swan and Duck food (pellets) across the small sandy beach, with the Black-headed Gulls especially, having a 'field day' feasting on these.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the return of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span>, I will now be on the lookout for 35 colour-rings on my next visit. Although unlikely, I'm still hoping for further returnees. With January quickly disappearing, it will not be long now before the first of the gulls will be thinking of a move back towards their breeding sites.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 14th January 2024</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In this section of my previous visit to Antrim Marina (7th January 2024), I focused on what was probably a record number of Common Gulls recorded since I began coming here back in September 2013. A head count at 1:30pm, gave me a total of 17 adults and a single juvenile, though a colour-ringed bird from Norway spotted a little earlier, would have taken the total to 19 altogether. A couple of the adults may have been immature birds, but I was focusing more on looking for rings rather than checking the plumage for younger birds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With so many Common Gulls and no sign once again of the small Scottish metal-rung female, in my mind, I resigned myself into believing that I had seen the end of her. At 12:50 during today's visit, I was sitting in my car, when a metal-rung Common Gull alighted onto the top rail of the small concrete jetty in front of me. Judging by it's sized, I knew it had to be my Scottish bird - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> EY64036 </span>. Grabbing my camera, I took photos of the bird before zooming into the ring. Although I did not complete the whole number - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> EY*4036 </span>, there was no doubting I had my bird.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> EY64036 </span>, first appeared at Antrim Marina as a juvenile, on the 9th February 2014. It had been ringed as a chick, on the 20th June 2013, at Hunterston in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Today's sighting is now the 62nd record for the gull at Antrim Marina, with the bird returning every winter since 2013. Looking at my records, there wasn't a single sighting in 2023, and I last recorded the gull here on the 28th November 2022. It is now 10 years, 6 months and 25 days since being ringed, and the distance from Hunterston is 141 kms / 87 miles (SW). There is a possibility that I might not record this gull again until next winter, but it was a privilege having spotted her once more.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Looking at the photo, standing beside the Black-headed Gull, just goes to show how small she is. Common Gulls on the whole, are between Black-headed and Herring Gulls in size.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJQ9SluV-0GzF9-Ai8GbVv7-S5W8gMe2tflnt7OQTYSrJENrU00P3ItNjS3a1jLBxYWDr4365AOHa-7Zc8bf4BVI-VNMTkDNdn36wwPJiJgufmCpRU5r4aKzW9EjWIx03FXAbxAGJP6P-dvi_nAYZnMBOu_PDEo0XfzH1rM1A60-ouNhbgmWxOYbhrcTT/s1920/Common%20Gull%20-%20EY64036%20(20240114%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJQ9SluV-0GzF9-Ai8GbVv7-S5W8gMe2tflnt7OQTYSrJENrU00P3ItNjS3a1jLBxYWDr4365AOHa-7Zc8bf4BVI-VNMTkDNdn36wwPJiJgufmCpRU5r4aKzW9EjWIx03FXAbxAGJP6P-dvi_nAYZnMBOu_PDEo0XfzH1rM1A60-ouNhbgmWxOYbhrcTT/w640-h480/Common%20Gull%20-%20EY64036%20(20240114%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Common Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> EY64036 </span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (14 Jan 2024)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 20th June 2013, at Hunterston, North Ayrshire, Scotland)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The winter plumage in Common Gulls can vary widely around the head and neck. and for comparison I took a photo of a Common Gull which was heavily speckled.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKloQoZevGngtglv8_jnsu6QR8VViNvhYzINc2c_qfRNlgPmyqPBCNk2uBL474_2of6_I1eYmeKkYWo8yMGlsgUfUaPCusrjlB7WdsM3iifz-byKhd_2Z-VnSWpo5yL8m5yKUxmQwJONSMMY9KW_R4LGeAwRzaeGZIswdqrZhDLHpUCpHvrt8zJRHIm1bM/s4608/Common%20Gull%20-%20(20240114%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKloQoZevGngtglv8_jnsu6QR8VViNvhYzINc2c_qfRNlgPmyqPBCNk2uBL474_2of6_I1eYmeKkYWo8yMGlsgUfUaPCusrjlB7WdsM3iifz-byKhd_2Z-VnSWpo5yL8m5yKUxmQwJONSMMY9KW_R4LGeAwRzaeGZIswdqrZhDLHpUCpHvrt8zJRHIm1bM/w640-h480/Common%20Gull%20-%20(20240114%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Common Gull - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (14 Jan 2024)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just a single Common Gull was present on my arrival today. A further two birds arrived at 10:17, followed by another two at 11:06. A juvenile appeared at 11:48, remaining throughout the remainder of my visit. The Scottish female arrived at 12:50, and a final count of the Commons at 1pm, gave a combined total of 9 birds. There was no sign of the Norwegian colour-ringed bird that appeared last week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two Herring Gulls were present throughout my visit, one being the resident male, and the other was presumably the female which has been absent during my previous two visits. The two of them were seen standing side by side on several occasions. A juvenile made a brief visit around 12:15.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">8 (White) Mute Swans were standing around the small sandy beach when I arrived, and included - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span>, which was ringed here as a juvenile in November 2020. This bird, which seems to be a female, arrived back for another winter on the 1st October 2023. By 11:48, 13 (White) swans plus one cygnet were counted. The cygnet, was one of the two younger birds that arrived along with a juvenile Whooper Swan a while back. A final count at 12:30, gave a total of 18 (White) swans and the cygnet. All legs were checked, but no more rings were recorded.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallards numbered around 30 birds, with this total remaining more or less constant during today's visit. Most if not all legs were checked for rings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jackdaw numbers were up slightly, with 6 birds counted. Two pairs of Hooded Crows made repeated visits, with a couple of birds flying off with their beaks packed with bread. I reckon, they hoarded the bread before returning for more. The adult Moorhen was again present throughout my visit, and the juvenile which first appeared a couple of weeks ago, was spotted for a brief time. The male Pied Wagtail, completed today's list of other species.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-35771465619686193102024-01-14T17:00:00.001+00:002024-01-14T17:00:58.247+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 7th January 2024)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 7th January 2024</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">This week's weekly visit to Antrim Marina, was a strange one for all sorts of reasons. To begin with, I delayed my arrival time today, as an online weather map was showing fog in the Antrim area, which I had hoped would lift during the visit. Plus, during my visit, the Lough Neagh Rescue Team were busy, and I had a few interesting ring re-sightings as well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I arrived at 10:45 to find that the fog was a little thicker than I had hoped for, although conditions were very calm. The temperature gauge in my car was reading 0°C, which lasted to around 1pm, before moving up to 2°C. The fog never cleared, and actually became thicker around my departure at 2pm.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I say, Lough Neagh Rescue were busy, with one boat checking the river which flows out into Lough Neagh. Talking to Danny and Janet who are part of the shore crew working out of the office, the search was still ongoing for an Antrim man who has been missing since the 17th December 2023. I was informed that a further two rescue boats were making their way over to Antrim from their base at Kinnego Marina, situated at the southern end of Lough Neagh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The two boats arrived shortly afterwards, and all three crews went into the office for a quick cup of tea and to discuss what to do next. The idea was to comb Lough Neagh with the boats three apart working long stretches of the Lough in search of the missing man. After a lengthy wait, it was decided that the conditions were not going to improve, and at 12:20, the search was called off.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite all of the activity, there were plenty of Black-headed Gulls present from the start, which I estimated to be somewhere between 100 to 120 birds. So far this winter a total of 34 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls have been recorded, with 8 of those being birds ringed over the last couple of months.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Unlike recent weeks, ring sightings stretched over a long period, with the first being the year round resident - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CJT </span> at 10:48. My 4th sighting at 10:51, was that of the Icelandic bird - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span>. A few weeks back, I made comment about the absence of this gull. It had been recorded on most weekly visits since the beginning of August and disappeared after the 22nd October 2023. Having looked back at it's previous winter records, I noted this bird has disappeared before and then reappears in January. True to form, it has returned. Really glad to see it back, and the gull should remain now until it heads back to northern Iceland in the spring. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span> was ringed at Antrim Marina as an adult, on the 8th November 2021. It has been spotted twice at Akureyri in northern Iceland, in June and July 2022.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My 11th sighting at 11:54, was that of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIJ </span></span>, making it's third appearance this winter. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIJ </span></span>, is a bird that I strongly believe uses Antrim Marina as a 'staging post' to and from it's wintering site wherever that might be. I caught and ringed this bird at the Marina in January 2022, with just one further winter sighting having been made in March 2022. The following winter, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIJ </span></span> was recorded on just three occasions between the 8th August and 12th December 2022. Having arrived back this winter, it was recorded on the 8th August and 4th September 2023, before disappearing until today.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vFoznl0Aqypr6LgiPiTl-jM8zRy2_iycXkzZSKzKp2V3__cPRFI4nwdpdbzs9aPLF10pmOzHGVuPvX-XnOMQVbrrxWlLWCAXbK3ytzaCosJo6hyphenhyphenT2gbNPA3suUu6xqI8Oo5BVje6VZyAyQQURNFn1kcrL7x3v8dij5AHnm6xWI3gvLh7yK8Zi7aG6g73/s1920/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FIJ%20(20240107%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Martin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vFoznl0Aqypr6LgiPiTl-jM8zRy2_iycXkzZSKzKp2V3__cPRFI4nwdpdbzs9aPLF10pmOzHGVuPvX-XnOMQVbrrxWlLWCAXbK3ytzaCosJo6hyphenhyphenT2gbNPA3suUu6xqI8Oo5BVje6VZyAyQQURNFn1kcrL7x3v8dij5AHnm6xWI3gvLh7yK8Zi7aG6g73/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FIJ%20(20240107%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Martin.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIJ </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (07 Jan 2024)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 10th January 2022, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My 16th sighting at 12:20, was that of a bird that had me slightly worried about it's welfare. Ringed as an adult in November 2019, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDK </span></span> is a gull that is regularly recorded throughout previous winters, except for this winter. Up until today, the only sighting was made back on the 11th September 2023, with it's continued absence making me feel as if the gull had perished. Goodness knows where it has been or what it has been up to, but I'm really glad to see that it is still with us.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My 23rd ring sighting at 1:19, had me running back to the car to grab my camera. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJK </span></span>, is one of the 8 gulls to be caught and ringed this winter. Once each gull has been ringed, I try to obtain photos of them as soon as possible, just in case they depart from the Marina. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJK </span></span>, was the fourth of the 8 to be ringed - an adult ringed on the 3rd December 2023. Since it was ringed, there has been no sightings until today - Snap!!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHkswCvfYfZkgNB5s6kFK0V6ovhGIMEDZvRJ3JNN3Dt1BK3mIcy2Ya3KhPtZANe5Z4DZSNbM8E_lYbPirlCkrzF-dk9wLVLoqUt0a973-XDjcotZntKG6EN884SaWc3oFdZw_8i-cv_Cg2Nn9rwIh1COsp1IAAgkiC1MwmHMcSPf6QulsgUG5KjIf6Yf0/s1920/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJK%20(20240107%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHkswCvfYfZkgNB5s6kFK0V6ovhGIMEDZvRJ3JNN3Dt1BK3mIcy2Ya3KhPtZANe5Z4DZSNbM8E_lYbPirlCkrzF-dk9wLVLoqUt0a973-XDjcotZntKG6EN884SaWc3oFdZw_8i-cv_Cg2Nn9rwIh1COsp1IAAgkiC1MwmHMcSPf6QulsgUG5KjIf6Yf0/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJK%20(20240107%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJK </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (07 Jan 2024)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Altogether, 24 out of the 34 rings were read today, which left me with 10 absentees. The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, which has been here since the 8th August 2023, was again spotted at 12:42. I did make on half-hearted attempt to catch a gull or two, and missed out on catching - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span> by about two inches. It crept in between the legs of the swans and managed to grab a large piece of bread, narrowly avoiding my attempt to grab it. I'm 'dying' to fit this one with a Darvic before it returns to Iceland in the spring. Unfortunately, no further returnees were recorded today, which still leaves me with around half of last winter's colour-ringed gulls still missing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In correspondence with Graham Prole in Dublin, only two of their colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls have returned to their wintering sites around the City - and I thought I was doing badly!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 7th January 2024</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 55%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
</tr></tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Normally in this section, I would begin with the Mute Swans, as there has been plenty around over recent weeks. Although the Black-headed Gulls kept me on my toes today, it was the number of Common Gulls about that really caught my attention. A total of 12 Common Gulls were already on site when I arrived. With lots of people arriving to feed the ducks, the constant screams of the Commons could be heard as they chased after the Black-headed Gulls to try and force them to drop their bread.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At midday, I tried to count the Common Gulls with a lot of difficulty, as many kept on moving about. At the time, a man with presumably his three sons were feeding the swans bread on the small sandy beach. As well as counting the gulls through my binoculars, I was also checking legs in case the small metal-rung Scottish female was present. I reckoned, that at least 15 Common Gulls were present, when at 12:02, I spotted one with a White Darvic on the end of the long wooden jetty. I rushed back to my car to grab my camera, but when I returned to the beach, my gull was gone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With all of the gulls flying all over the place chasing the Black-headed's, I desperately tried to relocate my target just in case it would depart from the Marina. Eventually, I found it standing on top of the boat moored to the long wooden jetty and managed to get a few photos. On looking at the code - (White) JE956, I knew the bird was from Norway, as their colour-rings on both Common and Black-headed Gulls begin with the letter 'J'.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On returning home, I made a search of the code on my 'Main Ring Reading Spreadsheet', and found a match. (White) JE956, was ringed as a juvenile male, on the 24th September 2018, in the Nedre Leirfoss area, close to Bratberg Kraftverk Power Station, Trondheim, Norway. The first re-sighting was recorded here in Northern Ireland, on the 16th December 2022, when spotted at Lurgan Park Lake in Co. Armagh, by Suzanne Belshaw. The next two sightings occurred in June 2023, when the gull was recorded back in the area where it had originally been ringed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The distance from Nedre Leirfoss to Antrim Marina, is 1,347 kms / 836 miles (SW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 3 months and 14 days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRjYORg6O7tc_ukHFKETsZLIMNbi1_dwe5w7SP5FXnIaH0z4xdgQVjCuqldTpIfI2cHNEnUxkaa1BC6H7dsEX7nVsTjfJp19jknYBpHRvfyDda4MpNQNe6Dfu-qWqws_ms2EbC0LQg0Mg6TKvVwvfqdo6Y7jcS1ffXaEVduLUA6W1Rf0Px2x8yu_q44Wb/s1920/Common%20Gull%20-%20White%20JE956%20(20240107%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRjYORg6O7tc_ukHFKETsZLIMNbi1_dwe5w7SP5FXnIaH0z4xdgQVjCuqldTpIfI2cHNEnUxkaa1BC6H7dsEX7nVsTjfJp19jknYBpHRvfyDda4MpNQNe6Dfu-qWqws_ms2EbC0LQg0Mg6TKvVwvfqdo6Y7jcS1ffXaEVduLUA6W1Rf0Px2x8yu_q44Wb/w640-h480/Common%20Gull%20-%20White%20JE956%20(20240107%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Common Gull - (White) JE956 - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (07 Jan 2024)</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Juvenile Male, on the 24th September 2018, at Nedre Leirfoss, Trondheim, Norway)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With most of the gulls settled around 1:30, I made another count, with a total of 17 adults and 1 juvenile present. The juvenile arrived at 10:56, and remained throughout my visit. At this point, there was no sign of the Norwegian bird, and with all legs checked, there is still no sign this winter of the Scottish metal-rung bird. I cannot recollect totals for past winters, but to have a total of 18 and the Norwegian making 19, this could well be a record number for the Marina. I really like Common Gulls, and looking through the birds that were here today, there was much variation in sizes, head, neck and leg colouration.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The resident adult male Herring Gull was present throughout the visit, and once again, there was no sign of the female that arrived here a few weeks ago. A juvenile Herring Gull made a brief appearance at 1:24.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A count of the Mute Swans after my arrival, gave a total of 19 (White) swans, and five cygnets. Four of these are presumably the ones reared upriver, whilst the smaller browner cygnet is likely to be one of two which first appeared here along with a juvenile Whooper Swan. The metal-rung - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span>, was recorded again at 11:44. No more swans arrived during the visit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Around 25 Mallards were counted on my arrival, with numbers more or less remaining constant during my visit. I do not have a clue as to what is going on with the Mallards. Numbers at this time of the winter should be in the region of 100 birds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The adult Moorhen which first appeared a few weeks ago, arrived at 11:15 today, and the juvenile which appeared here recently, was spotted at 12:45.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A male Pied Wagtail was seen on several occasions, and 4 Jackdaws completed today's list of other species at the Marina.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-68819084385678418422024-01-12T19:29:00.002+00:002024-02-03T20:48:18.229+00:00Some Recent Ring Sightings...<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">From Martin Goodey and Bob Dawson</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">An email from a Bob Dawson came in, on Friday evening of the 5th of January, which had me bouncing on my kitchen chair (the kitchen table happens to be my office at home). Earlier that day, Bob's friend Martin Goodey photographed a juvenile Common Gull with a Blue Darvic, which was reported as either - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2CJK </span></span> or possibly - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2CJR </span></span>. I instantly knew that the bird would have been ringed as a chick on Rathlin Island here in Northern Ireland last summer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Checking the code on my spreadsheet, the letter '<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> R </span></span>' is not used in my character set for this ring series, so the bird would indeed be - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2CJK </span></span>. The reason for me bouncing in my chair, is that this young gull had been spotted at Porthloo Beach, St. Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, England. I replied to Bob, asking for a Grid Reference, so that I could work out the distance from Rathlin to the point of sighting. I knew this was going to be a record breaker for distance, and when the Reference came back, I worked out the distance as being 597 kms / 370 miles (S).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This indeed was a record breaker. I began my Common Gull project on Rathlin Island in the summer of 2017. The principal aim, was to record the number of surviving chicks that would return to the island to integrate into the overall breeding population of around 100 pairs once they had matured. Over time, movements of all birds and longevities could also be investigated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The previous best distance for a Rathlin Common Gull was that of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2BAN </span></span>. This bird had been ringed as a chick in June 2017, and was spotted in April 2018, at Kilshannig Point, Tralee Bay, Co. Kerry, Republic of Ireland, a distance of 414 kms / 257 miles (SW). Unfortunately, there has been no further sightings of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2BAN </span></span> to date.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I asked Bob if any photos had been taken, after which, Martin contacted me with photos and allowed me to use them for my blog. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2CJK </span></span>, was ringed as a chick at the Arkill Bay (north) colony, on the 19th June 2023, and the duration as of the 5th January 2024, is 6 months and 17 days since being ringed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My thanks goes to both Bob and Martin for the sighting report along with the photos. I was really delighted with this one. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2CJK </span></span>, if it survives till then, should return to Rathlin in 2025 to prospect a nesting site and breed for the first time in 2026.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukQtGwYV7eZ4T5obzHu8qlmOcjXgi1jotqiCnQ5X2YKFIOobDtZbRiN3WzSZ86tDzyJozhW14lAPwE3tGNF6HJIXZb_rWrdr_1084B1dEdlgBj7CTitRcmIYSr1knRAV3kD9kIa8rjdr9qXb6e3bax_RClZQ1IJAPv39mdIVFUl38E7xTg1dcJtGqy3hO/s1000/Common%20Gull%20-%20Blue%202CJK%20(20240105%20(1a))%20Isles%20of%20Scilly%20(Martin%20Goodey).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukQtGwYV7eZ4T5obzHu8qlmOcjXgi1jotqiCnQ5X2YKFIOobDtZbRiN3WzSZ86tDzyJozhW14lAPwE3tGNF6HJIXZb_rWrdr_1084B1dEdlgBj7CTitRcmIYSr1knRAV3kD9kIa8rjdr9qXb6e3bax_RClZQ1IJAPv39mdIVFUl38E7xTg1dcJtGqy3hO/w640-h426/Common%20Gull%20-%20Blue%202CJK%20(20240105%20(1a))%20Isles%20of%20Scilly%20(Martin%20Goodey).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Common Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2CJK </span></span> - Porthloo Beach, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly, England (05 Jan 2024)</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2023, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Martin Goodey)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">From Derek Polley</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">Derek Polley sent me an email on Thursday 4th January 2024, concerning the sighting of a colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit. On most Thursdays, Derek works as a volunteer at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast. The Godwit, ringed Red over Blue on the left leg, and Orange (=) on the right leg, was ringed at the WoW Reserve, on the 21st April 2021, as an adult female. In this case, I cannot give out much information about the birds movements as I have been requested by the project leads, not to divulge any details.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite this, it is good to know the bird is still alive and well and revisiting the reserve. The duration since being ringed, is 2 years, 8 months and 14 days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My thanks to Derek for the sighting report and photo. I think the photo was taken through the window of the visitor centre.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_ps-PEdM2qEjD9hmPnR3Y5HOMBLbRf8Dpc5_TWVfgu5cFmvGJuAi4-RbW4pE9C7g-XBF2otwoqSvZ56eZfp3XcVIKaybbUDdgooK9rEDRLBHsN5PzYBElGxk0Sr5CF6K17TjTprUkiNjOoeSOKujXzw_gDK3OQsM9kG_xy-fu_cYkgsUa02FuDeaT12o/s1389/Black-tailed%20Godwit%20-%20RB-O(=)%20(20240104%20(1a))%20RSPB%20WoW%20Reserve%20(Derek%20Polley).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1389" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_ps-PEdM2qEjD9hmPnR3Y5HOMBLbRf8Dpc5_TWVfgu5cFmvGJuAi4-RbW4pE9C7g-XBF2otwoqSvZ56eZfp3XcVIKaybbUDdgooK9rEDRLBHsN5PzYBElGxk0Sr5CF6K17TjTprUkiNjOoeSOKujXzw_gDK3OQsM9kG_xy-fu_cYkgsUa02FuDeaT12o/w640-h486/Black-tailed%20Godwit%20-%20RB-O(=)%20(20240104%20(1a))%20RSPB%20WoW%20Reserve%20(Derek%20Polley).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-tailed Godwit - Red/Blue - Orange (=) - RSPB Window on Wildlife NR, Belfast (04 Jan 2024)</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 21st April 2021, at the RSPB Window on Wildlife NR)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Derek Polley)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">From Lindsay Hodges</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">Lindsay Hodges was also busy on Friday 5th January 2024. At Ballyholme in County Down, Lindsay spotted all three of the regularly recorded colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls at Luke's Point.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first two birds to be dealt with here, belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study. <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ABT </span>, has an extensive list of re-sightings here at Ballyholme, as well as at Sandy Bay in Larne, Co. Antrim, and a single sighting at Glynn on Larne Lough. It is this single sighting at Glynn, which leads me to believe the gull is nesting on the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Nature Reserve just a short distance away from Glynn.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ballyholme is the wintering site for - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ABT </span>, and the gull was caught and ringed here on the 24th January 2013. The duration since being ringed, is now 10 years, 11 months and 12 days. The full re-sighting history can be read (<a href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:ac326038-0ce0-4774-9144-f01a253a55a8" target="_blank">here</a>).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLk6c_nUJh8Rm0vqo1Oznu9LZpz5p_NtZJB7OdtQeOVIq5f3lO8T1REXAPCODnsvu-iH7VZ0SwOz4v2zUp6_3OhBxNZNyUtGcPE5Z6iuA03nOo7XaQ_AVL6dKznzHgEsX3w1JDTiKa1LwAjXag1aHJh_OT2JtgTrB06uva9msIvuleof044VArLegzpAZ_/s1920/BHG%20-%20Orange%202ABT%20(20240105%20(1a))%20Ballyholme%20(Lindsay%20Hodges0%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLk6c_nUJh8Rm0vqo1Oznu9LZpz5p_NtZJB7OdtQeOVIq5f3lO8T1REXAPCODnsvu-iH7VZ0SwOz4v2zUp6_3OhBxNZNyUtGcPE5Z6iuA03nOo7XaQ_AVL6dKznzHgEsX3w1JDTiKa1LwAjXag1aHJh_OT2JtgTrB06uva9msIvuleof044VArLegzpAZ_/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Orange%202ABT%20(20240105%20(1a))%20Ballyholme%20(Lindsay%20Hodges0%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ABT </span> - Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down (05 Jan 2024)</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 24th January 2013, at Ballyholme)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CLV </span>, is also a winter visitor at Luke's Point. This gull was ringed as a chick, on the 16th June 2017, at the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough, Co. Antrim. Just over two months after being ringed, the then juvenile was spotted at Whitehead on the County Antrim coast, and the disappeared until February 2019, when spotted at Luke's Point by Suzanne Belshaw.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the exception of one sighting, all other sightings have been winter records at Luke's Point. The exception occurred in June 2021 when - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CLV </span> was the grateful recipient of a few chips thrown down by Jim Wells at Bangor Harbour, which is very close to Luke's Point. The question then, was where could - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CLV </span> be breeding at, as there is no colony close by. Had the bird failed in it's breeding attempt, and made an early return to it's wintering quarters? The closest two breeding colonies would have been at Groomsport or on Big Copeland Island, both some distance away. Quite often, many gulls return to breed at their natal colonies, but Big Circle Island does not have any accessible viewing points.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The distance from Blue Circle Island to Ballyholme, is 19 kms / 11 miles (SE), and the duration since being ringed, is 6 years, 6 months and 20 days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPmcszKip-1UxpOe3eZL_6tU1BmVFvR9tYutZWHi8iTF81imkBJmKcaw5Hm-FKgtDBCgKy6ZFG681cqsEjXZk0F48McWc6Q7N-U8E4akis9sDr_omFEniqq7yHJ_VO1R_W_dqVX8wAom5owJ7sKKTI0RFj92cB04DovRUf9NPlOjM8KkN6doJNr_NrGvh/s1920/BHG%20-%20Orange%202CLV%20(20240105%20(1a))%20Ballyholme%20(Lindsay%20Hodges).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPmcszKip-1UxpOe3eZL_6tU1BmVFvR9tYutZWHi8iTF81imkBJmKcaw5Hm-FKgtDBCgKy6ZFG681cqsEjXZk0F48McWc6Q7N-U8E4akis9sDr_omFEniqq7yHJ_VO1R_W_dqVX8wAom5owJ7sKKTI0RFj92cB04DovRUf9NPlOjM8KkN6doJNr_NrGvh/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Orange%202CLV%20(20240105%20(1a))%20Ballyholme%20(Lindsay%20Hodges).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CLV </span> - Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down (05 Jan 2024)</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 16th June 2017, at RSPB Blue Circle Island NR, Larne Lough, Co. Antrim)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The third Black-headed Gull, was the Polish-rung - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> TRX9 </span>. This one was first recorded at Ballyholme in September 2021, and has returned every winter since. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> TRX9 </span> was ringed as a chick on the 5th June 2019, on Ptasia Wyspa Island, Lake Rynskie, Poland. 1 month and 30 days after being ringed, the then juvenile turned up at Ringstone Edge Reservoir in West Yorkshire, England, which remains as the only other sighting location other than at Luke's Point. I have checked the Online Polish Ringing Database on numerous occasions, but the gull has never been recorded back in it's natal country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The list of sightings at Ballyholme is now becoming quite numerous. The distance from Ptasia Wyspa Island to Ballyholme, is 1,760 kms / 1,093 miles (W), and the duration since being ringed, is 4 years and 7 months.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E2YDNIsu1tIAJp4IX179p_iDz5v3B5sUjjb8fHwimcTKMVt2EJb2QI0P4QYFPuSShhTGbgKGwtklVsN1P_2AaZKsLHU9Dr6TS4lwsRfnRDoVU4BAyOjUYPE5pHo6RezUL7Tx9CJgwNGSuiGCN2YGA_T0x9CHRN7OtggfKLV5BPai3rOpIWxu2Fli3PHi/s1920/BHG%20-%20Yellow%20TRX9%20(20240105%20(1a))%20Ballyholme%20(Lindsay%20Hodges)%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E2YDNIsu1tIAJp4IX179p_iDz5v3B5sUjjb8fHwimcTKMVt2EJb2QI0P4QYFPuSShhTGbgKGwtklVsN1P_2AaZKsLHU9Dr6TS4lwsRfnRDoVU4BAyOjUYPE5pHo6RezUL7Tx9CJgwNGSuiGCN2YGA_T0x9CHRN7OtggfKLV5BPai3rOpIWxu2Fli3PHi/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Yellow%20TRX9%20(20240105%20(1a))%20Ballyholme%20(Lindsay%20Hodges)%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> TRX9 </span> - Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down (05 Jan 2024)</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 5th June 2019, on Ptasia Wyspa Island, Lake Rynskie, Poland)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lindsay also recorded a colour-ringed Brent Goose at Ballyholme, ringed Yellow (Z) - Green (U). Normally these days, I do not bother with Brent Geese as a prominent Irish Ornithologist promised a new 'Online Database' which failed to materialise. The same man has caused much havoc among ring readers, as he fails to respond to sightings of his colour-ringed gulls and waders.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, in the case of this Brent Goose, I noticed that it has a metal ring fitted above the Yellow Darvic. This tells me that the bird would have been ringed with an Icelandic metal, so I have submitted Lindsay's sighting for the BTO to pursue the ringing details. This may still take a week or two, but we should be able to obtain a recovery, though not the full ringing and re-sighting history. Brent Geese ringed in Northern Ireland, are not fitted with metal rings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My thanks goes to Lindsay, for the sightings along with the photos.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTeMP7f4BhJNNA10qd2uRm2rT_h2qTLDi8yb7vPEHWypu7F_HUsRw7387sLk3s4TAgVm2cWpK0o1yzHMuzS09ADdGER3glZmeWi2ECiVCLtP3oqwlNmzjgzRB1xZhEdpr1Os20S2OFakdkgPbgA8s4KXJ5IGfgwrBNWlfLhG6G_Am92ccRNWwtA_itr8y/s1920/Brent%20Goose%20Y(Z)-L(U)%20(20240105%20(1a))%20Ballyholme%20(Lindsay%20Hodges).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1396" data-original-width="1920" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTeMP7f4BhJNNA10qd2uRm2rT_h2qTLDi8yb7vPEHWypu7F_HUsRw7387sLk3s4TAgVm2cWpK0o1yzHMuzS09ADdGER3glZmeWi2ECiVCLtP3oqwlNmzjgzRB1xZhEdpr1Os20S2OFakdkgPbgA8s4KXJ5IGfgwrBNWlfLhG6G_Am92ccRNWwtA_itr8y/w640-h466/Brent%20Goose%20Y(Z)-L(U)%20(20240105%20(1a))%20Ballyholme%20(Lindsay%20Hodges).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Brent Goose - Yellow Z - Green U - Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down (05 Jan 2024)</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Waiting for the Ringing Details)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">From Suzanne Belshaw</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">Suzanne Belshaw has been in touch again, regarding a juvenile Herring Gull spotted close to her home in Lisburn, Co. Antrim. <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 149:C </span>, is possibly a first re-sighting since being ringed at the Old Lighthouse Island, which is home to the Copeland Bird Observatory in County Down.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A new colour-ringing project was started on the island by Roisin Kearney in the summer of 2023, where Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gull chicks were ringed with the same set of rings. A few adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also caught and ringed - presumably on the nest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As yet, Suzanne is still waiting for a reply from Roisin, but I reckon <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 149:C </span> was ringed on the 1st July 2023, and having been spotted on the 31st December 2023, the duration is 5 months and 11 days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My thanks to Suzanne again, for the sighting report and photo.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga-fVf4beeiYRAjPcIq11YxmrHf6n1vPChKNEv8DgtcKH7k-Id55J076qo8WUZMHAFcpIjrwPQQwGc2lsZSliHxUKGTiUpOkg1hJ1Ng0mp1058OCbcvHrrUffpvolDC73MOqyRtkYkFSKoCVTReIeczV15Igp0z2eVecZf81cxxH2ktnoveqtdMihZqZY/s2354/Herring%20Gull%20-%20Orange%20149(colon)C%20(20231231%20(1a))%20Lisburn%20(S%20Belshaw)%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1766" data-original-width="2354" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga-fVf4beeiYRAjPcIq11YxmrHf6n1vPChKNEv8DgtcKH7k-Id55J076qo8WUZMHAFcpIjrwPQQwGc2lsZSliHxUKGTiUpOkg1hJ1Ng0mp1058OCbcvHrrUffpvolDC73MOqyRtkYkFSKoCVTReIeczV15Igp0z2eVecZf81cxxH2ktnoveqtdMihZqZY/w640-h480/Herring%20Gull%20-%20Orange%20149(colon)C%20(20231231%20(1a))%20Lisburn%20(S%20Belshaw)%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Herring Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 149:C </span> - Lisburn, Co. Antrim (31 Dec 2023)</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 1st July 2023, on Lighthouse Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-52848596462481533362024-01-05T21:42:00.000+00:002024-01-05T21:42:20.681+00:00Antrim Marina - (1st January 2024)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Monday 1st January 2024</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">For this week's weekly visit to Antrim Marina, seeing as I'm still off work on holiday until Thursday, I opted for a Monday visit instead of Sunday. My reasoning being, that fewer folk would pass through, possibly due to hangovers following the previous evening's New Year celebrations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As things turned out, my decision was a complete disaster. For the first time this winter, Black-headed Gull numbers finally reached the 100+ mark, though still 100-200 down on previous winters. I arrived at 10am, the weather was calm and sunny with the temperature reading 3°C, rising to 5°C by midday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Passing through the barrier into the front car park, I made my way over to my usual parking spot beside the short concrete jetty. As I approached I could see a woman standing among the swans with a plastic container with what looked like - cat biscuits. The swans had their beaks into the container spilling biscuits onto the ground where the ducks and gulls were having the 'feed of their lives'. Once empty, the woman left, minutes later she was back with another full container.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There were Black-headed Gulls all over the place, with an estimated 120 already on site. With 34 colour-rings to look for, that of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJT </span></span>, was the first to be read at 10:05. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJT </span></span> was the last of 8 new gulls ringed here this winter, courtesy of a Mute Swan having stood on it's wing. I duly rescued and then ringed the bird. An hour later at 11:05, the 23rd and what turned out to be my final ring sighting of the day, was of the Estonian - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My visit began to turn 'pear shaped' around 10:30, when four canoeists across the river at Antrim Boat Club launched onto the river and then made their way upriver. Gulls definitely do not like canoeists or paddleboarders, and of course the birds around me quickly departed. Within minutes of the area clearing, some gulls began to return. No sooner had these birds returned, when a Police helicopter arrived. Flying just above the height of the tree tops, the helicopter kept combing the area, and through to the entrance to Lough Neagh. I later learnt, that the man who went missing in the Town of Antrim on the 17th December, had still not been found, with some fearing that he might have entered the river known as the 'Six Mile Water', which flows past Antrim Marina and into the adjacent Lough Neagh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I write this on Friday 5th January 2024, the Police had put out a fresh appeal about this missing man. By midday, a women with three small children arrived with a canoe. These children continuously took turn's on the canoe, though staying within eye-shot of the women. By 12:30, there was no sign of them leaving, so I abandoned the remainder of my stay.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At this point, an Black-headed Gulls that were still in the area, decided to perch themselves onto the roof of the 'Gateway Centre'. With just 23 rings read, I had 11 absentees today, with no further returnees. The Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, that has been here since the 8th August 2023, was again recorded at 10:06. Interestingly, the Latvian - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> was recorded for the third visit running. In recent winters, it has preferred to winter at the Castle Way car park in the centre of Antrim town, but with the big decrease in wintering gulls, none can be found at that car park now, hence more sightings of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> back at the Marina where it had been ringed in February 2014.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 1st January 2024</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded This Autumn/Winter at Antrim Marina but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As stated above, it was the Mute Swans that grabbed my attention on my arrival, with these being fed on what looked like 'Cat Biscuits'. Once the commotion had settled, I was able to count 13 (White) swans, plus 4 cygnets. The cygnets which stayed together, were likely to be the birds reared upriver during the summer. Among the 13 swans was - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span>, which arrived back in October. Before I had departed, a further three adult swans had slipped in un-noticed, plus another cygnet. This cygnet, was slightly younger than the others, and is probably one of the two mute swan juveniles that first appeared here along with the juvenile Whooper Swan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just the one adult Herring Gull today, this one being the resident male. There was no sign of the female which had first appeared in recent weeks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two Common Gulls were present on my arrival, with a further five adults appearing before my departure. Again, no sign of the Scottish metal-rung female.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The very friendly Moorhen was present throughout my visit, and at 11:23, I spotted a 2nd bird. On closer look, this one was a juvenile.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A Rook and a male Pied Wagtail made brief visits. 4 Jackdaws, came and went on several occasions.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-23523883358263455292023-12-30T19:30:00.002+00:002023-12-31T15:18:24.448+00:00Antrim Marina - (Tuesday 26th December 2023)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Tuesday 26th December 2023</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">I was due to undertake my weekly visit to Antrim Marina on Christmas Eve (24th December), but the weather was very poor with gales and a lot of rain. I therefore decided to postpone the visit until Boxing Day (26th December). Christmas Day, was already earmarked for my annual visit to Belfast, especially, the Connswater Shopping Centre car park. I had made this visit to the car park since Christmas Day 2015, to look for a colour-ringed Norwegian Black-headed Gull - (White) J4TJ. The bird's first Northern Ireland sighting was made by Adam McClure at the car park in January 2014. I decided to pursue the gull every Christmas Day, as, with the shops all closed, I would have the car park to myself. I called this Norwegian gull, my 'Christmas Day Gull', and it was duly recorded every year until Christmas Day 2021.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last year, my car broke down on my way to Belfast, so I never made it to Connswater. Before going to Belfast this Christmas, I checked the 'Live' Norwegian Ringing Database, to find that it had not been recorded since I last saw it in 2021. I spent a lengthy time in the Connswater car park, and though I had plenty of Black-headed and Herring Gulls around me looking for my bread offering, no rings were spotted at all. Leaving Connswater, I then visited Victoria Park, Kinnegar Beach and the Connswater mudflats, and had the same result - no rings. This was a first, as in all previous Christmas Days, numerous rings were found.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So to Boxing Day, and my latest visit to Antrim Marina. Having had a few 'glasses' the night before, I arrived at the Marina at the later time of 11:30. It was calm and sunny, with the temperature reading 7°C. The gulls were flying around all over the place, and I discovered that seven canoeists on the river scared the gulls off. With the canoeists having made their way upriver, the gulls began to return just after 11:30, with the ring of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHC </span></span> being read first at 11:39. Less than an hour later, my 21st and final ring was read at 12:22.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What I did not expect during my visit, was the sheer number of families arriving to feed the ducks and swans. Of course, the gulls had more than their fare share, and began to settle onto the roof of the Gateway Centre. As well as all of the families, the Lough Neagh Rescue boat came and went, and later was hauled out of the water. I was informed by one of the staff, that they were searching the river and Lough Neagh, for an Antrim man who had gone missing in the town on Sunday evening of the 17th December, and feared he may have fallen into the river, known as the Six Mile Water. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My visit was not one of the best for several reasons, and I gave up at 2pm. Numbers of Black-headed Gulls fluctuated widely, with a maximum of around 80 birds. No further returnees were recorded, and I have given up on the hope of the return of the Swedish Black-headed Gull, ringed - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span>. This bird should have returned in the latter half of November. The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, which appeared here on the 8th August 2023, was spotted today at 12:21.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This winters total of colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls still stands at 34, with 8 of these having been ringed this winter. Around half of the ringed gulls that were recorded last winter, have failed to return this winter, so there is little hope of their return now. I firmly believe that 'Bird Flu' has taken it's toll.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Tuesday 26th December 2023</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">13 Mute Swans were counted on my arrival, and none of the cygnets appeared during the visit. A further three swans slipped in un-noticed taking the total to 16. All of the swans came ashore, and the ring of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span> was read at 11:36. This bird, which was ringed here as a juvenile in November 2020, returned to the Marina for a third winter running on the 1st October 2023. It is now 3 years, 1 month and 11 days since it was ringed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The pair of Herring Gulls were present throughout the visit. The resident male, was joined by a new female just a few weeks ago. Looking like she is here to stay.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Common Gulls reached a total of seven birds, which is the second highest total this winter. All legs were checked, and I am now convinced that the small metal-rung Scottish has perished during the summer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Around 40 Mallards decreased in numbers to around 25 birds by the time that I departed. No wonder considering the amount of bread they had to eat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The very tame Moorhen was once again seen plodding about all over the place. Lots of people took much interest in this bird.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Four Jackdaws and a male Pied Wagtail appeared on several occasions, and three Hooded Crows made a brief visit to the small sandy beach.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On leaving Antrim, when I got back to Ballymena, I called into my local park, known as 'The Peoples Park'. Around 100 Black-headed Gulls are present now, with numbers previously being on the low side for most of the Autumn. I have made a few visits here over recent weeks, but not a single ring was spotted until today. A metal-rung Black- headed Gull touched down briefly in front of me. I managed to get one photo of the ring, and captured the five numbers on a BTO ring, meaning I was missing the two preceding letters - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> **40015 </span>. The gulls here do not often get feeds, so most tend to be on the nervy side. I will try to get this bird again, but it will be difficult to complete the number.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-3024909858086544082023-12-28T19:04:00.000+00:002023-12-28T19:04:44.492+00:00From David Nixon and Suzanne Belshaw...<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">From David Nixon</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">An email from David Nixon on the 20th December 2023, produced quite an interesting ring sighting. David was visiting Sprucefield Shopping Centre in County Down, when he spotted a Black-headed Gull bearing a Yellow Darvic. David happened to have his binoculars handy, and was able to read the ring, which read - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> 250B </span>. Not having his camera with him, David took a photo with his mobile phone, but the code was un-readable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This sighting of - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> 250B </span>, is the very first winter sighting for this gull, though I had hoped for one from much further afield. It was ringed as a chick, on the 6th June 2008, at Lough Mask in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. The bird was first discovered at Sprucefield Shopping Centre, on the 1st July 2013 by Adam McClure. Over the years since then, there has been numerous Autumn sightings (most made by Suzanne Belshaw), which led to the belief that this gull uses Sprucefield as a 'staging post' before moving onto it's wintering quarters. The latest ever Autumn sighting, was made by Suzanne last year, when she spotted - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> 250B </span> close to her home in Lisburn, County Antrim, on the 25th September 2022. Within Northern Ireland, this was the gull's only sighting away from Sprucefield, though only a couple of kilometres separates the two sites.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Drawing a line from Lough Mask through Sprucefield, I always thought it might be likely that - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> 250B </span> was wintering in Scotland, possibly in Dumfries and Galloway. I had wondered if the gull may have been ill, hence it still being at Sprucefield, but David assured me that the bird was looking very well and active. What we need now, are further winter sightings around the Sprucefield / Lisburn areas,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The earliest Spring sighting at Sprucefield was made by Suzanne on the 17th February 2016, showing that Sprucefield was also being used as a 'staging post' on the birds return to Lough Mask. The gull has been spotted close to it's natal nest site in 2009, 2010, 2017, and twice in 2019.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">David's latest sighting, is the 37th on my spreadsheet. The duration since being ringed, is now an impressive 15 years, 6 months and 14 days. Sprucefield is situated 232 kms / 144 miles (ENE) from Lough Mask. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTKFmOFjaGa-itv3T31J-_w9WisDYkKNeiv7vFbixQF12m92rWaddCedGOYCfuWFGvjASpc72-fdmDVT0JfN1TxkUyJL4a9CsC5tuNREDg_IEPZExMTKi6A5QSVHnagSClBFk43HY9pwBIOURGdOrnYSPPJfQPSRIOGVZGYSdNjQY1iFzkGw181EYUy_Z/s2235/BHG%20-%20Yellow%20250B%20(20231220%20(1))%20Sprucefield%20(David%20Nixon).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2235" data-original-width="2069" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTKFmOFjaGa-itv3T31J-_w9WisDYkKNeiv7vFbixQF12m92rWaddCedGOYCfuWFGvjASpc72-fdmDVT0JfN1TxkUyJL4a9CsC5tuNREDg_IEPZExMTKi6A5QSVHnagSClBFk43HY9pwBIOURGdOrnYSPPJfQPSRIOGVZGYSdNjQY1iFzkGw181EYUy_Z/w592-h640/BHG%20-%20Yellow%20250B%20(20231220%20(1))%20Sprucefield%20(David%20Nixon).jpg" width="592" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> 250B </span> - Sprucefield Shopping Centre Car Park, Co. Down (20 Dec 2023)</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 6th June 2008, at Lough Mask, Co. Mayo, Republic of Ireland)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another Black-headed Gull was reported to me by David, on the 22nd December 2023. This bird, colour-ringed - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: red;"> 2BY6 </span></span>, was spotted at Nickey's Point, just south from Killyleagh in County Down. I confirmed David's thoughts that this was possibly a Scottish bird, and I duly copied in Iain Livingstone into my reply to David. A Common Gull with an Orange Darvic was also spotted, but the code on it's ring was badly smudged and was not readable, but I reckoned it was from Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Unfortunately, the gulls took flight before David could take any photos.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the 28th December 2023, we received a reply from Iain. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: red;"> 2BY6 </span></span>, was ringed as a chick, on the 19th June 2018, at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. David's sighting was a first for this gull since it was ringed, with the duration being 5 years, 6 months and 3 days. I have submitted the sighting to the BTO, but without an official distance, I reckon the distance is roughly 172 kms / 107 miles (SW), from Elvanfoot to Nickey's Point.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My thanks goes to David regarding both of his sightings, and to Iain for supplying the ringing details of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: red;"> 2BY6 </span></span>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">From Suzanne Belshaw</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Every so often, I receive an email from Suzanne Belshaw, with a whole list of ring sightings made over a period of time, so her latest email came as no surprise. Here, I will work through from the earliest to the latest sightings. During the Autumn and Winter months, Suzanne makes several visits to Kinnego Marina, and the lake at Lurgan Park, both sites being situated in County Armagh. Lurgan Park Lake, is quite a productive site in recent years, with many ringed gulls turning up there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A visit to Lurgan Park on the 27th November 2023, produced a single ring sighting, which was that of a Mute Swan - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78583 </span>. This was Suzanne's second sighting of the swan at the park, having first spotted the bird on the 31st January 2023. <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78583 </span>, was ringed as a juvenile at Lurgan Park, on the 2nd December 2020, by a member of the Belfast and North Down Ringing Group. The duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 11 months and 25 days.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiQC6LvcI3EYXFLWA1z4ktF0pXDbEIW7oZYx2FwuX6dGZ2M6Azt2fcosH28WCvKDfwnmyHa3EC1BWWD7SLksEJeLxrkGNTKwQrtMWMFWnVPaUOPBVKKcmwlINdk1bCI-JsdVr8XIuKYwKD8TcZi7DIE9HqvnIKZEpKtRRirX1RHrmHl1U_DeagCai6GRv/s1920/Mute%20Swan%20-%20Z78583%20(20231127%20(1a))%20Lurgan%20Park%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiQC6LvcI3EYXFLWA1z4ktF0pXDbEIW7oZYx2FwuX6dGZ2M6Azt2fcosH28WCvKDfwnmyHa3EC1BWWD7SLksEJeLxrkGNTKwQrtMWMFWnVPaUOPBVKKcmwlINdk1bCI-JsdVr8XIuKYwKD8TcZi7DIE9HqvnIKZEpKtRRirX1RHrmHl1U_DeagCai6GRv/w640-h480/Mute%20Swan%20-%20Z78583%20(20231127%20(1a))%20Lurgan%20Park%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mute Swan - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78583 </span> - Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh (27 Nov 2023)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Juvenile, on the 2nd December 2020, at Lurgan Park Lake)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another Mute Swan is a regular at Hillsborough Park Lake in County Down. This bird - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> NLB </span>, was ringed at Hillsborough Park as an adult male, on the 2nd March 2019. This is now the 9th sighting record from Hillsborough, the last having been made on the 2nd December 2022. The duration since being ringed, is now 4 years, 8 months and 27 days.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQ4Barzmjcd3J-YT8019stfcUiJa3YbLF0n7ajYW-dB6lgGJQ8K6sdr2oN9Cdpwu5_Zrw0LCu64MjM9QO87-7mydn4D1eIhHxtHhihIoBX9UsQix-VL3dRW0R_i61P4tE8lVyRgzl4zK7LnTt4BDx5hFRuZyq6SzHEk7m54D742cCCxvKfYH_a7h5uZKH/s1920/Mute%20Swan%20-%20Orange%20NLB%20(20231129%20(1a))%20Hillsborough%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQ4Barzmjcd3J-YT8019stfcUiJa3YbLF0n7ajYW-dB6lgGJQ8K6sdr2oN9Cdpwu5_Zrw0LCu64MjM9QO87-7mydn4D1eIhHxtHhihIoBX9UsQix-VL3dRW0R_i61P4tE8lVyRgzl4zK7LnTt4BDx5hFRuZyq6SzHEk7m54D742cCCxvKfYH_a7h5uZKH/w640-h480/Mute%20Swan%20-%20Orange%20NLB%20(20231129%20(1a))%20Hillsborough%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mute Swan - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> NLB </span> - Hillsborough Park Lake, Hillsborough, Co. Down (29 Nov 2023)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 2nd March 2019, at Hillsborough Park Lake)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Suzanne returned to Lurgan Park, on the 5th December 2023, and made her second sighting this winter of the Norwegian Black-headed Gull - (White) J2234. The previous sighting here on the 14th November 2023, was a first in Northern Ireland. (White) J2234, was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Lake Lyseren, situated a short distance to the south-east from Oslo.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two previous sightings were made in Norfolk, England, when the then juvenile, was spotted on the 2nd and 16th February 2023. It is strange for a Black-headed Gull to winter at a different site, though this bird may still head over to Norfolk in the coming weeks. It will be interesting to see what this bird does next. The distance from Lake Lyseren to Lurgan Park, is 1,200 kms / 745 miles (WSW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 5 months and 24 days.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjB1fxfZ_Ibnq3ETig41gIl5VWgJzhcBBn4p1ncE6ycHt8oAw58Cc9NFT7Ht5bcjRAYwlxPld75C0c8sqX-dNll0LG5aTucAnetrUAspszFwR-NS4xUoP-pHNMlph0y73dcmwLmQW5RxQsjAm_hrqqy09yARyNgop_d3SQPo_IloPXB8hEdEDLCtph5Fi/s1920/BHG%20-%20White%20J2234%20(20231205%20(1a))%20Lurgan%20Park%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjB1fxfZ_Ibnq3ETig41gIl5VWgJzhcBBn4p1ncE6ycHt8oAw58Cc9NFT7Ht5bcjRAYwlxPld75C0c8sqX-dNll0LG5aTucAnetrUAspszFwR-NS4xUoP-pHNMlph0y73dcmwLmQW5RxQsjAm_hrqqy09yARyNgop_d3SQPo_IloPXB8hEdEDLCtph5Fi/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20White%20J2234%20(20231205%20(1a))%20Lurgan%20Park%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - (White) J2234 - Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh (05 Dec 2023)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Lake Lyseren, Norway)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A returning Herring Gull, was spotted on two occasions close to Suzanne's home in Lisburn, on the 10th and 17th December 2023. This metal-rung bird - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> GY32513 </span>, was ringed as a chick, on the 12th July 2020, on Lighthouse Island in County Down, which is home to the Copeland Bird Observatory. This is now Suzanne's 5th and 6th sightings in the area, the first having been made on the 16th May 2021. The distance from Lighthouse Island to Lisburn, is 40 kms / 24 miles (WSW), and the duration is now 3 years, 5 months and 5 days since being ringed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzWcF0MtehouRXYTIP6_s9Ox7NKOZtU-WbB5Tpg3ybwikeW_U2Rn5NUXIGiNTEa0VjEf2BOYE_pU4bJzHmJRdBJJcLZ3dzhiIDx8eo41hwxVc7N-4-aDqM82j3K6P09drZxoy3PmsbizZF_DrBpzzqmc9BEm2yedbXCMV9m_oKSDfJUREcstK26uriDuI/s1920/Herring%20Gull%20-%20GY32513%20(20231210%20(1a))%20Wallace%20Park%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzWcF0MtehouRXYTIP6_s9Ox7NKOZtU-WbB5Tpg3ybwikeW_U2Rn5NUXIGiNTEa0VjEf2BOYE_pU4bJzHmJRdBJJcLZ3dzhiIDx8eo41hwxVc7N-4-aDqM82j3K6P09drZxoy3PmsbizZF_DrBpzzqmc9BEm2yedbXCMV9m_oKSDfJUREcstK26uriDuI/w640-h480/Herring%20Gull%20-%20GY32513%20(20231210%20(1a))%20Wallace%20Park%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Herring Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> GY32513 </span> - Drumbeg Drive, Lisburn, Co. Antrim (10 & 17 Dec 2023)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 12th July 2020, on Lighthouse Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls were recorded at Kinnego Marina by Suzanne, on the 13th December 2023. <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BPN </span>, belongs to Adam McClure's former NI Black-headed Gull Study. The bird was one of six Black-headed Gulls to be colour-ringed by Adam at Kinnego Marina. One of these, was actually a bird from Latvia, which has long since perished.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As things look now, it appears that - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BPN </span> is now the last of the six that is still alive, as - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BPS </span> and - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BPT </span> have not been seen since the 23rd February 2023 and the 31st March 2023 respectively. <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BPN </span>, was ringed as an adult female, on the 29th October 2014. The duration as of today's sighting, is now 9 years, 1 month and 14 days.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRhGPRYKHQSRxAWOMlJkcKvBmDmZOXuatGg8nvni28D88blTOE3bDWrYOenwHGCSvyUA9VPSGfZjS4rKXm7-Tdl9JLCbeswg8s8eMw5R6ufpLj_x1VtP07Ac3ko1vNXAMTNFZk5F3EgvV_FR1-jfKsQLH4woH57MjU5u7L4ZoS2UyYGpMUZlfgSRD6JE4/s1920/BHG%20-%20Orange%202BPN%20(20231213%20(1a))%20Kinnego%20Marina%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRhGPRYKHQSRxAWOMlJkcKvBmDmZOXuatGg8nvni28D88blTOE3bDWrYOenwHGCSvyUA9VPSGfZjS4rKXm7-Tdl9JLCbeswg8s8eMw5R6ufpLj_x1VtP07Ac3ko1vNXAMTNFZk5F3EgvV_FR1-jfKsQLH4woH57MjU5u7L4ZoS2UyYGpMUZlfgSRD6JE4/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Orange%202BPN%20(20231213%20(1a))%20Kinnego%20Marina%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BPN </span> - Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh (13 Dec 2023)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 29th October 2014, at Kinnego Marina)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The sighting of Black-headed Gull - (White) 24X7, is the third this winter, and it has been the second year running that the gull has been recorded. (White) 24X7, was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake in West Berkshire, England. Suzanne recorded the juvenile on three occasions last winter at Kinnego Marina, the first being on the 14th February 2023, the third on the 9th March 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This Autumn, Suzanne recorded the return of (White) 24X7, on the 11th October 2023, at the nearby Lurgan Park Lake, and this was followed by a sighting made by Steven Fyffe on the 26th November, with the bird having made it's way back to Kinnego Marina. The duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 6 months and 2 days, and the distance from Hosehill Lake, is 492 kms / 305 miles (NW).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobTGeTGYkuWqslYESKOQ4zNmmxHSLmdqKZ7P2xTMsz__9RM2WMVTEshu2ooHbVpQXLKV6Yfv_rSVtQs2C8q5j16WxGD08_lXuDG-w7Yxvz1LUNyRGSbo1hu3Ofmsm_c9azPozItMUWJpcn1lsGXYYUZBaPoiSYbScL60uC1YtXTjOeBk_Of5h9mISrxmn/s1920/BHG%20-%20White%2024X7%20(20231213%20(1a))%20Kinnego%20Marina%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobTGeTGYkuWqslYESKOQ4zNmmxHSLmdqKZ7P2xTMsz__9RM2WMVTEshu2ooHbVpQXLKV6Yfv_rSVtQs2C8q5j16WxGD08_lXuDG-w7Yxvz1LUNyRGSbo1hu3Ofmsm_c9azPozItMUWJpcn1lsGXYYUZBaPoiSYbScL60uC1YtXTjOeBk_Of5h9mISrxmn/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20White%2024X7%20(20231213%20(1a))%20Kinnego%20Marina%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - (White) 24X7 - Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh (13 Dec 2023)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake, West Berkshire, England)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The sighting of Common Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2AIP </span></span>, is the 27th sighting record for this bird. As with all previous sightings, Suzanne spotted the bird on Whiteabbey Beach, this time, on the 14th December 2023. The gull was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2012, on Big Copeland Island in County Down. The full re-sighting history including distance and durations can be read (<a href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:a7bc2b91-de1d-42bf-bb21-69c0bd1724c9" target="_blank">here</a>).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My thanks once again goes to Suzanne for her sighting reports and photos.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2anpN4_elTb6eN7fw9dD3Key_AyWT7qsc_iewrcB01NP2YBt14K09TvXqOVGPqh6xDXrJdrPML0gl-cfqoEXXfsnD3NMAgfo3ztOK4b-UycPe5F4C_IgcpViWrljhIYw-uBBShzTFRx5OwXlgBLve_gjAYI7ddUS1RIvf3yuUeIwRGrY4F9empXG1uxdf/s1920/Common%20Gull%20-%20Blue%202AIP%20(20231214%20(1a))%20Whiteabbey%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2anpN4_elTb6eN7fw9dD3Key_AyWT7qsc_iewrcB01NP2YBt14K09TvXqOVGPqh6xDXrJdrPML0gl-cfqoEXXfsnD3NMAgfo3ztOK4b-UycPe5F4C_IgcpViWrljhIYw-uBBShzTFRx5OwXlgBLve_gjAYI7ddUS1RIvf3yuUeIwRGrY4F9empXG1uxdf/w640-h480/Common%20Gull%20-%20Blue%202AIP%20(20231214%20(1a))%20Whiteabbey%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Common Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2AIP </span></span> - Whiteabbey Shore, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim (14 Dec 2023)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2012, on Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-14199341769528743572023-12-22T17:02:00.001+00:002023-12-22T17:02:04.747+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 17th December 2023)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 17th December 2023</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, I drove straight to Antrim Marina after purchasing a couple of loaves of bread at the filling station on my way into Antrim Town. I arrived just before 10am, and it was a shade on the dark side, as there was heavy cloud cover, and a fairly strong wind was blowing in from the Lough. Throughout the morning, there were frequent 'spits' of rain, and it was quite mild temperature wise, with the gauge in my car reading 11°C.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last Sunday, I captured and ringed my eighth new bird of the winter, which meant I was on the lookout for 34 colour-rings today, plus any further returnees. Around 60 Black-headed Gulls were present, and nearly all were standing about on the jetties and on the car park. The ring of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIL </span></span> was the first to be read at 10am, and an hour later at 11am, 19 colour-rings had been read altogether.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Latvian - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span>, was my 20th sighting at 11:06, this being my second sighting of him this winter here at the Marina. He announced his return on the 19th November, when he landed on the bollard directly in front of my car. Over the last couple of weeks, I had tried to record him at his now preferred wintering site at the Castle Way car park in the centre of Antrim Town, but today I did not bother going anywhere near the car park.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another task during today's visit, was to obtain my first photos for three of the eight newly ringed birds this winter, with photos of the other five having already been sorted. My 13th and 14th sightings at 10:23 and 10:25, were two of those gulls - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJT </span></span> ringed last Sunday, and - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJP </span></span> which was ringed two weeks ago on Sunday 3rd December 2023. This now leaves me with - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJK </span></span>, which has not been seen since being ringed, on the 3rd December.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_e8OVS3rj2mK4rCcxgXoCt6h1DJz8Em7dFV1l1__rFLyoh0vMXh4eM8iltoJCVqh2i9JaGpqfXPdPG3WceAUhi2poZbzC7fPMlxO7czKTQ8PE_QNvcHZVPv6V3vL4XSAUApj6LZUpqZU-42zpxYueDI9blbVQnd2zUAtDxG5oYZYqBc77KJ89OKH02Iv/s1920/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJT%20(20231217%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_e8OVS3rj2mK4rCcxgXoCt6h1DJz8Em7dFV1l1__rFLyoh0vMXh4eM8iltoJCVqh2i9JaGpqfXPdPG3WceAUhi2poZbzC7fPMlxO7czKTQ8PE_QNvcHZVPv6V3vL4XSAUApj6LZUpqZU-42zpxYueDI9blbVQnd2zUAtDxG5oYZYqBc77KJ89OKH02Iv/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJT%20(20231217%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJT </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (17 Dec 2023)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 10th December 2023, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX15CeLEyQvkQFopQ6ufT9HP9GZvGnQtGAT68eLWlyNmXXuOEJhezIMxDMD33Sa3gzEQNIxKKxQMEZhu53PpR4IB4zR9vkkhtZ_UASvpXZtuTF2IdkMdCbXQCEPNNVnUbXJyz_6vPs4JP-vosW4VYA07rk5RPgxLIBESOyrgAW0q4Rt9qd_pmXzIBAajP/s1920/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJP%20(20231217%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX15CeLEyQvkQFopQ6ufT9HP9GZvGnQtGAT68eLWlyNmXXuOEJhezIMxDMD33Sa3gzEQNIxKKxQMEZhu53PpR4IB4zR9vkkhtZ_UASvpXZtuTF2IdkMdCbXQCEPNNVnUbXJyz_6vPs4JP-vosW4VYA07rk5RPgxLIBESOyrgAW0q4Rt9qd_pmXzIBAajP/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJP%20(20231217%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJP </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (17 Dec 2023)</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After recording - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span>, only two other colour-rings were read before I departed at 2pm, the finishing total being 22. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJN </span></span> was the 21st to be read at 11:19, followed by a lengthy wait before the Estonian - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> appeared at 1:36. This has left me with 12 absentees today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span> which has been here since the 8th August 2023, was spotted at 10:17. Not long before departing, I attempted to catch and ring another couple of gulls, and the Icelandic bird was again inches away from being caught. I could have caught one or two other birds, but elected to wait and see if the Icelandic bird would be tempted on the bread offering. In the end, nothing was caught at all.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back on the 12th November 2023, I recorded my third Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull this winter. I was informed that this bird - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span>, would have been ringed this year, but as yet, the ringer concerned has still to supply any details.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No further returnees were recorded today. The number of Black-headed Gulls fluctuated from a low of around 20 birds, to a high of around 90. Two men with paddleboards arrived onto the slipway at 11:50 and promptly headed upriver. Their appearance saw all of the gulls flying away, though small numbers returned fairly quickly. The two men returned at 12:40, which meant the gulls were off again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At work, we have now finished for two weeks holidays over the Christmas period, so I plan to visit the Marina on the odd day or two, solely to focus on catching and ringing a few more gulls.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 17th December 2023</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 60%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the first birds to grab my attention on my arrival, was the same Moorhen that was spotted last Sunday. It quite happily strutted around the Marina looking for food, and I still find it interesting about the birds confidence being around people. It is not too fond of dogs though.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGE-uHTRkk7P52H9O9ha5GNiK3lZOOcLksGMT2m9TkmdpX-td_xe5AFCz_-NlRUfwuldG_AooeFqK_75ofMVATelIBFAHXJW6Moi2ThjjOuvq5w6fzuK2toAS59khMdEaKJag9KTtYKY7tQ9nuLuWZmJVbUS0BqKHnZAZFAXC3YEvt4v87kf7x4BENlyrn/s1920/Moorhen%20(20231217%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGE-uHTRkk7P52H9O9ha5GNiK3lZOOcLksGMT2m9TkmdpX-td_xe5AFCz_-NlRUfwuldG_AooeFqK_75ofMVATelIBFAHXJW6Moi2ThjjOuvq5w6fzuK2toAS59khMdEaKJag9KTtYKY7tQ9nuLuWZmJVbUS0BqKHnZAZFAXC3YEvt4v87kf7x4BENlyrn/w640-h480/Moorhen%20(20231217%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Moorhen</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">14 (White) Mute Swans and 4 cygnets were present on my arrival, and I'm fairly sure that these are the same cygnets that were reared just upriver from the Marina. Two other broods of 3 and 2 have been recorded here over past weeks. The brood of three are of similar age to the resident brood of four, whilst the other two are slightly younger, carrying more brown plumage. The brood of two was first recorded along with a juvenile Whooper Swan, and one of these younger Mute Swans arrived in from the Lough at 11:02. A count of the swans at 12:30, gave me 15 (White) birds, so one had slipped in un-noticed. The metal-rung - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span> was recorded at 10:50.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A pair of Herring Gulls were present throughout the visit, one being the resident male, and the other, a new bird first seen last Sunday. As both birds stayed together for most of the time, it looks as if the new gull is a female.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just three adult Common Gulls appeared today. The first was present on my arrival, with the other two arriving at 11:32 and 11:37. None of these birds were ringed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Around 30 Mallards, saw numbers increasing slowly throughout the morning. A rough count around midday, gave me a total in the region of 50 birds. As per usual, most legs were checked for rings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two Jackdaws, and a male Pied Wagtail, were the only other species noted today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-80790196365575947722023-12-15T12:07:00.001+00:002023-12-15T12:07:48.139+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 10th December 2023)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 10th December 2023</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">Today saw a very late start to my weekly visit to Antrim Marina, as I arrived at midday. Earlier, very heavy rainfall due to Storm Elin, meant I had to wait at home until conditions improved. While waiting at home, it became so dark at one point, that we had to put the kitchen light on. Looking at the forecast, a brief rest-bite in conditions would see drier sunnier conditions from around midday to 2pm, before the next front of rain would make it's way in. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On my arrival, around 60 Black-headed Gulls were spread out along the front of the Marina. With 33 colour-rings to look out for, these included four adults that were caught and ringed last Sunday (3rd December). During the visit, I was hoping to obtain my first photos of these newly rung gulls. Two of the four were recorded today, with my 6th colour-ring sighting being that of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJN </span></span> at 12:16, followed by my 16th ring sighting at 13:00 - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJL </span></span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIrjRKFnN5sBOR7ageFeGZC_hkBzQ6-KQgqMkQCiz1TutJFkfBo8H4l2ZNy_189CiE4pRT2dRS13J-1__OXxpMZLVhEz570VDPVq_-UiNYvJYG5bBIMfxMFE00xFmWt6nfGNazqc5hSwQNPMWX96Z8UoJUZIT93uIDzZNl7PK3ivMcDW2l_74lZNVYXR0/s1920/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJN%20(20231210%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIrjRKFnN5sBOR7ageFeGZC_hkBzQ6-KQgqMkQCiz1TutJFkfBo8H4l2ZNy_189CiE4pRT2dRS13J-1__OXxpMZLVhEz570VDPVq_-UiNYvJYG5bBIMfxMFE00xFmWt6nfGNazqc5hSwQNPMWX96Z8UoJUZIT93uIDzZNl7PK3ivMcDW2l_74lZNVYXR0/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJN%20(20231210%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJN </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (10 Dec 2023)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkv4SpcDE3q6-RfDMD2ynSVUL-H9uFPsVdMwxNjNMXq8kKm9RPasUR1H7qmQ526ig4Eofayi9TB_ACb4yoHEpgWKQ6KhylC4pcvgy03nfcLbmEKurkMBqJQAtxERnOPztrvtxgQGnOrrW3GHoul07083zPQTBeBUODS4aXbp2tDv8is53y8N6YKkPwu8LR/s1920/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJL%20(20231210%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkv4SpcDE3q6-RfDMD2ynSVUL-H9uFPsVdMwxNjNMXq8kKm9RPasUR1H7qmQ526ig4Eofayi9TB_ACb4yoHEpgWKQ6KhylC4pcvgy03nfcLbmEKurkMBqJQAtxERnOPztrvtxgQGnOrrW3GHoul07083zPQTBeBUODS4aXbp2tDv8is53y8N6YKkPwu8LR/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJL%20(20231210%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJL </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (10 Dec 2023)</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My visit today only lasted for two and a half hours, when the sky began to darken down again as the next front approached. Of the 33 colour-rings I was looking out for, 23 were recorded today, meaning I had 10 absentees. Taking a closer look at these absentees, three birds - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDK </span></span>, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FFT </span></span>, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHT </span></span>, have had just a single sighting each so far this winter, while - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIJ </span></span> has had two. Of these, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDK </span></span> really stands out, as in previous winters, this gull would be recorded on a regular basis during most weeks and is regarded as a year round resident. Have I lost this one as well now? I am convinced that the other three are using the Marina as a 'staging post' before moving on to their wintering sites wherever they may be. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another gull that has disappeared of late is - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span>. Last winter, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span> returned to the Marina on the 8th August 2022, having been spotted for a second time during the summer in Iceland, on the 8th July 2022. Having returned, it was recorded regularly until the 10th October 2022, before disappearing until February 2023. This winter, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span> was recorded back, on the 31st July 2023, with regular weekly sightings until the 22nd October 2023. Judging by my records, it may be possible that I will not see this one again until next spring.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No further returnees were recorded today, so the Swedish - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span> is now well overdue. Last winter, this gull returned on the 28th November 2022. The Icelandic meal-rung Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, which has been here since the 8th August 2023, was spotted again today at 12:35.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By 2pm, numbers had risen to around the 80 mark, which is still very low when compared to previous winters. From time to time, an elderly man would arrive with a carrier bag full of bread to feed the ducks and swans, and he hates the gulls as he says they are too greedy. Unlike the ducks and swans which can feed on grass and weed, there is little in the way of natural food for the gulls around the Marina. That elderly gent arrived today, and the gulls of course managed to get their share of his bread. I thought catching new birds to be ringed would be very difficult. On trying, the gulls came fairly close, but not close enough. I was fortunate, that a swan stood on the wing of one adult Black-headed Gull, which I duly rescued and this one is now ringed - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJT </span></span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the addition of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJT </span></span>, I will be on the lookout for 34 colour-rings on my next visit, and hopefully a returnee or two. I still having many Blue Darvic-rung gulls missing from last winter. Along with - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJT </span></span>, I will hope to obtain my first photos of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJK </span></span> and <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJP </span></span> which did not show up today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Among today's sightings, was that of the recently returned - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span>, which I had to resurrect from the 'dead list', and - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BRD </span>, which is a rare visitor to the Marina these days. This is now my third sighting for - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BRD </span> this winter, though I am convinced that it remains in the area of Antrim Town throughout the winter. This same gull would appear at Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh, just before the onset of the new breeding season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 10th December 2023</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJL </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJP </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On my arrival, 13 (White) Mute Swans and 6 cygnets were present. I say (White) swans, as usually one or two are immatures judging by their beak colour. Among these swans, <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span> was recorded again at 12:27. At 12:25, a further two swans arrived from the direction of Lough Neagh, with a 16th swan having slipped in un-noticed by 2pm.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Around 12:45, chaos erupted around the slipway, when four canoeists came paddling down river at speed towards the swans and ducks. The birds went crazy as the canoeists, four abreast travelled directly towards them. Oblivious to the panic that they were causing, the birds started to fly out towards the Lough before landing a short distance away, only to be disturbed again by these 'idiots'. Fair enough, one man realised what was happening, and he broke away to the far side of the river and showed a bit of common sense. If only I had a shotgun!!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eventually, all of the ducks and swans returned to the slipway.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNqnnh4ZqkQmujO8soFFNCCxOi3vFYvlgIC3AVeHY614vvApP_2COR4DeJ9wdUbAPw_ZV1bWPW1Ap2BRL1E5eER6Lj_x8BZVvlAIc8XC-_kqJ3Zud_e4jxzhy7-Rw0K9taXlhtTYvenCDXSDQ7VKnwm0R3r6BDmZDtzP4OsRNJp8QUOAw6xoeGUTDtjT6/s1972/DSCN5618a%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1972" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNqnnh4ZqkQmujO8soFFNCCxOi3vFYvlgIC3AVeHY614vvApP_2COR4DeJ9wdUbAPw_ZV1bWPW1Ap2BRL1E5eER6Lj_x8BZVvlAIc8XC-_kqJ3Zud_e4jxzhy7-Rw0K9taXlhtTYvenCDXSDQ7VKnwm0R3r6BDmZDtzP4OsRNJp8QUOAw6xoeGUTDtjT6/w640-h422/DSCN5618a%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Idiots"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallard numbers were at last slightly up this week, with around 40 to 50 birds at all times. As usual, most legs were checked for rings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two adult Herring Gulls were present throughout my visit, one being the resident male, the second, which stayed close to him, was a bird that I have not seen before judging by it's size and markings. The first three Common Gulls arrived together just before 12:40, with a further two adults appearing just after 1pm. So far this winter, 10 adults have been the highest number to be counted at any one time, and once again, there is still no sign of the small Scottish metal-rung female.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It has been a long time since I saw a Moorhen here, but this one, who quite happily walked about within feet of people, happily strutted about for about an hour before returning onto the river. The Robin, was seen again skulking around the bushes beside the small sandy beach.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Repeated visits by two Jackdaws, were the only other species noted today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-46766649768927911802023-12-09T16:38:00.001+00:002023-12-09T17:18:24.638+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 3rd December 2023)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 70%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 3rd December 2023</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">I arrived at Antrim Marina today, shortly after 10am. On my way, I stopped as usual to purchase two loafs of bread and then drove to Antrim's Castle Way car park to see if there was any sign of the Latvian Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span>. The car park is now this birds preferred wintering haunt, but as usual of late, not a single gull was present. <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span>, made it's return known to me on the 19th November 2023, when it alighted onto the bollard directly in front of my car at the Marina.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was a frosty start to the morning, with the car temperature gauge reading 1°C, a 50/50 blue/cloudy sky and just the lightest of breezes. By the time of my departure, the temperature had risen slightly to 4°C.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All of the Black-headed Gulls were nicely settled throughout the Marina, with a head count giving me a total of 89 birds altogether. The very first ring to be spotted at 10:15, was that of the metal-rung Icelandic bird - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, ringed in Iceland in July 2023, arriving at the Marina on the 8th August. It was the first of three metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gulls to be recorded here this winter, but there has been no further sightings of the other two, with just the single sighting for each.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the 'shock' resurrection of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span> on last Sunday's visit to Antrim Marina, I was on the lookout for 29 colour-rings altogether, which included three gulls that have been caught and ringed this winter. One of these three new birds was an adult, ringed 12th November 2023, as were the other two - a juvenile, and a second winter bird ringed on the same date. The adult - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJH </span></span>, was not recorded during the next three visits, but today, it was the 12th out of 18 colour-ring sightings, and I was able to obtain my first photo of this gull.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA118wiV99LrmW4sTQ7VQhLbHfQxg3pBpJcAtqZWOVwsezUzdVEAM2r8dX42_A5KCziXBKULVrcAEb7vP9rK9o712uTMStMB0KqtrDZA8ZhynDyZkkiI4ztcJ_Q0E-IFMAZWNmSp3l4O3IyBpQR2s_P-nvdJ_wgDwHA4dx95-WLr3_SNlO5cZY1qTzINFg/s1920/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJH%20(20231203%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA118wiV99LrmW4sTQ7VQhLbHfQxg3pBpJcAtqZWOVwsezUzdVEAM2r8dX42_A5KCziXBKULVrcAEb7vP9rK9o712uTMStMB0KqtrDZA8ZhynDyZkkiI4ztcJ_Q0E-IFMAZWNmSp3l4O3IyBpQR2s_P-nvdJ_wgDwHA4dx95-WLr3_SNlO5cZY1qTzINFg/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJH%20(20231203%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJH </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (03 Dec 2023)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an unsexed adult, on the 12th November 2023, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My initial count of 89, turned out to be the high point, as overall numbers decreased slightly. At times, practically no Black-headed Gulls were present at all. My 18th and final sighting at 12:52, was that of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CSK </span>, and I departed around an hour later. The Swedish - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span> did not appear, with this one now overdue. Have I lost another gull, time will tell? There were no further returnees and I have a number of gulls ringed with Blue Darvics, that were recorded last winter, though still missing this winter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AAB </span>, is the oldest surviving Black-headed Gull belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study, which ran from November 2012 until June 2018. Ringed as an unsexed adult on the 11th December 2012, it is now 8 days away from it's 11 year milestone. <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AAB </span> is a year round resident at the Marina, and was my 13th sighting today.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 3rd December 2023</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded This Autumn/Winter at Antrim Marina but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 60%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From around 1:15pm, I noticed that Black-headed Gulls were starting to rest up on the roof of the Gateway Centre. No doubt these birds were quite content having raided on the bread being fed to the ducks and swans. Despite it being a cold day, I was actually surprised by the number of folk that actually arrived to feed the birds. A steady stream passed by all morning, and I thought my chances of catching any of the gulls would be slim. However, at 1:30, with half an hour left before departing, I decided to chance my arm.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Within no time at all, I successfully caught four adult Black-headed Gulls, which were duly ringed - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJK </span></span>, <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FJL </span></span>, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJN </span></span> and <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJP </span></span>. Having just ringed the fourth bird, a man with a large cine-camera arrived and set up his tripod pointing upriver on the low wooden jetty. No doubt, some event or other was going to happen soon. With his presence along with a couple of other men, the gulls decided not to hang about and flew off. I did not hang about either, and decided to call it a day at 1:50. I will try to photograph the newly rung birds on my next visit. With these four new birds, I will be on the lookout for 33 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls next Sunday, plus any further returnees. The total number caught and ringed this winter, has now increased to 7 altogether.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once I had made my initial count of the number of Black-headed Gulls present, I then made a count of the other species present, beginning with the Mute Swans.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">12 Mute Swans were present, but not a single cygnet. At 10:45, a man and his daughter arrived to feed the ducks, prompting all 12 swans to exit onto the slipway, where the ring of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span> was read. This bird was ringed here as a juvenile during November 2020, and has appeared back every winter since. The first sighting this winter was made on the 1st October 2023. By 12:00, a further two swans had slipped in un-noticed, and not a single cygnet appeared today. One lady that I talked to, said that there was a single cygnet further up the river which flows through the Marina and into Lough Neagh. A further check for rings on all 14 swans before my departure, did not reveal any further sightings. Another November 2020 juvenile which had been ringed at Ballyronan, has not been seen at Antrim Marina since March 2022.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The resident adult male Herring Gull was present throughout today's visit. 2 adult Common Gulls at first, saw a further three arrivals around midday. All five were still present on my departure, and there is still no sign of the small Scottish-rung female. Ringed in June 2013, she had been recorded every winter since, but it is looking bleak on another return.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallard numbers continue to be shockingly low so far this winter. Only 21 were counted on my arrival, and the total decreased to 15 birds at Midday. A last count before leaving, saw the total rising to 29. As usual, most if not all legs were checked for rings, but it has been a very long time since any were spotted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A single Robin was seen for the second time this winter, with it skulking around the bushes beside the small sandy beach. A male Pied Wagtail, was also seen feeding on the drift line on the beach. 2 Hooded Crows made several brief visits, as well as 3 Jackdaws.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-79993022772680606092023-12-02T15:20:00.003+00:002023-12-02T15:38:22.869+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 26th November 2023)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 80%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 26th November 2023</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">I was not too sure whether to undertake today's weekly visit to Antrim Marina. Having started my car this morning at home, there was a 'wild' screeching sound coming from the alternator belt. In the end, I decided to go ahead, arriving at the Marina at the later time of 10:50. Weatherwise, it was very dull, but calm, with the temperature reading 10°C. With very few people having arrived to feed the ducks today, I was going to attempt to catch and ring a few more Black-headed Gulls before I departed at 2pm. Quite heavy rain began just before 1:30, so the idea of ringing was cancelled, so as not to put the gulls under any stress in the circumstances. Having departed at 2pm, I was around a quarter of the way back home when the alternator belt snapped. The battery light came on, and I also discovered that I had no power steering. Keeping my speed down, once home, I took all of my gear out of the car, before driving down to my mechanic where I turned off the engine. The car was ready on Thursday, with a brand new alternator and belt fitted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today saw another poor visit, with Black-headed Gull numbers around the 50 mark on my arrival. Over the next four hours, there were times where I had no gulls at all. The highest number of around 70 gulls were recorded around 11:30.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> having returned from Latvia during last Sunday's visit, I was on the lookout for 28 colour-rings during today's visit, 3 of which, had been ringed this winter. Altogether, 18 rings were read today, with the 16th being the 'shock' returnee - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span>. I had given this bird up as dead, along with 10 others that were ringed with Orange Darvics in my blog post after my visit here on the 22nd October 2023 (<a href="https://birdingatantrimmarina.blogspot.com/2023/10/antrim-marina-sunday-22nd-october-2023.html" target="_blank">read here</a>).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span>, was ringed as an unsexed 2nd winter bird at Antrim Marina on the 10th December 2018. After being ringed, it was spotted on the 24th December 2018, which was it's final sighting of the 2018/2019 winter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span> then returned to the Marina on the 28th October 2019, and was recorded on 7 occasions including the 24th February 2020. The birds return for a third winter, was recorded on the 25th October 2020, with a just one other sighting made on the 31st October 2020. Four sightings were made during the 2021/2022 winter, the first on the 25th October 2021, with the final sighting on the 21st February 2022.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 2022/2023 winter, saw a single sighting which was made on the 13th March 2023. This winter, due to no sightings through to October, I decided to 'write off' - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span> as having perished through contracting 'Bird Flu'. Now that the gull has been 'resurrected', I'm having second thoughts about it's status here now. As the gull is now a mature adult, I reckon it has changed it's wintering status. I'm leaning towards the idea that this is a foreign breeding bird, and could be using Antrim Marina as a 'staging post'. This could also explain the single sighting last March - was the gull stopping by on it's way back home?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now that I know it is still alive, it will be interesting to see how many times it will be recorded this winter - how I would also like a summer breeding season sighting. The duration since being ringed, is now 4 years, 11 months and 18 days.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bsVlGCNr-c_7v8hY2fruyVMAgVJ9ZP5Fr3cOttEDbg3xuEyRq9O0nFl4uvNqPqeu1mfEwx07j1XWaRLxpE677EzEk59GPioa4d3SL9FwlLgUmMmExsPCjF1qiOgRR78V80XpWQ-ymxK15U6p8SqNUEFCTCOWbyTPoHADRKxjnS_GM4zlzMf-wGGX4pew/s4608/BHG%20-%20Orange%202CTA%20(20231126%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bsVlGCNr-c_7v8hY2fruyVMAgVJ9ZP5Fr3cOttEDbg3xuEyRq9O0nFl4uvNqPqeu1mfEwx07j1XWaRLxpE677EzEk59GPioa4d3SL9FwlLgUmMmExsPCjF1qiOgRR78V80XpWQ-ymxK15U6p8SqNUEFCTCOWbyTPoHADRKxjnS_GM4zlzMf-wGGX4pew/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Orange%202CTA%20(20231126%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (26 Nov 2023)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Year Bird, on the 10th December 2018, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the return of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span>, this winter's total of colour-ring sightings now increases to 29 rings. I was also hoping to record - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span> back from Sweden. Last winter, it's return was recorded on the 28th November 2022, but there was no sign of it today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, was again spotted at 11:58. This bird was ringed in Iceland in July 2023, and has been recorded here during most weekly visits since the 8th August 2023. Two other Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gulls, have also been recorded here this winter, but there has been no further sightings for these two. I am still waiting on the ringing details from Iceland regarding <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span>, which was spotted on the 12th November 2023.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 26th November 2023</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded This Autun/Winter but Absent Today</div><div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 65%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>From Graham McElwaine</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An email arrived with me on Tuesday 28th November 2023, from Graham McElwaine. Following on from surveying Whooper Swans in the Toome area of County Antrim, Graham stopped by Antrim Marina before heading home to Newtownards in County Down. Whilst at the Marina, Graham recorded 8 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls. One of these was - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ABN </span>, which was absent during my visit two days earlier, and also the newly returned - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span>. My thanks to Graham for these.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Tuesday 28th November 2023</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CTA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds Recorded at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">9 Mute Swans, plus 1 cygnet were present on my arrival. A further 4 Mute Swans arrived from upriver at 11:15, taking the total to 13 (White) Mute Swans. At one point, all 13 were out of the water, but none were ringed. A 14th swan arrived in from Lough Neagh at 11:28, and this one was - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span>, which was ringed here in November 2020 as a juvenile. This winter - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span> arrived back to the Marina on the 1st October and has been recorded on most weekly visits since then. The duration for this one is now 3 years and 11 days since being ringed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallard numbers still remain low for this time of the year. Around 30 were present throughout my visit, and I'm fairly sure all were checked for rings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The resident adult male Herring Gull was present throughout. 2 Common Gulls, increased to 5 birds by 11:20. By 12:18, a high of 7 were recorded, and once again, there is still no sign this winter of the small metal-rung female from Scotland. So far this winter, 10 adult Common Gulls has been the highest number to be recorded so far.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just 2 Jackdaws appeared today on several occasions, so I'm presuming that they were the same two each time. A pair of Hooded Crows also made several appearances. They happily fed on a dead fish lying on the slipway. A juvenile Pied Wagtail was the only other species recorded, possibly the same bird noted recently.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-39832938030521883912023-11-24T18:54:00.002+00:002023-11-24T18:54:13.447+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 19th November 2023)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 80%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 19th November 2023</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">On my way to Antrim Marina today, I once again stopped at the nearby filling station to obtain some fuel for my car and purchase two loaves of bread. I had intended to arrive at the Marina by 10am, but on leaving the filling station, I made my way to the Castle Way car park in the centre of Antrim Town. Here, I was on the lookout for the possible return of Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span>, which had been spotted during the summer in the Latvian capital of Riga, followed up ten days later with a sighting in Norfolk, England. As with my other recent visits to the car park of late, not a single gull was to be seen. Over more recent winter's, <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> now prefers Castle Way over Antrim Marina where it was originally ringed at.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A quick swing around the car park, I then made my way to the Marina, arriving just before 10:10. It was raining, with just a slight westerly breeze, and the temperature gauge in my car was reading 12°C. The rain stopped shortly afterwards, with the odd light shower of drizzle afterwards.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This winter, 24 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls have been recorded back at the Marina, whilst around the same number have failed to return indicating that many had died during the breeding season, with 'Bird Flu' being the likely cause of fatalities. One gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FFC </span></span> was found dead in May at the largest German Black-headed Gull colony, and later tested positive having succumbed to the virus. Before departing from the Marina last Sunday, an attempt to catch and ring new birds, saw three being caught, which meant I was looking for 27 colour-rings today, plus any returnees.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Parking as close to the short concrete jetty as possible, due to it still being fenced off, around 40 Black-headed Gulls were present. The first two rings read at 10:10, were those of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FFA </span></span> and <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIA </span></span>. By 10:47, fourteen rings had been read. Among these, were two of the three gulls ringed last week - the 2nd calendar year bird - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span> (3rd), and the juvenile/1st winter bird - <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FJF </span></span> (10th). I managed to obtain the first photos for these two gulls. The absentee among these three, was the adult - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJH </span></span>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRSMp66aooOxGcU6eopsMzW7xvpuE-qGEkCEQKQjkVnFDcPmKHz7STd89PWoA5XuF5pOpqzUTouEMJQUE0NY7DLawhXAvXZXxeJGEA1XRFQJr3_vkL8vIXRgBVLK7R70JB22Gmap2i4GlmPW-BcjwsKHKAfFAl8ybjDrqlx4J4jWsPcffeD842Etwny8I/s4608/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJJ%20(20231119%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRSMp66aooOxGcU6eopsMzW7xvpuE-qGEkCEQKQjkVnFDcPmKHz7STd89PWoA5XuF5pOpqzUTouEMJQUE0NY7DLawhXAvXZXxeJGEA1XRFQJr3_vkL8vIXRgBVLK7R70JB22Gmap2i4GlmPW-BcjwsKHKAfFAl8ybjDrqlx4J4jWsPcffeD842Etwny8I/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJJ%20(20231119%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (19 Nov 2023)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 12th November 2023, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XspnMBWuDenWkuLoJ1hDtF4Wp869e0iZaZsEFrVShceGYr0Y3qx8rolkGqCz2Dh-iykhlH_wk5CyVWN5uSpXQsdxBVhTbdei-C_SJka9RsKrghiOBr4Law6nQC8zBFaIqdYWLY56iuPqHVk1jAaY8hL16ubCUSeo_vuwfIf7Cho4u87rDJ_Zx6U35OOu/s4608/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJF%20(20231119%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XspnMBWuDenWkuLoJ1hDtF4Wp869e0iZaZsEFrVShceGYr0Y3qx8rolkGqCz2Dh-iykhlH_wk5CyVWN5uSpXQsdxBVhTbdei-C_SJka9RsKrghiOBr4Law6nQC8zBFaIqdYWLY56iuPqHVk1jAaY8hL16ubCUSeo_vuwfIf7Cho4u87rDJ_Zx6U35OOu/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FJF%20(20231119%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJF </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (19 Nov 2023)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Juvenile/1st Calendar Year Bird, on the 12th November 2023, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I now had a long wait until the next colour-ring was read, which was that of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CJT </span> at 12:14. Normally, you can rely on - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CJT </span> being among the earliest of rings to be read, but on a couple of occasions this winter, it has appeared quite late. The penultimate colour-ring at 12:21, belonged to - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ACV </span>. This gull had a very bad leg injury back in August, which I thought may well have been a break. As the weeks have passed by, the bird is now standing quite well on the leg.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My 15th and final ring-sighting, was that of a returnee, the gull landing on the bollard directly in front of my car. Noticing the ring, I took a look through my binoculars and nearly fell through the floor of the car. It was none other than the Latvian - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> - like trying to tell me, 'I'm back'. Having been spotted by German tourist Simon Piro in the Latvian capital of Riga on the 30th June and 1st July 2023, 10 days later, <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> turned up on Cromer Beach in Norfolk, England.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That sighting leads me to believe that this gull 'stages' somewhere before finally returning to Antrim in mid November. I had hoped for further sightings in England, but nothing came in. <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span>, belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study (2012 to 2018), and was ringed at Antrim Marina, as an adult male, on the 12th February 2014. Over previous years, <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> has been spotted around Riga in 2015, 2016 and 2022. The duration since being ringed, is now 9 years, 9 months and 7 days. The full ringing and re-sighting history for this bird can be read (<a href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:b8263a55-1726-4008-b207-ec271d4402e6" target="_blank">here</a>).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQOcSb93llrerfKrNAqMCVymalOoAW7I1MftBj7LlKkr5vSsEuJMY-s62hZyL5_ZNy06MJ1tmZn_TBqYGrmF5wcbUXt02ZbRRAMpuyl_QsQMRjeplXJ-CDR1dEuc_BuJdf-GCcewVD2iRVmZD6tXtmFzt0IxN04LK71uZ3dGxrlvxTtZhyphenhyphendK3YIycIfF6/s4608/BHG%20-%20Orange%202AFD%20(20231119%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQOcSb93llrerfKrNAqMCVymalOoAW7I1MftBj7LlKkr5vSsEuJMY-s62hZyL5_ZNy06MJ1tmZn_TBqYGrmF5wcbUXt02ZbRRAMpuyl_QsQMRjeplXJ-CDR1dEuc_BuJdf-GCcewVD2iRVmZD6tXtmFzt0IxN04LK71uZ3dGxrlvxTtZhyphenhyphendK3YIycIfF6/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Orange%202AFD%20(20231119%20(1))%20Antrim%20Marina.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (19 Nov 2023)</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Adult Male on the 12th February 2014, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As you can imagine, I was delighted to record the return of this gull, seeing as so many have not made it back. With the return of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span>, I will be on the lookout for 28 colour-rings on Sunday coming, plus any further returnees. I am now really keen to record the return of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span> from Sweden. Last winter, this gull was recorded back on the 28th November, so if it has survived through the breeding season, it is now due back - fingers crossed for this one.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 19th November 2023</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AFD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 60%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJH </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last week, I also recorded a new metal-rung Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span>, which had been ringed in Iceland. Although it was very comfortable being around people, I had hoped it would appear again today, but there was no sign of it. The Icelandic Bird Ringing Department needed to contact the ringer concerned for the birds details, but I am still waiting for a reply. This was my third Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull to have been recorded here this winter. The first bird - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, was again recorded today at 11:23, and has been here since the 8th August. The second, a very nervy bird, has not been seen since it's only sighting on the 18th September 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Over the morning, the number of Black-headed Gulls peaked at around the 70 mark, before a slight drop off in numbers before I departed. With some birds, especially colour-ringed birds, coming and going, the wintering population would top the 100 mark, but compared with previous winters, I'm still left with around 100+ still missing. Numbers at this time of the year should be in the 200 to 300 bracket.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before departing, I made another couple of attempts at catching some more new birds for ringing, but the birds remained just inches away. Several people arrived over the course of my visit to feed the ducks with bread. One young lady arrived with a bag with what looked like cat pellets. These were thrown over the car park for the ducks, but the gulls quickly mopped these up. With these pellets swelling up in the crops of the gulls, they would feel like being well fed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mute Swan numbers were slightly down this week, with 10 (White) swans and 4 cygnets present on my arrival. The four cygnets, were the resident group, having hatched out during the summer upriver from the Marina. A 5th cygnet arrived on it's own from the direction of Lough Neagh at 11:29. This one was slightly smaller and browner than the others, and I reckon this was one of two cygnets that first appeared here along with a juvenile Whooper Swan. The metal rung - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span>, was recorded 10:32.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The usual adult Herring Gull was present throughout today's visit, with a second adult appearing briefly at 12:06. I could tell by the looks of this bird, it has not been seen here before.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An adult Common Gull was also present throughout my visit, with a second adult appearing at 12:13. This is a bit disappointing seeing as I had a high of 10 adults a couple of weeks ago. Still no sign of the small metal-rung Scottish bird, and as the weeks pass, it's looking more than likely that we have lost this one as well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallard numbers are now very low. Normally, totals should be nearer the 100 mark, but today saw just 30 on arrival, and less than 20 by the time that I departed just after 1:30pm.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two Hooded Crows made a brief appearance at 11:50, and just two Jackdaws were noted on several occasions. Jackdaw numbers, though never high over previous winters, are significantly lower this winter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-66972947913108408002023-11-21T18:36:00.002+00:002023-11-21T18:45:46.918+00:00From Suzanne Belshaw...<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 80%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">From Suzanne Belshaw</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">A few ring sightings have been reported to me by Suzanne Belshaw. The first of these was that of a Danish-rung Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> VA5454 </span>, spotted on the 10th November 2023, at Rhanbouy Park in Carrickfergus, County Antrim. Suzanne was actually sitting in her car beside the seawall and was on the phone, when the gull landed on the wall beside the car and peered in. By the time Suzanne had finished the call, the gull had flown off. To try and photograph the bird, Suzanne threw out some food, but the gull did not appear again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This was Suzanne's second sighting of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> VA5454 </span> this winter, having first recorded the gull at nearby Carrickfergus Harbour on the 19th August 2023. <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> VA5454 </span>, was ringed as a chick, on the 25th May 2020, on Hirsholm Island, which lies just off the coast of northern Denmark. Two earlier sightings of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> VA5454 </span>, were made by Cameron Moore, on the 4th January 2021 and on the 4th November 2021. Rhanbouy Park is situated 1,064 kms / 661 miles (WSW) from Hirsholm Island, and the duration as of Suzanne's latest sighting, is now 3 years, 5 months and 16 days since being ringed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another Danish Black-headed Gull was also recorded for the second time this winter, on the 14th November 2023, at Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh. It's return to Lurgan Park Lake this winter was first recorded by Suzanne on the 11th October 2023. <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> VA7547 </span>, also came from Hirsholm Island, having been ringed as a chick, on the 27th May 2022. The then juvenile, was first recorded at Lurgan Park Lake on the 31st January 2023, with a further three sightings in March 2023, the final one being on the 29th March. The distance from Hirsholm, is 1,106 kms / 687 miles (WSW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 5 months and 18 days.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5lxUijTdTa-lrNqbwpJZdx-WjlyjgNU9mbKInZNxR4UGiVsXpL7d-WkSVGvGMmdT-wb7FGgvOtf70Ec10SaNPuGkr4RbOxUbQbF7sfomkGmP8ZOSSal7_MjW2-khM0W3dfngFHrVUm_Rpp8-rcDnFr4Bw8s6sNydZMbX7w1qFjDbuAHmfveRQ8ayhBeW/s1920/BHG%20-%20Denmark%20VA7547%20(20231114%20(1a))%20Lurgan%20Park%20(S%20Belshaw)%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw5lxUijTdTa-lrNqbwpJZdx-WjlyjgNU9mbKInZNxR4UGiVsXpL7d-WkSVGvGMmdT-wb7FGgvOtf70Ec10SaNPuGkr4RbOxUbQbF7sfomkGmP8ZOSSal7_MjW2-khM0W3dfngFHrVUm_Rpp8-rcDnFr4Bw8s6sNydZMbX7w1qFjDbuAHmfveRQ8ayhBeW/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Denmark%20VA7547%20(20231114%20(1a))%20Lurgan%20Park%20(S%20Belshaw)%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - Denmark <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> VA7547 </span> - Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh (14 Nov 2023)</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 27th May 2022, on Hirsholm Island, Denmark)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Whilst at Lurgan Park Lake, Suzanne also came across a Norwegian-rung Black-headed Gull which was a first sighting within Northern Ireland. Colour-ringed - (White) J2234, Suzanne submitted her sighting onto the 'Live' Norwegian Ringing Database, which instantly gave her the birds history. (White) J2234, was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Lake Lyseren which lies 24 kms (SE) from the capital Oslo. Two previous sightings were made by Kevin Leighton at Thetford in Norfolk, England, when the then juvenile was recorded on the 2nd and 16th February 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This makes Suzanne's sighting interesting, as juveniles would usually return to their original wintering site. Perhaps (White) J2234 is returning to Thetford in a roundabout way. The distance from Lyseren to Lurgan Park, is 1,200 kms / 745 miles (WSW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 5 months and 3 days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUzBPKaE6euaAlsNSD539zEkzWOS5a-0FrP1lBaQ0bKlYw6W-r0ZNhyphenhyphencXJYWKr0ia-hGjcCDIk3D0Ry-7mcNn3-qzUXaLLH1-ZlH2pzSOJvKYTbdervjY3bD69723COAxy2MWs7NArTD3SueCHjMMu3LKANboLDxjuT5NOT9NZoyrBSLxVZ1eUz1Wp15W/s1920/BHG%20-%20White%20J2234%20(20231114%20(1a))%20Lurgan%20Park%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUzBPKaE6euaAlsNSD539zEkzWOS5a-0FrP1lBaQ0bKlYw6W-r0ZNhyphenhyphencXJYWKr0ia-hGjcCDIk3D0Ry-7mcNn3-qzUXaLLH1-ZlH2pzSOJvKYTbdervjY3bD69723COAxy2MWs7NArTD3SueCHjMMu3LKANboLDxjuT5NOT9NZoyrBSLxVZ1eUz1Wp15W/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20White%20J2234%20(20231114%20(1a))%20Lurgan%20Park%20(S%20Belshaw).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - (White) J2234 - Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh (14 Nov 2023)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2022, at <span style="text-align: justify;">Lake Lyseren, Oslo, Norway)</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the 15th November 2023, Suzanne surveyed the gulls on the Dargan Mudflats on the edge of Belfast Lough. Whilst there, she spotted an old friend of mine - Herring Gull - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> 2N:W </span>. This bird was ringed as an unsexed adult, on the 5th May 2015, on Big Copeland Island in County Down. The two previous sightings which I had recorded, were on the 18th March 2018 on the beach at Kinnegar, which lies on the County Down side of Belfast Lough, and on the 7th March 2020, on the Whiteabbey Shore, situated on the County Antrim side of Belfast Lough. It still amazes me how these big gulls with their larger colour-rings travel about unnoticed by other birdwatchers, and Northern Ireland is full birdwatchers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Dargan Mudflats, lies 23 kms / 14 miles (W) from Big Copeland Island, and the duration since being ringed, is now 8 years, 6 months and 10 days. My thanks once again goes to Suzanne for the sighting reports, along with the photos.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhra05OuVn7QYAsBNTzYk_ncV52T28btZSPJgrEB6gFIds8KYTDGXS2IHIjVc9RYiShIXmmg8CPMWyxPLjFSkCYxGTuQvYvKP32SIGkU0S4muYg98VeoKeG5LyRcrFh82UGfdr7XdnKLwW3M25F7vXnwFrAYbr8e9jYRuAufJhg3mU38N-JLOSflIwAtZRS/s1920/Herring%20Gull%20-%20Yellow%202N(colon)W%20(20231115%20(1a))%20Dargan%20Mudflats%20(S%20Belshaw)%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhra05OuVn7QYAsBNTzYk_ncV52T28btZSPJgrEB6gFIds8KYTDGXS2IHIjVc9RYiShIXmmg8CPMWyxPLjFSkCYxGTuQvYvKP32SIGkU0S4muYg98VeoKeG5LyRcrFh82UGfdr7XdnKLwW3M25F7vXnwFrAYbr8e9jYRuAufJhg3mU38N-JLOSflIwAtZRS/w640-h480/Herring%20Gull%20-%20Yellow%202N(colon)W%20(20231115%20(1a))%20Dargan%20Mudflats%20(S%20Belshaw)%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Herring Gull - <span style="background-color: #fcff01;"> 2N:W </span> - Dargan Mudflats, Belfast Lough (15 Nov 2023)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult. on the 5th May 2015, on Big Copeland Island, Co. Down)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-40343466374035642032023-11-17T16:31:00.000+00:002023-11-17T16:31:14.602+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 12th November 2023)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 80%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 12th November 2023</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">I was slightly later than planned, to arrive at the Marina today. I had stopped at a nearby filling station to purchase some fuel and a couple of brown loafs. Arriving at 10:08, there was light rain and a slight breeze with the temperature gauge in my car reading 11°C. Over the course of the morning these light showers were never far between. My normal parking spot beside the concrete jetty was cordoned off with fencing though I could not see what the purpose of this was. During last week's visit, the water level of the river was that high, it overflowed the concrete jetty by a few inches, but today it was now a few inches below the jetty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Around 60 Black-headed Gulls were spread around the jetties, and the first two colour-rings to be read, was those of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIF </span></span> and <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIL </span></span> at 10:10. <span style="text-align: justify;">At 10:25, I spotted a metal-rung Black-headed Gull on the top rail of the low wooden jetty. The ring was on the bird's right leg, and having a metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull ringed on the left leg at the Marina, I knew I had a new bird here today.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My attention was now more or less focused on this bird to photograph the ring and complete the number. It was fairly calm, which meant I easily got close enough to start taking pictures. The only problem, was that it was settled in a position where I could not get photos at different angles. Each time when all of the gulls took to the air, I had to relocate this one again once the birds came back down. I really needed to complete the number as quickly as possible in case it departed from the area completely. As it turned out, the gull remained throughout my visit and the number was completed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ringed - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span>, this turned out to be my third metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull to be recorded here this winter. The first bird - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, was spotted on August 8th and has remained here since then, and it was actually re-sighted again today at 10:11. The second was - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 527948 </span>, a very nervy bird, recorded on the 18th September 2023. It was not comfortable being around people at the Marina, so it came as no surprise that I have not seen it since.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I reported my latest sighting to the Icelandic Bird Ringing Centre, and a reply was duly received. They have to contact the ringer for the details, but they reckoned this gull was ringed sometime in 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMcSgtqSyRAc5d7DIU5U-75JWLXxodz0SnuJiPTk3i26oYYcoZlhctmlx9HfqKXiMHcv3EI-Z0hMN_IafesVB-_hiCm_C0SF4rCGeZz9CILvuQZrFjuQvxYQ0LKN9ASyM0Z0XAVITMqgguIGOTkcQdzC7yOCiRahUwZwikzqMwGHgKR0mFUCcgUHrANRK/s1920/BHG%20-%20Iceland%20595818%20(20231112%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMcSgtqSyRAc5d7DIU5U-75JWLXxodz0SnuJiPTk3i26oYYcoZlhctmlx9HfqKXiMHcv3EI-Z0hMN_IafesVB-_hiCm_C0SF4rCGeZz9CILvuQZrFjuQvxYQ0LKN9ASyM0Z0XAVITMqgguIGOTkcQdzC7yOCiRahUwZwikzqMwGHgKR0mFUCcgUHrANRK/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Iceland%20595818%20(20231112%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - Iceland <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 595818 </span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (12 Nov 2023)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Waiting for the Ringing Details)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With a total of 24 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls having been recorded altogether this winter, I continued reading rings, and my final ring was read at 12:11, this 14th sighting being that of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CSR </span>. This meant I had 10 absentees today, and no further returning gulls. I was hoping that - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span> would appear having arrived back from Sweden - perhaps next week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 12th November 2023</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 60%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Further head counts were made at 11:45, where just 30 Black-headed Gulls were present, but numbers increased again to around 70 birds by 1:30. Having recorded my final ring sighting at 12:11, by 1:30, I decided to stop for the day. Seeing as very few people had arrived to feed the ducks today, I had a go at catching a few new birds for ringing. Last week, I had noticed that the gulls were really hungry now, and tried their best to rob the ducks of their bread.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With just a couple of swans on the slipway, there was plenty of room for the gulls to nip in and grab the bread that I threw onto the ground between the swans and myself. I crumpled up several slices at a time to leave a very tempting pile on three occasions and successfully caught three new Black-headed Gulls. I knew the Icelandic - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span> was around me, but with so many vying to grab some bread, I could not keep track as to where this bird was. I really do want to get a colour-ring onto this gull before it heads home to Iceland in the spring.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first of the three caught today, was a juvenile/1st winter bird now rung - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJF </span></span>. The second was an unsexed adult rung - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJH </span></span>, whilst the third bird was an unsexed second winter bird (hatched in 2022) now rung - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FJJ </span></span>. With these three added to this winter's total, I will be on the lookout for 27 colour-rings next Sunday, plus any further returnees. As it was raining slightly again, I made no attempt to locate and photograph these newly rung birds, so I will do that as well next Sunday.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mute Swan numbers were lower this week, with 11 (White) swans and a single cygnet present on my arrival. The single cygnet looked like one of the two younger ones that were among 9 cygnets present last Sunday. By 12:30, just 7 (White) swans and no cygnets were present. I say (White) swans, as not all of their beaks are pure orange - which is the case of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span>, whose ring was read at 11:10, this one having been ringed as a juvenile here in November 2020.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just 30 Mallards were present on my arrival and numbers decreased to around 20 birds by 12:30. As usual, most if not all legs were checked, but still no rings on any of them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A single Common Gull was present on my arrival, and a maximum high of 5 were counted at 11:45. Just three remained by 12:30, and they were still at the Marina when i departed just before 2pm.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The resident adult Herring Gull was present throughout my visit. A juvenile Herring Gull arrived at 12:27. This youngster was so tired, it parked itself on the outer edge of the concrete jetty, and tucked it's head into its back to have a doze.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just two Jackdaws appeared today. Long gone are the days when number surpassed the dozen mark. A juvenile Pied Wagtail was the only other species to be recorded today, making a brief appearance at 12:47.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-15071886567044171102023-11-11T15:13:00.002+00:002023-11-17T14:18:38.790+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 5th November 2023)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 80%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 5th November 2023</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">After last Sunday's disastrous visit to the Marina, when just 11 out of 24 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls were recorded, today saw a complete reversal. Arriving just before 10am, there were plenty of gulls flying about, and after counting the Common Gulls, around 70 Black-headed Gulls were present. This total remained more or less constant until around 12:30, when some of the gulls began to rest themselves on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre'. I had no idea how many gulls were up there, but on the ground, I had an estimated 45 birds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The morning was more like a typically autumnal day, with conditions being calm and sunny, the early temperature reading 8°C. Fortunately for me, all of the gulls were at ground level, which was helped with people feeding the ducks. It was obviously clear, that the gulls are now really hungry and tried hard to get their share of the bread being fed to the ducks. I made a couple of early attempts to catch new birds for ringing, but as usual, they remained just inches out of reach.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first two rings read at 10am exactly, were those of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BRA </span> and <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FIK </span></span>. With 24 colour-rings having been recorded so far this winter, the total steadily increased. My 17th and final ring sighting at 12:10, was that of - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BRD </span>, who is an occasional visitor to the Marina, with this being it's second sighting here this winter. Although - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BRD </span> was caught and ringed at the Marina in February 2015, I reckon it spends most of it's time somewhere in Antrim Town. Some of the housing estates in Antrim, attract Black-headed Gulls, but for obvious reasons, I cannot go round looking at the roofs of peoples houses. Prior to the onset of every new breeding season, <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BRD </span> can be found in early spring, at Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh. The duration as of today's sighting, is 8 years, 6 months and 13 days since being ringed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzEhBUxQoUVkiyOoz4kkkxnFpN6OKugELMc6HnN5Ssu08_pWSzX3GCiy31vcYYxe2fidwWbSWBRSaVI7SCuWYlPqED7O_bOuqs0idSSvnGtWhyYE9vukxtDO81Fxet4NnwCvq__NQDRXjxNP1W2GFD3ZRgimB2Hnj3Lx-Ie5RWnHye3UA-iroN3e1e71Y/s1920/BHG%20-%20Orange%202BRD%20(20231105%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzEhBUxQoUVkiyOoz4kkkxnFpN6OKugELMc6HnN5Ssu08_pWSzX3GCiy31vcYYxe2fidwWbSWBRSaVI7SCuWYlPqED7O_bOuqs0idSSvnGtWhyYE9vukxtDO81Fxet4NnwCvq__NQDRXjxNP1W2GFD3ZRgimB2Hnj3Lx-Ie5RWnHye3UA-iroN3e1e71Y/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Orange%202BRD%20(20231105%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2BRD </span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (05 Nov 2023)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 13th February 2015, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Icelandic-rung Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, was spotted at 10:19. This gull was first recorded on the 8th August 2023, and was ringed in July 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With 17 rings recorded today, this meant I had 7 absentees. I had a closer look at these absentees on my Antrim Marina Spreadsheet and immediately discovered a big mistake. Since the 18th September 2023, I've had - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDT </span></span> down as an absentee, yet this gull has not been recorded here since the 28th February 2023. Somehow, I have added - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDT </span></span> instead of - <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FHT </span></span> who arrived back on the 28th August 2023, though it has not been seen since. I have corrected my blog posts accordingly. <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FHT </span></span> was spotted in northern Poland on two occasions in March 2023, and has also been recorded on the Whiteabbey Shore of Belfast Lough (December 2022).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Three other absentees, with just one sighting here at the Marina this winter, are - <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FDJ </span></span>, <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FDK </span></span> and <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FFT </span></span>. <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FDJ </span></span> arrived back from Estonia on the 22nd October 2023. <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FDK </span></span>, would normally be a regular here, but the single sighting for this one was made on the 11th September 2023. Over the last couple of breeding seasons, <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FDK </span></span> has been recorded in May and June, which would suggest that this bird is a year round resident. I'm left wondering if - <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FDK </span></span> is the latest gull to have perished - time will tell. <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FFT </span></span> was recorded on the 1st October 2023. Although this bird was caught and ringed here (December 2020), the gull is a rare visitor (just 6 sightings), so I reckon it passes through on passage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Both - <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FFX </span></span> and <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FHV </span></span>, have been recorded regularly this winter, the former is known to breed at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast, the latter having been reported in northern Iceland during the breeding season. The status of - <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FIJ </span></span> is a trifle puzzling. Ringed as an unsexed adult in January 2022, it has only been recorded on six occasions, all at the Marina. This winter, it was sighted on the 8th August and again on the 4th September. I'm leaning towards the idea, that this gull may well be hanging around one of Antrim's housing estates.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No further returnees were recorded today, though - <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FFL </span></span> is now due back, and the returns of - <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FDL </span></span> from Sweden, and <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> from Latvia are now imminent as well. I actually checked Antrim's Castle Way car park for - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span>, but again, not a single gull was present. Castle Way has been the preferred wintering site for - <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> in recent years.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 5th November 2023</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded This Autumn/Winter at Antrim Marina but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 70%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first thing that caught my attention whilst driving through the barrier into the front car park at Antrim Marina, was the noisy commotion of several calling Common Gulls. Up until now, Common Gull numbers have been very low or non-existent over past weeks, but on hearing them now, I knew there were quite a few about.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Over at the slipway, people were already feeding the ducks and the Black-headed Gulls were going frantic to get their share of the bread. In turn, the Common Gulls chased the Black-headed's trying to force them to drop their feed. Once things had settled slightly, I counted a winter high of seven adult Common Gulls, plus one juvenile. By 10:35, I now had 10 adults, plus the juvenile, and all were still present when I departed around 1pm. I kept a close eye on the Commons hoping that the small Scottish-rung female would appear, but sadly, there is still no sign of her. Appearing as a juvenile in February 2014, she has been recorded here every winter since, and was last seen on the 28th November 2022, which was this bird's only sighting here last winter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The resident adult Herring Gull arrived at 10:28, and spent nearly all of it's time perched on the boat moored on the long wooden jetty, which has been there since I began my winter visits.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mute Swans were also present in large numbers on my arrival, and a count of these gave 12 adult (White) swans, plus 7 juveniles. 4 of these juveniles were reared locally to the Marina, with the other three being more recent arrivals. A further two juveniles swan in from the Lough at 11:32. Being slightly smaller and browner than the other juveniles present, I reckon these two were the same birds that appeared here two weeks ago along with a juvenile Whooper Swan which was a first form me here at the Marina. Another head count of the (White) swans at 11:44, gave a total of 15, which meant three had slipped in un-noticed. All legs were checked for rings, with - <span style="color: #cccccc;"> </span><span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span> being recorded at 10:13. This bird was ringed here as a juvenile in November 2020 and returned on the 1st October 2023, having been last seen here in March 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mallards numbered around the 50 mark, with this total more or less being the same throughout today's visit. Again, most legs, if not all, were viewed but still no rings on any of these.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A pair of Hooded Crows made brief visits on several occasions, whilst 6 Jackdaws were present most of the time. Other than these, no other species were seen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-9126937834147364252023-11-03T16:48:00.001+00:002023-11-10T15:11:17.691+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 29th October 2023)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 80%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 29th October 2023</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">Prior to today's visit to Antrim Marina, I received an email from Graham McElwaine who visited the Marina on Friday 27th October 2023. Whilst at the Marina, Graham recorded two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FFA </span></span> and <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CSK </span>, the latter being absent two days later during my visit. Graham made no comment on the numbers that were present, though there was other colour-ringed gulls whose rings were not read.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, I arrived at the Marina at 10:30, and departed at 2pm thoroughly frustrated. With 24 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls recorded so far during this autumn/winter season, only 11 were recorded during today's visit. I had arrived with high hopes, seeing as the weather the day before, saw very wet and windy conditions which often leads to very hungry gulls.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The weather conditions on my arrival, saw a nice blue sky, and a very light breeze with the temperature reading 11°C. Normally under such conditions, the gulls would often perch themselves on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre', but not today. A count of the Black-headed Gulls gave a total of just 39 birds. A second count at 1pm, saw a total of around 50, and after that numbers actually decreased.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was absolutely bored stiff today, bad enough that half of my gulls have failed to return at all this winter, but to have more than half of previously recorded gulls being absent did not help. Overall numbers for this time of the year should be somewhere nearer 200 birds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The few gulls that were present today, were clearly hungry, but not enough that I could catch any. The Icelandic-rung - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, was however just inches away from being caught. This bird arrived on the 8th August 2023, having been caught and ringed in Iceland in July 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now that we have moved into the month of November, I am now hoping on the return of <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDL </span></span> from Sweden, and <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> from Latvia. <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> was spotted in Riga, Latvia on the 30th June and on the 1st July 2023, followed by a sighting on the 11th July 2023, at Cromer in Norfolk, England. These days, <span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AFD </span> is more often to be seen at the Castle Way car park in the centre of Antrim Town, but a quick check before going to the Marina, saw no gulls present.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 29th October 2023</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded This Autumn/Winter at Antrim Marina but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 60%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once again, the high number of Mute Swans grabbed my attention on my arrival. A count gave me at total of 11 birds, along with 7 cygnets. The cygnets were in two groups independent of any adults. They were of similar ages, so the group of three were new arrivals to the Marina. On my previous visit, two slightly younger cygnets were accompanied by a juvenile Whooper Swan, none of which appeared today. At 11:27, a further two adults arrived in from the direction of Lough Neagh, taking the total to 13 (White) swans. It took a while for all of the birds to come ashore, and the ring of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span> was read at 10:50.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Around 50 Mallards, saw numbers decreasing to about 30 birds by 1pm. Still no rings on any of these.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The adult male Herring Gull was present throughout my visit, and two Common Gulls appeared just after 1pm. There is still no sign of the Scottish-rung female.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A Robin was seen several times skulking around the bushes beside the small Sandy Beach. I cannot remember having seen one here before. 6 Jackdaws and 2 Hooded Crows were the only other species to have been noted today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have not been out and about of late, as the MOT in my car expired in late September. Except to visit Antrim Marina, I only drive to work and back home again. Back at the beginning of August, I went online to book an MOT appointment, but the earliest date that I could get, was the 30th November, which came as a bit of a shock. Even the letter from the DVLA, informing me that my MOT was due, did not arrive until the beginning of September. Surely, with a backlog, they should have sent reminders out earlier. I still believe the police are still turning a blind eye as to the backlog situation, so long as a date for an MOT test has been applied for. I still think it is better to stay off the road as much as possible until the car has its MOT.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-64892630220105933102023-10-24T15:33:00.002+01:002023-11-10T15:10:58.654+00:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 22nd October 2023)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 80%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 22nd October 2023</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center><div style="text-align: justify;">With last week's weekly visit to Antrim Marina being a non starter due to the power hosing operations around the 'Gateway Centre' building, I was hoping for a more normal conditions during today's visit. On my arrival just before 10:20am this morning, there were plenty of birds in and around the jetties. The weather conditions were slightly too good after the strong winds and rain experienced the day before. It was cloudy, but calm, with the temperature reading 8°C, and as the morning wore on, the sun broke through, with the temperature rising to 12°C. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My biggest disappointment about missing out on last Sunday's visit, was the expected return of my longest flying Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span>, and possibly the return of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FFL </span></span>, should both have survived through the 'Bird Flu' epidemic that hit so many breeding colonies over the summer months.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although there was no sign of - <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FFL </span></span> today, I could not have been more delighted, when, at 12:06, my 16th colour-ring sighting of the day, was that of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span>. <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span>, was ringed at Antrim Marina, as an unsexed 2nd Calendar year bird on the 18th November 2019. After being ringed, it was recorded through to the 9th March 2020.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the 25th October 2020, <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> returned for another winter and was recorded on many occasions through to the 4th January 2021, after which time, there was an exceptional run of re-sightings. The first of these was made on the 5th February 2021, when Scott Black spotted - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> at Strathclyde Country Park, just outside of Motherwell in Scotland. Then, on the 5th, 11th and 13th of February 2021, Alasdair Fyffe recorded - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> on the frozen lake at Kay Park in Kilmarnock, Scotland. These were exceptionally good sightings to receive, but the best was yet to come.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the 4th April 2021, I received an email from Arnold Kristjuhan, to say that he had spotted - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> at Aardlapalu rubbish dump just outside of the town of Tartu in eastern Estonia. Tartu is 2,060 kms / 1,280 miles (E) from Antrim Marina, with the Russian border just a further 44 kms to the east. Whether - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> breeds in Estonia or Russia is unknown, but the sighting makes this gull Antrim Marina's longest distance traveller.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the birds exploits in eastern Europe, it returned to Antrim Marina on the 16th October 2021, remaining through to the 28th February 2022. With no further spring/summer sightings, last winter - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> arrived back to Antrim Marina on the 10th October 2022. I missed seven weekly visits to the Marina during the winter, as my car broke down on Christmas Day and I had to seek out a new car. Luckily enough, my final sighting for the 2022/2023, was made on the 6th March 2023.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although I was hoping for further sightings during the past summer, I was nonetheless delighted to see this gull back today. The duration since being ringed, is now 3 years, 11 months and 4 days.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AJu5cQfp4_4YFbLmrvCNl5LOKooUDrCuF1vD59wZz-rbFR-nk4x_iLx9SlHYTlStiKZHggRsH6x4rX-0XlgJZR3FVcv0U3QGdmTBPtdjwup7i91fddl8qxi04ThgjBRDBBr5_SRNyctk_JSdb8JWum0_mI-sgoZtHGRJce4xmJ4rvTzZSy5UyskcVoob/s1920/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FDJ%20(20231022%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AJu5cQfp4_4YFbLmrvCNl5LOKooUDrCuF1vD59wZz-rbFR-nk4x_iLx9SlHYTlStiKZHggRsH6x4rX-0XlgJZR3FVcv0U3QGdmTBPtdjwup7i91fddl8qxi04ThgjBRDBBr5_SRNyctk_JSdb8JWum0_mI-sgoZtHGRJce4xmJ4rvTzZSy5UyskcVoob/w640-h480/BHG%20-%20Blue%202FDJ%20(20231022%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (22 Oct 2023)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 18th November 2019, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The return of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span>, takes this winter's total of colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls to 24 altogether. During the week, I took a more detailed look at my Antrim Marina Spreadsheet, especially those gulls ringed with Orange Darvics. I noted that there were 11 birds with these Darvics, which were recorded last winter, but, after today's (13th weekly) visit so far during this autumn/winter season, have not returned. As these were among the earliest gulls to be ringed, I have good histories for them all, but, due to their continued absence, I'm now convinced that they have all perished during the past breeding season. I will now write these birds off on the spreadsheet. Below, I have listed the gulls concerned, along with their ringing and last re-sighting dates, plus the durations since being ringed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AAA </span> - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Adult (M) - 12th November 2012 to 20th March 2023 - 10 years, 4 months and 8 days.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2AAK </span> - Adult (M) - 21st December 2012 to 28th February 2023 - 10 years, 2 months and 7 days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ABA </span> - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Adult (M) - 28th December 2012 to 31st October 2022 - 9 years, 10 months and 3 days.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ABL </span> - Adult (F) - 23rd January 2013 to 6th March 2023 - 10 years, 1 month and 11 days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2ABS </span> - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;">Adult (F) - 23rd January 2013 to 7th November 2022 - 9 years, 9 months and 15 days.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CSA </span> - 1st Winter (U) - 19th November 2017 to 28th November 2022 - 5 years and 9 days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CSB </span> - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;">1st Winter (U) - 19th November 2017 to 19th December 2022 - 5 years and 1 month.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CSL </span> - Adult (U) - 24th December 2017 to 28th February 2023 - 5 years, 2 months and 4 days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CSX </span> - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;">1st Winter (U) - 3rd December 2018 to 5th September 2022 - 3 years, 9 months and 2 days.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTA </span> - 2nd Winter (U) - 10th December 2018 to 13th March 2023 - 4 years, 3 months and 3 days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ffa400;"> 2CTC </span> - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;">1st Winter (U) - 24th December 2018 to 20th February 2023 - 4 years, 1 month and 27 days.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Normally, a couple of gulls fail to return from one winter to the next, but 11 is a very high number. Those ringed with Blue Darvic's, have been ringed more recently, and for many, their residential status at present are not fully known. Having said that, there is no doubting that some of these gulls have been lost as well, such as - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FFC </span></span> which was found dead at Germany's largest breeding Black-headed Gull colony back in May 2023, this one later testing positive for 'Bird Flu' there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just assuming that an equal number of Black-headed Gulls with Blue Darvics have died over the summer months, this total of 22 birds would explain why I have so many absentees this winter. As far as numbers go, if we further assume and say five un-ringed gulls died along with every one that was ringed, the total of 132 would easily explain why overall numbers are so low at Antrim Marina. Imagine replicating that number throughout the country!!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Around 60 Black-headed Gulls were present on my arrival today, with the ring of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FIK </span></span> being the first to be read at 10:21. Just under on hour later, at 11:15, the 15th ring to be read was that of - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHC </span></span>. My final three colour-ring sightings, were that of the returning - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span> at 12:06, followed by - <span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: white;">2FIF </span></span> at 12:30 and - the Icelandic breeding bird - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FHV </span></span> at 13:05.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By this time, many of the gulls perched on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre', seeing as it was calm and sunny, but at no time did numbers exceed the 70 mark, whereas in the past, numbers would have easily been nearer to the 200 mark. The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> 543335 </span>, was recorded at 10:41, and later in the morning, I was within inches of catching it. This bird was ringed in Iceland in July 2023, and then appeared at the Marina on the 8th August 2023. I really need to catch and fit a Darvic to this bird before it returns to Iceland next spring.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was another poor showing of juvenile Black-headed Gulls, with just four being counted today. In the past, juvenile numbers would also have been much higher, which would have included local and foreign birds. These low numbers, proves that the gulls everywhere have had a really poor breeding season.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 22nd October 2022</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 80%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIL </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAB </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CJT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFX </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIP </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSK </span></span></th>
</tr>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2AAN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2CSR </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FJA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ACV </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRA </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHC </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDJ </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIF </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHV </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter, but Absent Today</div><center>
<table border="2" bordercolor="#000001" cellpadding="7" cellspacing="3" style="background-color: #000001; width: 60%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #0033ff; color: white; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 5px;">
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2ABN </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="ff9933"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> 2BRD </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FDK </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FHT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FFT </span></span></th>
<th align="center" bgcolor="000099"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"> 2FIJ </span></span></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>Other Birds at Antrim Marina</u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The large number of Mute Swans once again grabbed my attention on my arrival. Whilst counting these (all White) birds, which numbered 14 altogether, I noticed three juveniles making their way in from Lough Neagh. I thought that the three juveniles might be the local birds that have been raised here over the summer, but as they came closer, I could see that they were smaller and therefore younger. On reaching the Marina, I could not believe my eyes, as one was actually a juvenile Whooper Swan. This poor 'fella' had obviously got separated from it's parents and ended up seeking the company of the Mute Swans. Over recent weeks, Whooper Swans have been arriving into Northern Ireland from their breeding grounds in Iceland.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXq5kXheQ8oLEe7i0_haKWs_q6uMmQB9BISGxD7No5DuhC3e3craZeOe9yyrL-9AFAVYc8susKqzL2-fD0ytF8OIVs4-60EjSQFnyPFTJlUDeEVhr8BTMI8syiGXvtqZF2u8FxAbxMLTREboapIvX-2RsfRviurXseGLV8HzeKdrvIMWxRf0hhI2EJ86dR/s4608/DSCN5556.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXq5kXheQ8oLEe7i0_haKWs_q6uMmQB9BISGxD7No5DuhC3e3craZeOe9yyrL-9AFAVYc8susKqzL2-fD0ytF8OIVs4-60EjSQFnyPFTJlUDeEVhr8BTMI8syiGXvtqZF2u8FxAbxMLTREboapIvX-2RsfRviurXseGLV8HzeKdrvIMWxRf0hhI2EJ86dR/w640-h480/DSCN5556.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Juvenile Whooper Swan - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (22 Oct 2023)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the past, I have met people who have seen Whooper Swans at Antrim Marina, including adult birds, but I have been coming here since the winter of 2013, and this is the first one that I have seen here. The Marina's normal four cygnets swam in from the Lough at 10:38. No further adults appeared, and later in the morning, I read the ring of - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span>. This swan returned to the Marina on the 1st October 2023, having been seen last, on the 20th March 2023. This bird was ringed as a juvenile here, on the 15th November 2020 by Debbie Nelson.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6E_LK_IbV-_3D5PFJhCuEzuPXu3PUzrydgvS92hf1-rz3VB0Mo6pj9A-923K4BCdlvIeEV7l7G-Syo9PENbPbAFgNs-cfYMXvLn9XKsRYuc4GQKtsYjDvsz0RHXt3uwYlN6v5bQXSyuXhCMkbTgpB42cFN77ttHWCwdqTiWYc9UdsEjMW0eiSyKROMqF/s1920/Mute%20Swan%20-%20Z78580%20(20231022%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6E_LK_IbV-_3D5PFJhCuEzuPXu3PUzrydgvS92hf1-rz3VB0Mo6pj9A-923K4BCdlvIeEV7l7G-Syo9PENbPbAFgNs-cfYMXvLn9XKsRYuc4GQKtsYjDvsz0RHXt3uwYlN6v5bQXSyuXhCMkbTgpB42cFN77ttHWCwdqTiWYc9UdsEjMW0eiSyKROMqF/w640-h480/Mute%20Swan%20-%20Z78580%20(20231022%20(1a))%20Antrim%20Marina%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mute Swan - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> Z78580 </span> - Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim (22 Oct 2023)</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">(Ringed as an Unsexed Juvenile, on the 15th November 2020, at Antrim Marina)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A first count of the Mallards gave me a total of 43 birds. A second count at 12:30, saw a very slight increase to 47, but still no rings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The resident adult Herring Gull was present throughout today's visit, and I have not seen his partner for several weeks now. A single adult Common Gull was also present on my arrival, with a further two adults arriving at 11:03, and another two adults arrived at 12:10. With five adults present, this was the highest number of Common Gulls to be recorded so far this winter, but like the Black-headed Gulls, overall numbers are lower than normal. A juvenile Common Gull made a brief visit at 1:20pm. There is still no sign of the small Scottish metal-rung female Common Gull, which had been recorded here every winter since February 2014 when it first appeared here as a juvenile. My last sighting of this bird - <span style="background-color: #cccccc;"> EY64036 </span>, was made on the 28th November 2022.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2 Hooded Crows and 4 Jackdaws, were the only other species to have been noted during today's visit.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*******************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4500793874713281213.post-61404071848360993662023-10-20T14:57:00.001+01:002023-10-20T14:57:23.821+01:00Antrim Marina - (Sunday 15th October 2023)<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><center>
<style type="text/css">.nobrtable br { display: none }</style><div class="nobrtable">
<table border="3" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="background-color: #eeeecc; width: 80%;"><tbody>
<tr><th> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Antrim Marina - Sunday 15th October 2023</span></span> </th>
</tr>
</tbody></table><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;">This week's weekly visit to Antrim Marina, turned out to be a non event. Arriving just before 10.10am, as I approached the barrier leading into the front car park, I could see a lorry reversing into my parking spot beside the short concrete jetty. The lorry belonged to the cleaners, who would from time to time, power hose the jetties which often become caked with gull droppings.</div></span></div></center><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I parked my car beside the low wooden jetty and walked over for a chat. The guys were using a tape to cordon off the area, and they explained that this time, they were here to power-hose the 'Gateway Centre' building which they are contracted to clean once every three months. Normally in the past, if they arrived whilst I was surveying the gulls, they would go away and come back later. However, today's task was going to take several hours to complete, therefore I had to abandon today's visit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With my new job, I have to work days, so there was no chance to get back again this week. I was allowed to pass the cordon for a quick peek to see what was about before I departed. 23 Mallards, 2 Mute Swans and just 5 Black-headed Gulls were present. With the ducks and swans being on the river, their legs could not be seen. The 5 Black-headed Gulls were on the long wooden jetty, and a quick look through my scope revealed one ring - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FFA </span></span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was really disappointed in having to miss this visit, as my Estonian Black-headed Gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FDJ </span></span>, was due to return to the Marina if it had managed to miss the 'Bird Flu' outbreaks. Another gull - <span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #2b00fe;"> 2FFL </span></span>, was also due back, but where this one goes to in the summer, is as yet, unknown.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the tide in Belfast Lough not due to go out until mid afternoon, I drove to Carrickfergus and then southwards down to Belfast checking inland sites for ringed gulls, before reaching the shore at Kinnegar Beach. Not a single ring was spotted anywhere, and at Kinnegar, the tide was well on it's way out before the gulls and waders began to appear, which was unusual for this site. A colour-ringed Brent Goose, which was one of six present, was spotted, but I do not bother reporting Brent Geese these days, as the guy that took over the Brent Goose Project from Graham McElwaine, does not bother to respond.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To finish off the afternoon, I thought I would check out Whitehouse Lagoon, but coming off the motorway, the access road was closed. What a waste of a day this was.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">********************************************************</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Gareth D.A. Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727796371495519934noreply@blogger.com0