Distant Sightings...

After publishing my blog post last Sunday (3rd April 2022), I stated that my weekly visits to Antrim Marina had now ended, with posts during the summer months being published whenever enough material has been gathered.  No sooner was the post published, when an email arrived from Latvia. This was the beginning of an 'avalanche' of sightings being reported to me during the following days - so much so, I'm now forced to spread these over two posts.

I had hoped to publish this post yesterday, but after several hours typing on Friday morning, we had a power cut, and on losing my internet connection, everything that I had entered during the morning was lost.  Today, Saturday, I have decided to stay at home, not only to finish this post, but to begin the next one.  I have loads of photos to edit, but one good thing, is that I have most recovery details from the BTO, which concern several new sightings.  All this at a time, when I thought things were going to quieten down for a while.  A busy time lies ahead of me.

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Sighting Report from Latvia

On Sunday evening of the 3rd April 2022, not long after publishing my latest post, an email arrived with me which was sent by Juris Vigulis from the Latvia.  On the 27th March 2022, Juris spotted Black-headed Gull -  2AFD , at an area called Kengarags on the southern outskirts of the Latvian capital of Riga.  The site is situated beside the River Daugava, which flows through Riga towards the nearby Baltic Sea, and according to Juris, is a favourite spot for Black-headed Gulls on their Spring Migration.

 2AFD , belongs to my Black-headed Gull Study at Antrim Marina, where I focus on a wintering population of these gulls.  When you look at the Black-headed Gulls at any wintering site, it is impossible to know where these birds have come from, until they are caught and ringed, and then the wait begins to see where the birds are spotted on their travels.  However,  2AFD  is no Stranger to Riga.  

The gull was ringed by Adam McClure as an adult male, at Antrim Marina, on the 12th February 2014, and belonged to his former Northern Ireland Study of these birds.  The first re-sighting was made by me, on the 13th November 2014, at the Wakehurst Playing fields in my home town of Ballymena, situated around 10 miles north from Antrim.  Where -  2AFD  had been over the summer months was unknown, but two days later, on the 15th November 2014, the gull was spotted by Paul Lynas back at Antrim Marina.  It was then recorded on numerous occasions at the Marina throughout the 2014/2015, and was last seen there on the 22nd March 2015.

A flurry of three sightings was then made on the 4th, 5th & 11th April 2015, when -  2AFD  was spotted at Getlini Eko Landfill Site on the outskirts of Riga - (Richard Bonser (twice) and by Eddie Fritze).  Richard is from England, but happened to be on a Ring Reading holiday in Riga - now how cool was that!!

Whether the gull bred in Latvia is not known, but until we hear otherwise, we can presume it did so.  On the 1st November 2015, I recorded the return of -  2AFD  to Antrim Marina and last saw it there on the 6th March 2016.  Next, on the 26th & 27th April 2016. Eddie Fritze reported that -  2AFD  was back on the Getlini Eko Landfill site, this being the last Latvian sighting until now.

After returning to Antrim Marina on the 13th November 2016, sightings there began to become less frequent, although the gull was recorded back every winter.  During the winter of 2018/2019, there had been no sightings at all, and I had feared for the worse.  However, on the 10th March 20219, I fell in with -  2AFD  quite by accident.  On driving through the town of Antrim, I spotted a large number of gulls on a rooftop beside the Castle Way car park, and I have since discovered, this is where I can now find -  2AFD .

This past winter, I looked for -  2AFD  on several occasions at Castle Way, as I knew he was due to return, but he announced his arrival by visiting me at Antrim Marina on the 22nd November 2021, exactly a year to the day since I last saw him.  The gull was recorded on just six occasions during this winter, with the final sighting having been made at Antrim Marina on the 21st February 2022, as if to say I'm leaving now.

The distance from Antrim Marina to Kengarags in Riga, is 1915 kms / 1189 miles (E), and the duration since being ringed, was 8 years, 1 month and 15 days.

My thanks goes to Juris for his sighting report, it was really great to receive another sighting from Latvia.

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Sighting Report from Sweden

On Monday 4th April 2022, I received an email from Sweden, just as I was about to leave home to go to work.  I was thrilled to read that another of my Antrim Marina Black-headed Gulls -  2FDL , had been spotted in Stockholm.

Claes-Göran Magnusson, had spotted -  2FDL  on the 3rd April 2022, at Råstasjön Nature Reserve in the north-west suburbs of Stockholm, a distance of 1551 kms / 963 miles (ENE), from Antrim Marina.

I caught and ringed the gull as an un-sexed adult bird at Antrim Marina on the 18th November 2019.  After being ringed,  2FDL  was recorded on five occasions at the Marina, and was last seen that winter, on the 20th January 2020.  During the following winter of 2020/2021, there were no sightings at the Marina, though this was not helped by the second 'Covid Lockdown', having started after the 4th January 2021, ending in early April 2021.

This winter -  2FDL , returned to Antrim Marina on the 31st January 2022.  I can remember this sighting very well.  The bird was standing amongst other Black-headed Gulls in the car park adjacent to the low wooden jetty, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had not seen this bird over my previous weekly visits.  I rushed back to my car to get my camera, and as I was zooming in for photo the gull took off and was heading towards Lough Neagh.  I frantically began throwing out bits of bread, and the commotion brought the gull back again, and I got my photo.  On the following Monday, 7th February 2022, I recorded -  2FDL  again at the Marina, and this was the last time that I saw the gull.

There could be a good possibility that this bird winters elsewhere, and is using Antrim Marina as a staging post on it's travels.  Only future sightings here can answer that question.

I was really delighted to receive this sighting, as this has added another country, among the gulls that have been caught and colour-ringed at Antrim Marina.  Claes, added in his email, that a colony of around 500 pairs of Black-headed Gulls nests on the Råstasjön Nature Reserve, and I am now hoping for further re-sightings there over the course of the breeding season.

My thanks goes to Claes, for his sighting report and info, along with a photo that he has allowed me to use.  The duration since being ringed, is 2 years, 4 months and 16 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FDL   -  Råstasjön NR, Sunbyberg, Stockholm, Sweden  (03 Apr 2022)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Adult, on the 18th November 2019, at Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Claes-Göran Magnusson)

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From David Nixon

On the 2nd April 2022, David Nixon visited the high tide roost at Dundrum South Inner Bay, on Strangford Lough, Co. Down, where he recorded three colour-ringed gulls.

The first of these, and by far the oldest, was a Great Black-backed Gull -  1NR , which belongs to Chris Honan's former colour-ringing project, where Graham Prole of the Irish Midlands Ringing Group, now responds to sightings from Chris's former project.

 1NR , was ringed as a chick, on the 30th June 2012, on Ireland's Eye Island in County Dublin.  There is apparently no sighting records for this gull until 2020, but sightings may have been submitted to Chris which we know nothing about.

Since 2020, there has been a steady stream of sightings of  1NR , all made by various observers in County Down :-

20th June 2020, at sea just off the coast from Coney Island - John Smyth

30th June 2020, Ballyhornan Beach - Declan Clarke

27th July 2020, Millquarter Bay - Graham McElwaine

2nd September 2020, Dundrum South Inner Bay - Graham McElwaine

11th February 2021, Dundrum South Inner Bay - David Nixon

22nd May 2021, at sea just off the coast from Coney Island - John Smyth

7th February 2022, Dundrum South Inner Bay - Graham McElwaine

2nd April 2022 - latest sighting by David

The two sightings by John Smyth, were made when the gull landed on his fishing boat.

The distance from Ireland's Eye Island to Dundrum, is 76 kms / 47 miles (NNE), and the duration since being ringed, is now 9 years, 9 months and 3 days.

Great Black-backed Gull  -   1NR   -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Strangford Lough, Co. Down  (02 Apr 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 30th June 2012, on Ireland's Eye Island, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

 U59:M , is a recently rung Herring Gull, having been ringed as an un-sexed 3rd calendar year bird, on the 1st November 2021, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man.  Today's sighting of  U59:M , is now the second for the bird, as David also recorded it here at the South Inner Bay, on the 17th February 2022.  The distance from the Calf of Man, is 72 kms / 44 miles (WNW), and the duration from ringing, is a mere 5 months and 1 day, though the gull is much older of course.

Herring Gull  -   U59:M   -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Strangford Lough, Co. Down  (02 Apr 20220

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed 3rd Calendar Year Bird, on the 1st November 2021, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

The third gull was an immature Herring Gull which presented David with a problem.  Initially, David could only see the top of the Darvic, which read ' VE ', but the remainder of the code was hidden by vegetation.  When eventually, the gull decided to scratch it's head, David then managed to read the whole code -  T6VE .

 T6VE , had been ringed as a chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man, and since then has been growing a steady list of re-sightings.  The first of these, was made by Graham McElwaine, when he spotted the gull at Millquarter Bay in County Down, on the 27th July 2020.  Since then, all nine sightings including today's, have been made here at the South Inner Bay :- August 2020, September 2020, May 2021, August 2021, twice in September 2021, twice in October 2021, and now today's sighting.

The distance from the Calf of Man, to the South Inner Bay, is 71 kms / 44 miles (WNW).  The Calf of Man, is split by two 1km squares, which results in a slight difference to the distances given.  The duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 8 months and 30 days.

My thanks to David for these three sightings, along with the photos.

Herring Gull  -   T6VE   -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Strangford Lough, Co. Down  (02 Apr 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Calf of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

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From Graham McElwaine

On the 3rd April, I received an email from Graham McElwaine concerning two gull sightings that he made earlier that day.  The first of these was made at Ardglass Harbour in County Down, where he recorded a juvenile Herring Gull -  L38:D , which was a first sighting for Graham personally, though it was the fifth sighting overall.   L38:D , was ringed as a chick, on the 21st June 2021, on Lambay Island in County Dublin.  It's first two re-sightings were reported at Bullock Harbour in Dalkey, County Dublin in August and September 2021.  By the 26th October 2021, the youngster had moved it's way northwards and was spotted by Declan Clarke at Ardglass Harbour, where he also recorded the bird on the 27th March 2022.  The distance from Lambay Island to Ardglass, is 92 kms / 57 miles (NNE), and the duration as of Graham's latest sighting, is now 9 months and 13 days since being ringed.  There were no photos to go along with Graham's sightings, so I have added one taken by Declan on the 6th October 2021.

Juvenile Herring Gull  -   L38:D   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 21st June 2021, at Lambay Island, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Declan Clarke, taken on the 26th October 2021)

Graham's second gull sighting was that of a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull, ringed (White) 6C7:C, at Killough Harbour, also in County Down.  (White) 6C7:C, had been ringed as a chick, on the 28th June 2021, on Pladda Island, situated just off the southern coast of the Isle of Arran in Scotland.  This was the birds second sighting since being ringed, as Graham first recorded the young gull, on the 5th October 2021, having been spotted in Mill Bay, on Carlingford Lough, Co. Down.  The distance from Pladda to Killough, is 134 kms / 83 miles (SSW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 9 months and 6 days.  My thanks goes to Graham for both of these sighting reports.

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From Declan Clarke

On the 3rd April 2022, Declan Clarke was at Ardglass Harbour in County Down, when he spotted a colour-ringed juvenile Herring Gull.  He was able to read the ring, which happened to be a second sighting of - J81:M.  The gull was ringed as a chick, on the 27th June 2021, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man.  The distance to Ardglass harbour is 57 kms / 35 miles (WNW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 9 months and 7 days.  Declan first spotted the gull here on the 27th February 2022, and so far, these have been the only sightings for this youngster.  My thanks goes to Declan for his sighting report.

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Sightings from Scotland

Over recent days, I have received two emails from Brian Henderson in Scotland, both concerning Black-headed Gulls which belonged to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Study.  The gulls were spotted on the East Pier in Stranraer, which used to be the home for Stena Line Ferry Service, which has now moved to the nearby port of Cairnryan which has deeper water.  I have a long list of sightings which have been reported to me of late, but I could not resist in adding these two onto this post.

On the 5th and 6th April 2022,  2CBL  was recorded on the East Pier, which now has a breeding colony of Black-headed Gulls nesting on the now disused ferry terminal.  However, Brian cannot confirm that -  2CBL  is nesting there, as the gulls are just beginning their breeding season.

 2CBL , was ringed as a chick, on the 24th June 2016, at the Castle Espie Wetland Centre in County Down.  Until now, there had only been one re-sighting, which was made by myself, on the 12th May 2019, when I came across -  2CBL  at a breeding colony, at the RSPB's Portmore Lough Nature Reserve in County Antrim (Photo).

I was really delighted to hear that this gull is still alive and well.  Brian is going to keep a check on the colony on the East Pier over the coming weeks, to determine if either of the two Black-headed Gulls are actually nesting there.

The distance from Castle Espie to Stranraer is 62 kms / 38 miles (NE), and the duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 9 months and 13 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2CBL   -  East Pier, Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland  (06 Apr 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 24th June 2016, at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Brian Henderson)

All of the re-sightings of the second Black-headed Gull -  2BRS , belong to Brian.  The gull was ringed as a chick, on the 22nd June 2016, at Inch Island Lake in County Donegal.  Although the site is in the Republic of Ireland, Adam could not refuse the chance to ring Black-headed Gulls there when invited to, by the Causeway Ringing Group, with approval from the Irish Parks & National Wildlife Service.  A total of three visits were made at the colony to colour-ring chicks, with a total of 122 birds being ringed altogether.  Some of the chicks were too young to take a colour-ring, and the visits enabled me to retrain as a ringer.

The main focus on the island, are the Sandwich Terns which nest in quite high numbers, and their chicks are ringed by members of the Causeway Coast Ringing Group.  Despite the high total of Black-headed Gull chicks ringed, very few of them were ever re-sighted.

 2BRS , was first recorded by Brian, on the 5th March 2020, and again on the 8th March 2020, at Bishop Burn, which is only a short distance away from Stranraer.  Brian's latest sighting was made on the East Pier in Stranraer, on the 7th April 2022, but again, he is not sure whether the bird is breeding there.  The distance from Inch to Stranraer, is roughly 156 kms / 97 miles (E), and the duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 9 months and 16 days.

On the 8th April 2022, on receiving a long list of recoveries from the BTO, I discovered that a Black-headed Gull -  2005 , which Graham McElwaine had spotted at my Antrim Marina Study site, had actually been ringed in Stranraer.  I then sent an email to Brian, asking if he had ever encountered this gull at Stranraer, and I then received a positive reply.  Brian, also stated that he had seen -  2BRS  again that day on the East Pier.  More on the story of  2005 , will appear in my next post.

Black-headed Gull -   2BRS   -  East Pier, Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland  (07 Apr 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 22nd June 2016, at Inch Island Lake, Co. Donegal, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Brian Henderson)

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