2nd Copeland Visit...

On Sunday the 30th May 2021, I finally made it onto Big Copeland Island for the second time ever, my first visit having been made last year on the 16th June.  During that visit last summer, I met a man who shares a property on the island, and he has now became my boatman.  We had planned to go out earlier in May, but this had to be postponed due to poor weather.  My boatman, who for now at least, prefers to remain anonymous, fully appreciated what I was doing on the island and is only too willing to help me further my efforts with the Common Gulls on the island.  

I am attempting to read the colour-ringed Common Gulls from Shane Wolsey's former project on the island, which ran from 2009 until 2014.  I have permission from the landowner, Alan McCulla to visit the island at any time, plus that of the Copeland Bird Observatory, to carry on with Shane's former project, by ringing chicks using my own metal and colour-rings.  I have always believed that there are many surviving adult birds, which have never been recorded from the day they were ringed, and between last summer and today's visit a small number of such birds have been re-sighted.

During my visit to the island today, plenty of Common Gulls were sitting tight on their nests, though a few newly hatched chicks were also seen.  It was a hot and sunny day, which unfortunately produced a very bad heat haze.  Trying to photograph colour-rings presented me with a couple of problems, the worst being, my attempts to capture the indented codes on darvic's which are supposed to be blue, but have deteriorated to such a degree, they now appear to be white.

Despite photographing a number of colour-ringed gulls, just eight were confirmed, three of which were first ever re-sightings.  With many females sitting on their nests, there will be more colour-rings to record at some point.  I did not have the time to estimate the size of the Common Gull breeding population, but there are several hundred pairs, some of which I discovered were nesting within the Herring Gull colonies.  On the whole, most Common Gulls nested within their own colonies, and Arctic Terns obviously were using these Common Gull colonies as protection for their own nests.  It seems that there are more Arctic Terns nesting here this year, as compared to my visit last summer.  This also presented me with problems, as I had to keep disturbance of this species to a minimum.

Going through my eight colour-ring sightings in colour and code order, the first bird is -   2ACF .  The sighting of this gull turned out to be a very interesting record.  It was ringed as a chick, on the 14th June 2005, here on Big Copeland Island, and was ringed with just a metal ring.  It went un-recorded until the 14th May 2010, when it was caught as an un-sexed breeding adult and the colour-ring -   2ACF  was fitted.  Despite having an easily read ring, the gull still eluded detection until I photographed it today.  The duration since being ringed, is now a nice 15 years, 11 months and 16 days.

Common Gull  -    2ACF   -  Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down  (30 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 14th June 2005, on Big Copeland Island)

 

  2ACV  is a bird that I'm really delighted to find nesting here on Big Copeland Island, and this is the 18th re-sighting record for the gull.  It was ringed as a chick on the island, on the 28th May 2010.  Before today, I had recorded -   2ACV  on four other occasions, on the seafront at Millisle - 8kms / 5 miles south of Big Copeland, all of which were made in the months of June or July after the breeding season had ended.  The sighting also completes a full circle, now that the bird has been proven to breed on it's natal site.

 

Having been ringed in 2010, the first ever re-sighting was made on the 15th September 2013, when Graham Prole recorded the gull wintering in the Broadmeadows area in Swords, Co. Dublin.  Over the years since,   2ACV  has been recorded wintering in the same area by several observers.  It has now been 11 years and 2 days, since -   2ACV  was ringed.  The full re-sighting history can be viewed (here).

Common Gull  -    2ACV   -  Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down  (30 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 28th May 2010, on Big Copeland Island)

 

  2ADX  is another gull that I'm very familiar with, whose re-sighting history has also gone full circle, now that I've  recorded it breeding here at it's natal colony.  The bird was ringed as a chick, on the 1st June 2010, and all 25 previous re-sightings have been made on the Millisle seafront 8 kms / 5 miles (S).  It is a winter resident at Millisle, as over the years, sightings have covered every month of the year.  On the 7th June, I recorded -   2ADX  back at Millisle with many other Common Gulls.  This took the duration since being ringed, to 11 years and 6 days.  The full re-sighting history for -   2ADX  can be read (here).

Common Gull  -    2ADX   -  Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down  (30 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 1st June 2010, on Big Copeland Island)

 

The sighting of -   2ANC , is the first ever since the gull was ringed here as a chick, on the 23rd June 2012.  Good to see that the condition of the ring is fairly reasonable.  The duration since being ringed, is now 8 years, 11 months and 7 days.  Hopefully, it will be spotted at it's wintering quarter's some day.

Common Gull  -    2ANC   -  Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down  (30 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 23rd June 2012, on Big Copeland Island)

 

Another first ever sighting was that of -   2APA .  It was ringed here on the island, on the 29th June 2013.  The duration since being ringed, is now 7 years, 11 months and 1 day.  I still finding it amazing, that some gulls can travel about un-recorded during the winter months.  These first ever sightings, can only add to survival rate studies, proving how valuable such records are.

Common Gull  -    2APA   -  Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down  (30 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 29th June 2013, on Big Copeland Island)

 

  2HSJ , was the third of my first ever re-sightings.  Ringed here on the island as a chick, on the 11th June 2012, the duration is now 8 years, 11 months and 19 days.  Again, I'm pleased to see that the ring is still in reasonable condition, which will help with future re-sightings.

Common Gull  -    2HSJ   -  Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down  (30 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2012, on Big Copeland Island)

 

The sighting of -   2AA4 , was a first for me personally, but there has been one previously sighting record for this bird.   2AA4 , was ringed as a chick here on Big Copeland Island, on the 6th June 2009.  The gull was recorded at Cunnigar, near Dungarvan, County Waterford, on the 7th November 2015.  The sighting was not among project work given to me by Shane Wolsey, concerning his former Copeland study.  I actually discovered this record on the BTO's Online Ringing Report for 2015.  At that time, the duration was 6 years, 5 months and 1 day, and the distance to Cunnigar, was 320 kms / 198 miles (SSW).

 

From the ringing data that I received from Shane, only 33 of these yellow darvic's were ever used, before Shane switched to using the blue darvic's.  The main reason for the switch, was that yellow is harder to notice on the legs of the Common Gulls.  A second reason, which I do not think that I've ever mentioned, was that these yellow darvics arrived in 'flat form', and had to be heated before being shaped.  This process would put any ringer 'off' from using them.

 

My sighting of -   2AA4  today, now takes the birds duration to 11 years, 11 months and 24 days.  Hopefully, I will record this gull again in the next couple of weeks.  It would be nice to see the duration passing the 12 year mark.  Again, these yellow darvics are in reasonably good condition and will aid further sightings in the future.

Common Gull  -    2AA4   -  Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down  (30 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 6th June 2009, on Big Copeland Island)

 

My final Common Gull of the day, is that of -   2AAN .  As can be seen in the photo, the code has 'smudged' very badly.  I had actually seen a clear section of the ring when I spotted the bird with my telescope, but it flew off before I could 'train' my camera onto it.  When the bird returned, I captured the featured photograph.  Looking at the code, it could possibly have been -   2AAH , but -   2AAH  has yet to be re-sighted from the day it was ringed, whereas -   2AAN , has two previous re-sightings.

 

  2AAN , as was -   2AAH , were caught and ringed as un-sexed breeding adults here on Big Copeland Island, on the 18th May 2009.  It's first ever re-sighting, was made by Suzanne Belshaw, on the 27th July 2016 (7y, 2m & 9d), at Whitehouse Lagoon on the edge of Belfast - 23 kms / 14 miles (W) from the island.

 

The second re-sighting was made by me, on the 10th November 2018 (9y, 5m 23d), at Kinnegar Beach on the southern shore of Belfast Lough - 21 kms / 13 miles (W).  The duration as of today's sighting, is now 12 years and 12 days.  Hopefully, I'll record this one again over the next few weeks, just to clarify the code.

Common Gull  -    2AAN   -  Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down  (30 May 2021)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Breeding Adult, on the 18th May 2009, on Big Copeland Island)

 

Every so often, I would give the Common Gulls and inadvertently the Arctic Terns some peace and quite.  I moved off into the mixed Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gull colonies to see if I could spot any colour-rings, and recorded three Herring Gulls which had been ringed on Big Copeland.

 

The first of these, was a bird that I also recorded on Big Copeland, on my first ever visit to the island in June 2020, after the easing of the first 'Lockdown'.    1K:W , was ringed as an un-sexed breeding adult, on the 6th May 2015.  Before that sighting, it had been recorded on three previous occasions :- 31st August 2015 on the seafront at Donaghadee by Suzanne Belshaw, by me, on the 4th February 2017, also on the seafront at Donaghadee, and again by me, at the North Beach of Millisle on the 17th October 2017.  Donaghadee is just 2 kms / 1 mile (S) of Big Copeland, whereas Millisle's north beach is 6 kms / 3 miles (S).  Today's re-sighting, takes the duration to, 6 years and 24 days.

Herring Gull  -    1K:W   -  Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down  (30 May 2021)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Breeding Adult, on the 6th May 2015, on Big Copeland Island)

 

The sighting of -   2H:W , was a first for me personally, but what an interesting one this turned out to be.  The gull was originally ringed as a chick with a metal only, on Big Copeland Island, on the 29th June 2007.  The bird went un-recorded until the 5th May 2015, when it was caught and colour-ringed here as an un-sexed breeding adult.  By this time, the duration since being ringed, was 7 years, 10 months and 6 days.

 

Until today, there had been just a single re-sighting of the gull with it's colour-ring having been read.  A Katherine Stewart observed the gull at Bangor Harbour in County Down on the 25th May 2016.  The duration at that time, was 8 years, 10 months and 26 days, with Bangor Harbour lying 8 kms / 5 miles (W) of Big Copeland Island.  My sighting today, now takes the duration to, 13 years, 11 months and 1 day.

Herring Gull  -    2H:W   -  Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down  (30 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 29th June 2007, on Big Copeland Island)

 

The sighting of -   4N:W , was a first ever, since the gull was ringed as an un-sexed breeding adult here on the island, on the 6th May 2015.  The duration for this one, is now 6 years and 24 days.  I was extremely lucky to get this one, as the gull was very far away.  Zooming down from a hillside, I went deep into digital mode and had to contend with heavy 'heat haze', but the end result was worth it.  From what I'm led to believe, there is to be a continuation of this ringing project on the islands from this summer onwards.  There may well be some identification problems if chicks are to be ringed, as Lesser Black-backed Gulls are nesting amongst the Herring Gulls, though it has not been made clear, whether adults only are to be ringed.

Herring Gull  -    4N:W   -  Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down  (30 May 2021)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Breeding Adult, on the 6th May 2015, on Big Copeland Island)

 

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Info Overflow...

This post was put out on the 7th June, and I could not find time to include my ususal introductory.  I have been getting out to the breeding colonies of both Black-headed, and more especially, Common Gulls.  Colour-ring sightings are flowing to such an extent, I cannot even find time to work on my blog.  Being employed outside of birdwatching, and chores around home, still require my attention and also eats away at time.

All ring sightings are being submitted to the BTO as I record them each day, and the sightings are also entered onto my main 'Ring Reading' spreadsheet, as well as a new Common Gull Database which I have created to house the ringing and re-sighting details of Shane Wolsey's former project on Big Copeland Island, as well as my own project on Rathlin Island.

I have lots of photos which need editing before I can even think about future posts.  At the rate I'm going, it may take up the whole month of July to catch up.  As I finally complete this introduction, it is now the 16th June, and I have also began the process of colour-ringing this summer's chicks.  After each visit to the islands, I also have to find time to add these new birds onto the BTO's Database.  The usual emails also arrive in, which also need answering.  An extra few hours in a day would be extremely useful, but that ain't going to happen.

 

One other point that is slowing me down, is this new blogging interface which was introduced by Google.  It has become so awkward to work with.  I've recently discovered that I cannot now add photos between paragraphs of text.  The photos when added, now make their way to the bottom of the page, and now cannot be 'dragged and dropped' as in the past.  I've discovered that the only way around the problem, is to add all of the photos first, and then add the text in-between.  My 'Ring Reading' counterpart in Dublin (Graham Prole), has also mentioned how the new interface is causing him problems as well.

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Waterfoot - 15th May 2021

On Saturday 15th May, I worked the east coast of County Antrim, starting at Glynn and worked my way northwards to Waterfoot.  I was on the lookout for colour-ringed Common Gulls which belonged to my Rathlin Island project, that are still not mature enough to breed this summer.  Very few gulls were en-counted, the best site being the river outlet on Carnlough Beach.  Around 20 Commons Gulls were present here, most of which were juveniles from last year.  No rings were spotted, although I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would spot one of the nine late chicks that I ringed on Rathlin Island last summer.  Due to the 'Lockdown' most chicks had fledged on the island by the time I was allowed onto it.

Waterfoot has a very small breeding colony, which extends northwards from the pier at Red Bay, towards the harbour at Cushendall.  Usually, around four pairs nest along this stretch and today I found three nests containing 2x3 eggs, and one with two eggs.  There appears to be a further three pairs, but I'm not sure if they have nests, or are still to lay eggs.  I would be more than happy, to colour-ring four or five chicks here, which would be a record.

 

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Rathlin Island - 16th May 2021

Today saw me making my second 'Ring Reading' trip to Rathlin Island.  Since 2017, I have colour-ringed a total of 174 Common Gull chicks on the island, and I'm now looking for surviving birds which have integrated into the overall breeding population.  Having had a look at the colonies at Rue Point, Doon Bay, Ushet Lough and Roonivoolin during my first visit, today saw me checking the largest colony at Arkill Bay, and then heading northwards along the coast towards Bruce's Castle, where I had scoped a couple of small colonies in 2019.  Looking at the Ordnance Survey map of Rathlin, these two smaller colonies are around Portawillin and Portcastle.

Sitting on the hillside overlooking Arkill Bay, I spent at least two hours scoping the gulls here.  I was very disappointed, as I only recorded two colour-ringed birds, though I reckoned as many as fifty pairs were breeding along this stretch of the coast.  Every so often, I would flush the gulls into the air, hoping to spot more rings, with little success.

The first of the two colour-ringed birds spotted, was -   2AVT .  It was ringed as a chick, on the 17th June 2017, at Rathlin's Rue Point Lighthouse.  Five previous re-sightings of this gull have all been made by me on the island.  On the 16th & 18th June 2019, I encountered -   2AVT  firstly at Arkill Bay, and then at it's natal colony at Rue Point, but on the 24th June 2019, it had returned to Arkill Bay.  At this point, it had been just over two years since it was ringed, so was probably not old enough to breed and was perhaps prospecting for a nest site.

After the easing of the first 'Lockdown', I managed a few late visits at the tail end of the breeding season, by which time most chicks had fledged.  I did however, recorded -   2AVT  at Arkill Bay on the 4th and 7th July 2020, so I believed that it had bred there last summer.  During today's visit, I couldn't tie -   2AVT  to a nest, but I'm sure it is breeding here.  The duration since being ringed, is now 3 years, 10 months and 29 day's.  Arkill Bay, is roughly 2 kms / 1 mile (N), from the natal colony at Rue Point.

Common Gull  -    2AVT   -  Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim  (16th May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 17th June 2017, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island)

 

The second bird to be spotted was -   2BKJ , which I initially thought was the same gull I recorded at Rue Point on my first visit this summer to the island, on the 2nd May 2021.  It wasn't until I got back home, did I realise, that, that bird was rung -   2BJK .

  2BKJ , was ringed as a chick here at Arkill Bay, on the 24th June 2019, which makes the duration just 1 year, 10 months and 22 days.  I watched -   2BKJ  actively going through courtship display with it's partner.  They kept disappearing below a rock depression, which I think is their chosen nest site.  The pair, unlike others, were definitely not sitting on eggs, suggesting they are just prospecting on a nest site, especially as -   2BKJ  may still be immature.

There has been three previous re-sightings of -   2BKJ , and my sighting of the bird today is a first for me.  Richard Else, who worked for the RSPB on Rathlin, recorded the then juvenile at Church Bay on the island, on the 7th & 8th December 2019.  On the 7th July 2020, Linda Thompson spotted -   2BKJ  at Sandy Bay in Larne, County Antrim, a distance of 54 kms / 33 miles (SSE).

Common Gull  -    2BKJ   -  Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim  (16th May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 24th June 2019, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island)

 

Before I began the long, awkward trek towards Bruce's Castle, I looked for and found the nest of the pair of Great Black-backed Gulls which nest on the headland on the north tip of Arkill Bay.  The nest contained three eggs, so hopefully I'll get to ring their chicks sometime in mid to late June.

In the summer of 2019, when I discovered the two smaller Common Gull colonies towards Bruce's Castle, I noted that there was a pair of Great Black-backed Gulls with at least one chick.  Before moving towards Bruce's Castle today, I scoped for the pair and spotted them on a tiny islet, and the female was sitting on a nest.  This was great news, as this is the third pair of Great Black-backed's to be found nesting between the East Lighthouse and Rue Point Lighthouse.  During my visit on the 2nd May, I could see that the Great Black-backed Gull was on the headland at Doon Point, though I did not venture there to look for eggs.  The nest would have been just out of view from where I was.

At Portawillin, I was able to climb onto the rock islet to discover the Great Black-backed Gulls had three eggs here as well.  The problem is that the islet is so small, it seems likely that the chicks will be led off the rock once they have hatched.  It may then be difficult to locate the chicks if this happens.  Whilst climbing up the islet, I passed within inches of an Eider duck sitting tightly on her nest.  She was un-dettered by my presence and remained on the nest.

Now scoping through the Common Gulls at Portawillin, I spotted another colour-ringed bird.  Although quite distant, I managed to capture the code, which was the first ever sighting of -   2BKK .  Interestingly, -   2BKK , was the next bird to be colour-ringed after -   2BJK  which was mentioned above.  Here again, -   2BKK , just like   2BJK , is probably just prospecting for a nest site.

 

The two small colonies at Portawillin and Portcastle, between them, have around 25 to 30 nests, but all are widely spread out.  Chicks may be hard to locate when the time comes round to ringing.  Both sites are very difficult to get too, as the farmland behind them are strictly marked 'No Trespassing'.  At some point, I need to track down the landowner, to see if we can come to some sort of an arrangement over access.

Common Gull  -    2BKK   -  Portawillan, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim  (16 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 24th June 2019, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island)

 

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Castle Espie - 22nd May 2021

The Castle Espie Wetland Centre was my main target today, in the hope of recording a few more colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.  On leaving home, my first stop was at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast.  The hides here are still not open, and having to scope the nest platforms through a perspex screen is not ideal.  However, having scanned through the Black-headed Gulls on the nest platform for over an hour, not a single ring was spotted.

 

Moving on to Castle Espie, I spent the best part of a couple of hours searching through the nesting Black-headed Gulls, but only spotted one colour-ringed bird -  2BKK .  It was ringed as a chick at Castle Espie, on the 19th June 2014.  Today's sighting is the 9th for -   2BKK , with all records having been made at Castle Espie.

 

The first two re-sightings were made by Kevin Kirkham on the 3rd April & 3rd July 2016.  During the breeding season of 2018,   2BKK  was recorded on four occasions - 13th May, 27th May, 16th June (Reserve Warden) and on the 24th June.  In 2019, I recorded -   2BKK  on the 25th May (breeding) and on the 7th July.  This was the last time the gull was recorded until today.  Due to the first 'Coronavirus Lockdown' in 2020, Castle Espie was closed to the public throughout the breeding season.  The duration since being ringed, is now 6 years,11 months and 3 days.

 

On leaving Castle Espie, I went to Millisle in search for ringed Common Gulls.  On arrival, I discovered that the whole seafront and beach, were packed with families.  Normally, a few gulls would hang around the car park looking for tit-bits of food, but the sheer numbers of folk about had obviously put them off visiting.

 

Black-headed Gull  -    2BKK   -  Castle Espie Wetland Centre, Strangford Lough, Co. Down  (22 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2014, at Castle Espie Wetland Centre)

 

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Antrim Marina and Ballintoy Harbour - 23rd May 2021

Today started off with persistent rain, so I was at odds on what to do.  Antrim Marina was heavily thought about, but I did not know whether I could take my car through the barrier giving me access to the car park beside the slipway.  The key fob, has now been replaced by a scanner which reads the number plate of your vehicle, so access can be gained without having to get out of the car.  I applied to the Antrim & Newtownabbey Council for inclusion.  I received a reply, to say that I could get access, and due to the nature of my 'Ring Reading Project', did not have to pay the customary fee.  However, I had to fill in a form and send it back to them.  Having not received a reply, I decided to take a chance and drove to Antrim Marina.  Pulling up to the barrier, I was really delighted to see it lifting up.

I parked at my usual spot beside the short concrete jetty, and soon afterwards, the rain stopped and the sun began to shine.  Very few Black-headed Gulls appeared during my visit which lasted for around three hours.  Just five colour-ringed gulls were recorded, the aim being to identify summer residents which would no doubt, be nesting on the nearby former 'Torpedo Platform'.  Having colour-ringed 18 Black-headed Gulls here during last winter, with my 'Blue Darvic Rings', I'm trying to establish their residential status.    2FHA , was the only one of the 18 to be recorded.    2FDK , which was caught and ringed here in November 2019, now looks to be a resident.

The sighting of   2CSR , was of particular interest.  This bird was caught and ringed here in December 2017, as a 2nd winter bird.  The only Spring and Summer records for this bird, up until now, was made on the 2nd April 2018, when Suzanne Belshaw and myself, recorded the gull on the same day.  Due to the construction of the new 'Gateway Centre' during the summer of 2019, very few summer visits were made at the Marina, and the same applied during the summer of 2020, due to the first 'Lockdown'.  It now seems that -   2CSR  is also a resident to the area.

  2AAB  &   2BRA , are definite year round residents, having been recorded during the breeding season over several years.  Out on the 'Torpedo Platform', the first eggs may well have hatched by now, which should see an increase in the number of gulls visiting the Marina.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Record at Antrim Marina on the 23rd May 2021

2BRA	2AAB	2FHA	2CSR	2FDK

Just three Mute Swans were present throughout my visit.  One bird had a metal ring, and after capturing the number, this was my third sighting of -   Z78581 .  The bird had been caught and ringed as an adult female, on the 29th November 2020, at the former Belfast Waterworks in Cliftonville, Belfast.  I first recorded the swan here at the Marina, on the 12th April 2021, followed by a second sighting on the 26th April.  The distance from Belfast, is 22 kms / 13 miles (WNW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 5 months and 24 days.

Mute Swan  -    Z78581   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (23 May 2021)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 29th November 2020, at the Former Belfast Waterworks)

 

I returned home for a couple of hours, had my dinner, and then headed up to the north coast to check on the Common Gulls at Ballintoy Harbour.  At one of the nests, on an islet surrounded by the sea, two small chicks were spotted, the first seen this summer.  I looked around all the islets to see where the sitting birds were located, and it may be possible to reach some nests with a very low tide.  During the visit, I also noted the metal-rung Common Gull, which I've seen here over the last couple of years.  It is nesting on the edge of a rocky islet, and is within range of my camera to capture details on the ring.  However, this time, I could only see the 'ring butts' before the bird settled back onto it's nest.  How I would love to capture this one.  I'll come back again in another two weeks or so, and hopefully find a youngster or two to ring.

 

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From Suzanne Belshaw

Suzanne Belshaw was in touch again, concerning the sighting of a metal-rung juvenile Herring Gull.  The bird was spotted near her home in Lisburn, Co. Antrim, but she was unsure about it's metal number.  The photos that Suzanne took, showed that the 2nd letter and the 1st number were not too clear, though she thought it might be -   GY82513 .  I was asked to have a look at the photos, and see if I could make out the whole number.  I could not solve Suzanne's bird either, so I went onto DemOn, to try out some possibilities, as to what the number should be.  To me, the letter could have been a ' Y ' or a '  V ', and the first number, '  3 ', '  5 ', or '  8 '.

DemOn, does not show ringing locations, but I tried the following combinations to see if I could detect which number may have belonged to Suzanne's gull :-

 

  GV32513  - used on a Mallard

  GV52513  - used on a Barn Owl

  GV82513  - used on a Lesser Black-backed Gull

 

  GY32513  - used on a Herring Gull (ringed as a chick, on the 12th July 2020)

  GY52513  - unused ring or possibly ringing data un-submitted

  GY82513  - unused ring or possibly ringing data un-submitted

 

Suzanne's gull appeared to be -  GY32513 , but at this point, the latter two rings could not be discounted, just in case they too had been used on Herring Gulls.  The only solution would rest on Suzanne finding this bird again.

 

Luckily on the 16th May, the gull was spotted again in the same location, and this time, the ring was fully read as being -   GY32513 .  I submitted the sighting on Suzanne's behalf, and the bird had been ringed on The Copeland Islands in County Down.  The distance to Lisburn, was 40 kms / 24 miles (WSW), and the duration as of the 16th May 2021, was 10 months and 4 days.  Good to see a bit of perseverance paying off.  My thanks goes to Suzanne for the sighting and photos.

Herring Gull  -    GY32513   -  Drumbeg Drive, Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (16 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 12th July 2020, on Lighthouse Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

 

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From Dylan Bennett

Iain Livingstone copied me into his email reply to Dylan Bennett, concerning a juvenile Black-headed Gull rung -   2HJ2 .  Dylan spotted -    2HJ2 , on the 3rd May 2021, at St. Mary's Point in the Whitley Bay area of Tyne and Wear, England.  The gull was ringed as a chick, on the 24th June 2020, at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire in Scotland, and had one previous re-sighting.

 

On the 7th January 2021,   2HJ2  was spotted by Craig Johnston in the car park of the McDonald's fast food outlet, on the Rushmere Shopping Centre in Craigavon, Co. Armagh.  At that time, the duration since being ringed, was 6 months and 14 days, with the juvenile travelling 206 kms / 128 miles (WSW) to get to Craigavon.

 

The distance from Elvanfoot to Whitley Bay, is 147 kms / 91 miles (ESE), and the duration, as of Dylan's sighting had jumped to 10 months and 9 days.  The distance from Craigavon, here in Northern Ireland, to St. Mary's point is 324 kms / 201 miles (ENE).

 

It's good to know, that this youngster is still alive, and I thank Iain for keeping me informed and to Dylan for his sighting report and photograph.  

 

Black-headed Gull  -    2HJ2   -  St. Mary's Island, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, England  (03 May 2021)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 24th June 2020, at Elvanfoot, South Lanarkshire, Scotland)

(Photo Courtesy of Dylan Bennett)

 

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