Antrim Marina - Wednesday 11th February 2026...

Antrim Marina - Wednesday 11th February 2026

Weekly visits to Antrim Marina have been pretty poor regarding birdlife over recent weeks and today had to be the worst of all.  I'm studying a wintering population of Black-headed Gulls, some of which are colour-ringed in order to track their movements.  So far this winter, 28 colour-ringed birds have been recorded altogether, and several others have failed to return.

Arriving at 11:30, I had planned to depart at 3pm, but eventually left 15 minutes later.  It was fairly wet during my visit with heavier showers at times.  The temperature gauge in my car read 8ºC.  An easterly breeze became stronger as the day progressed.

Just 10 Black-headed Gulls were counted on my arrival and the highest count was just 27.  At times, flocks of 30 to 40 gulls arrived, but they just flew around and moved on again.  Just 8 colour-rings were read altogether, leaving me with 20 absentees.  With the breeding season approaching, many of the gulls heads are now changing to their chocolate colour and some will soon depart towards their breeding sites.

This winter has been really frustrating with the low number of Black-headed Gulls, and other species come to that.  Surely there has to be some reason for this.  When I first started my study back in 2013, the place was coming down with birds.

Departing from the Marina, large pools of water on the adjacent golf course had attracted around 80 to 100 Black-headed Gulls, none of which were present as I arrived at the Marina.  As I was preparing to leave just after 3pm, a flock of 12 Black-headed Gulls arrived, with just a few landing at the Small Concrete Jetty.  A quick peek through my binoculars, revealed my 8th colour-ringed gull -  2FJX .

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJX   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (11 Feb 2026)

(Ringed as Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 1st December 2024, at Antrim Marina)

Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Wednesday 11th February 2026

2CJT	2BRA	2CSR	2FKA	2FJA	2ABN	2AAN	2FJX

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

2ACV	2AFD	2BRD	2CSK	2CTA	2FDL	2FDK	2FFA	2FFN	2FFT
2FFX	2FHV	2FIF	2FIL	2FJF	2FJK	2FJN	2FJP	2FJT	2FJV

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

As with the Black-headed Gulls, this was also a poor day regarding other species of birds.  Just three adult Mute Swans were present on my arrival and a pair arrived from upriver at 11:40.  None of the swans were ringed.

By the time of my departure, Mallard numbers dropped to 12 birds from a total of 21 when I arrived.  I'm fairly sure that all legs were checked over the course of my visit, but still no rings on Mallards this winter.

The adult Moorhen was present throughout the visit.  After moving up and down the jetties eating the gulls droppings, it then swam over to the opposite side of the river where it foraged around debris.

Just a single adult Common Gull on my arrival.  At 2:14, a juvenile made a brief visit, staying for around 10 minutes.  A second adult arrived at 2:23.  None were ringed and I have only had a single sighting this winter of the metal-rung Finnish Common Gull that was ringed in August 1995.

The resident male Herring Gull arrived at 12:09, but there was no sign of his youngster from last summer.

Presumably, the same pair of Hooded Crows made two brief visits.  A pair of Jackdaws appeared just before my departure at 3:15.  A male Pied Wagtail made several visits.

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