2AFD Returns...

Having left my car in for repairs on Thursday, I was rather surprised at receiving a phone call early on Friday morning, to say the car was ready.  The housing for both rear shock absorbers were replaced, as were the shock absorbers themselves.

 

I did not get out this weekend, as once again, I had to babysit the wife's two cats.  Along with her sister, they took themselves off to the markets in Belfast, and had booked an overnight stay.

 

At present, I'm having a lot of bother with my laptop.  The left hand hinge seized closed, and I had to partially break the lid to open it.  I can now see bare wires, and I'm now wondering if this could be the cause of several problems, the most notable, is the screen 'freezing'.  Sometime this week, I'll have to pop down to Curry's to purchase a new laptop.  A £100 pound gift voucher which I received for 5 years of service at work, will now be handy.  Last week, I used my £100 Government card, to purchase a new TV for the wife for a Christmas present.  The things we do to keep our wives sweet!!!!

 

I'm holding back on several ring sightings by other observers, and hopefully, I will be able to get these onto my next post.

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Antrim Marina - Monday 22nd November 2021

The traffic leading into Antrim Town was very slow this morning, and I eventually reached the Marina at 09:25.  After a heavy overnight frost, the jetties were covered in ice, though the morning was calm and sunny.  Just 29 Black-headed Gulls were present, with numbers steadily increasing throughout the morning.  As usual, judging by the ringed birds, some gulls were coming and going throughout the morning, but around midday onwards, at least 120 to 130 gulls were present.

Having caught and ringed another Black-headed Gull on Monday last week, today I was on the lookout for 49 colour-ringed birds which have either returned for the winter or have been ringed over the past number of weeks.  Also during this visit, I needed to check on the age of two birds in particular that I ringed recently, one being ringed as a 2nd year bird, and the gull that I ringed last week, being an adult.  Both were re-sighted today.

 

The first of these two, was -   2FHX , my ninth sighting of the morning at 09:50.  I ringed this bird on the 8th November 2021, as an un-sexed 2nd Calendar bird.  The following week (last Monday - 15th), I took my first photo of the bird.  Before putting photos onto my blog, I edit them to make them look sharper, by changing the colour and contrast slightly.  This made the legs of -   2FHX , looking more red, as those of a full adult.  Having looked at -   2FHX  again today, I'm now happy that it is a 2nd year bird.

 

Black-headed Gull  -    2FHX   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (22 Nov 2021)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 8th November 2021, at Antrim Marina)

 

My 16th sighting of the morning at 10:10, was the second of the two gulls of interest -   2FIA .  I caught and ringed this one last Monday, recording it as a 'feisty' adult.  Today, I got my first photo of the gull, and have now changed my mind as to it's age.  I've now put this one down as also being a 2nd year bird.

 

Black-headed Gull  -    2FIA   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (22 Nov 2021)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 15th November 2021, at Antrim Marina)

 

The 31st of today's 34 ring sightings at 11:50, had me rushing back to my car to collect the camera.  I had just spotted the return of -   2AFD  from Latvia.  Worse still, he had landed on the top rail of the short concrete jetty, where a woman, along with her daughter and grand-daughter, were reaching over the rails to feed the ducks.  I was panicking, just in case she would disturb -   2AFD , who was perched about four feet away to the left of the woman.  I asked her not to move, as I needed to take a photo of the gull - so no problems, I got my photos.  Explaining that the bird in question had arrived back from Latvia, the lady said that they often fed the birds here, and had noted the gulls with the colour-rings.  I explained about what I was doing, and showed them the rings that I use.

 

 2AFD , was caught and ringed as an adult male, on the 12th February 2014, at Antrim Marina.  We assume that it breeds in Latvia, having been seen there in April 2015, and again in April 2016.  The bird is a rather late returnee to Antrim each winter, with earliest of the return dates being recorded on the 1st November 2015.  In the more recent years,   2AFD  began to visit the Marina less often, and during the winter of 2018/2019, the gull was not recorded here at all.  At that point, I was beginning to think the bird had perished, until I fell in with it by chance.  On Sunday 10th March 2019, whilst driving through the town of Antrim on my way to County Down, I noticed a large number of Black-headed Gulls perched on a rooftop beside the Castle Way car park.  With a couple of loaves on the back seat, I drove round to the car park and began throwing out bits of bread.  Down came the gulls including -   2AFD .

 

This winter, knowing that -   2AFD  was due back, I had already visited the Castle Way car park on two occasions without any luck.  My only sighting of -   2AFD  last winter, was made exactly one year ago today (22 Nov 2020), at Castle Way.  With the second Covid Lockdown beginning on the 4th January 2021, Antrim was beyond my ten mile limit for travel, so I had no chance of recording the bird again or even to visit Antrim Marina.

 

The key dates for -   2AFD  are as follows :-

 

Ringed - 12th February 2014, no further sightings.

Wakehurst Playing Fields, Ballymena - 13th November 2014 (15 kms / 10 miles (N)).

Return to Antrim Marina - 15th November 2014, Departed after the 22nd March 2015.

4th, 5th & 11th April 2015 - Getlini Eko Landfill Site, Riga, Latvia (Richard Bonser & Eddie Fritze).

Return to Antrim Marina - 1st November 2015, Departed after the 6th March 2016.

26th & 27th April 2016 - Getlini Eko Landfill Site, Riga, Latvia (Eddie Fritze).

Return to Antrim Marina - 13th November 2016.

 

From this point, sightings of -   2AFD  became less frequent at Antrim Marina, until I discovered that the gull now preffered to remain in the town of Antrim (Castle Way car park).

 

Last seen at Antrim Marina on the 18th December 2016.

Return to Antrim Marina - 5th November 2017, Departed after the 19th February 2018.

No return date for 2018 - Departed after the 10th March 2019, when found at Castle Way in Antrim.

15th December 2019 - Recorded at Castle Way.

Recorded at Antrim Marina - 3rd February 2020, Departed after the 16th March 2020.

Recorded at Castle Way on the 22nd November 2020 - only sighting last winter.

Today (22 Nov 2021), back at Antrim Marina.

 

I was thrilled to see -   2AFD  back again for another winter.  The duration since -   2AFD  was ringed, is now 7 years, 9 months and 10 days.  The distance from Antrim to the Latvian capital of Riga, is 1,921 kms / 1,193 miles, making this bird one of our longest distance travellers.

 

Black-headed Gull  -    2AFD   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (22 Nov 2021)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 12th February 2014, at Antrim Marina)

 

Shortly before departing, I had another go at catching a bird or two.  They were not really 'biting' which was of no surprise.  Several folk visited the Marina throughout the morning, so the gulls may have got more than their fair share.  I got lucky, as one of the swans stood on a juvenile, so, not only did I save it from injury, I even ringed it for it's troubles -   2FIC .  With the arrival of -   2AFD , and the ringing of -   2FIC , I'll be looking for 51 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls on my next visit.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 22nd November 2021

2FDK	2FHN	2CJT	2AAB	2BRA	2AAK	2FDJ	2FFA	2FHX
2CSA	2FFF	2ABN	2FFL	2AAN	2CSK	2FIA	2FDV	2ABK
2FFC	2ABS	2FHP	2FHC	2AAR	2CSJ	2FHV	2ABL	2CSL
2FFJ	2FDT	2FHA	2AFD	2CTC	2ACV	2CSB

Black-headed Gulls Recorded or Ringed This Autum/Winter but Absent Today

2AAA	2ABA	2BRD	2CSR	2CSX	2CTA	2FFN	2FFP
2FFT	2FFX	2FHF	2FHH	2FHJ	2FHK	2FHL	2FHT

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

Last week saw the highest number of Common Gulls at the Marina this winter.  A total of seven birds were noted, which included the second sighting this winter of -   EY64036 , which was ringed in Scotland as a chick in June 2013.  Today, just four adults appeared - 09:43, two at 09:50, and -   EY64036  at 10:34.  An adult Herring Gull arrived at 09:54, but was not the usual bird that I've recorded here over the last couple of months.  A juvenile Herring Gull arrived at 11:40.  This bird was not used to having people around and soon left.

8 adult Mute Swans were on the slipway when I arrived, the most adults so far recorded this winter.  Not long afterwards, two swan upriver, whilst four swam out towards the Lough.  Of the two remaining birds, my friend parked himself as usual beside my car.  At 10:18, a pair of swans along with four large cygnets arrived in from the Lough.  Resting up on the small sandy beach, the adults readily walked up to me for bread.  Their cygnets, remained on the water's edge, and hissed at me as I approached them.  There was no doubt in my mind, that these four have never been here before, as they were clearly not used to people.  None of the swans were ringed.

Around 40 Mallards were present on my arrival, with numbers quickly rising to about 80 birds altogether.  As usual, most were checked for rings.

 

Just 5 Jackdaws, were the only other species recorded today.

 

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