Spanish Godwit...

Antrim Marina

Due to a very bad kidney infection, I have had to remain at home for just over two weeks, so no birdwatching by myself has been done, and these include missing successive visits to Antrim Marina which were supposed to have between carried out on Monday's 17th & 24th October.  I shall be resuming my weekly visits beginning next Monday 31st October.

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From David Nixon

David Nixon has been in touch with his latest ring sightings along with photographs.  It did not register with me at the time, but then it dawned on me, that David has had his camera returned.  According to David, his camera was in 'hospital' having not 'bounced' too well.  On mentioning the photos, David replied to say that the 'surgery went well'.

On the 11th October 2022, David re-sighted two colour-ringed Herring Gulls, on the high tide roost at Dundrum Inner Bay (South) in County Down.   T6VE , was ringed as a chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man.  The first re-sighting was made by Graham McElwaine, on the 27th July 2020, at Millquarter Bay in County Down.  Since then,  T6VE , has been recorded on 10 occasions, here on the high tide roost at Dundrum's South Inner Bay, which includes this latest sighting :-

19th August 2020 by Graham McElwaine, 9th September 2020 by David Nixon, 13th May 2021 by David Nixon, 9th August 2021 by Graham McElwaine, 22nd September 2021 by Graham McElwaine, 27th September 2021 by David Nixon, 7th October 2021 by David Nixon, 8th October 2021 by Graham McElwaine, 2nd April 2022 by David Nixon, and this latest sighting by David and Graham on the same day - 11th October 2022.

The duration since being ringed, is now 3 years, 3 months and 8 days, and the distance from the Calf of Man, is 71 kms / 44 miles (WNW).

Recently, we have received an email from Jim Wells.  Jim organises boat trips with their owners, to visit various locations in Scotland and off the north Irish coast.  For 2023, a trip to the Calf of Man, will be a new destination, and I have put my name forward for this one.  This will present a great opportunity to meet Mark Fitzpatrick who is the ringing coordinator on the Calf, as well as photographing the colour-ringed gulls at their nests.  Mark and I have discussed in the past, that there are no out and out ring readers in the Isle of Man.  With the zoom capabilities of my Nikon P1000 (125x zoom), it will make short work at capturing codes from a distance, and should present a few first re-sightings.

Herring Gull  -   T6VE   -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Dundrum, Co. Down  (11 Oct 2022)

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

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

A Scottish-rung Herring Gull was also spotted on the high tide roost at Dundrum Inner Bay (South), this being the sixth time that it has been recorded there.  (White) 3W7:C, was ringed as a chick, on the 28th June 2014, at Horse Isle Nature Reserve, just off the coast from Ardrossan in North Ayrshire, Scotland.  The first re-sighting was made at Dundrum on the 31st March 2017.  The second sighting was made at Lady Isle Island in South Ayrshire, Scotland, on the 12th July 2018.

The other Dundrum sightings were made on the 7th October 2020 by David Nixon, 22nd September 2021 by Graham McElwaine, 27th September 2021 by David Nixon, and on the 25th October 2021 by Graham McElwaine.

This latest sighting made by David, takes the duration to 8 years, 3 months and 13 days since being ringed, and the distance from Horse Isle NR, is 167 kms / 103 miles (SSW).

Herring Gull  -  (White)  3W7:C  -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Dundrum, Co. Down  (11 Oct 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 28th June 2014, on Horse Isle NR, Ardrossan, Ayrshire, Scotland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

On the 14th October 2022, David spotted Black-headed Gull - (White) 2APK, on the high water roost at Dundrum's South Inner Bay, which was the second sighting of the bird this winter and the 13th record for the gull overall.

(White) 2APK, was ringed as a chick, on the 14th June 2015, at Broad Law in the Borders Region of Scotland.  All sightings for this gull have been made in Northern Ireland :-

2nd January 2017 - Castlewellan Forest Park - James O'Neill - 1y, 6m, 19d - 249 kms / 154 miles (SW).

26th June 2017 - Lurgan Park Lake - Suzanne Belshaw - 2y, 0m, 12d - 254 kms / 157 miles (WSW).

30th September 2018 - Castlewellan Forest Park - Graham McElwaine - 3y, 3m, 16d.

25th July 2019 - Castlewellan Forest Park - Graham McElwaine - 4y, 1m, 11d.

15th July 2020 - Dundrum Inner Bay (South) - David Nixon - 5y, 1m, 1d - 246 kms / 152 miles (SW).

17th September 2020 - Castlewellan Forest Park - Graham McElwaine - 5y, 3m, 3d.

10th July 2021 - Castlewellan Forest Park - Graham McElwaine - 6y, 0m, 26d.

30th July 2021 - Castlewellan Forest Park - Graham McElwaine - 6y, 1m, 16d.

22nd September 2021 - Castlewellan Forest Park - Graham McElwaine - 6y, 3m, 8d.

21st October 2021 - Castlewellan Forest Park - Graham McElwaine - 6y, 4m, 7d.

8th March 2022 - Lurgan Park Lake - Suzanne Belshaw - 6y, 8m, 22d.

16th September 2022 - Castlewellan Forest Park - Graham McElwaine - 7y, 3m, 2d.

David's latest sighting takes the duration to 7 years and 4 months.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  2APK  -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Dundrum, Co. Down  (14 Oct 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 14th June 2015, at Broad Law, Moorfoot Hills, Borders Region, Scotland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

The best of the four ring sightings, was that of a Black-tailed Godwit.  Spotted on the mudflats at the North Inner Bay at Dundrum, Co. Down, the four colour-rings, were all positioned on the birds right leg - single red above the knee, and yellow, red, yellow below the knee, with the metal ring was fitted on the birds upper left leg.  The sighting was reported to me, just as I was about to leave home to go to work.  I had a quick look on the International Wader Study Group database, but could not find the relevant colour-ringing project.  I then hurriedly re-directed David's email to wader expert - Richard Du Feu.

Within no time at all, Richard sent a reply to David, stating that the bird had been ringed in Spain, and included the email address of the project owner.  David thanked Richard, and duly reported the sighting to Spain.  Although the bird was spotted on the 5th October, a reply finally arrived on the 15th October.

R-YRY, had been ringed as an un-sexed 2nd Calendar Year bird, on the 18th January 2019, at Arnosa, on the Spanish west coast.  Since being ringed, David's sighting was the 33rd sighting record for the bird, with all but two being reported locally to where it was ringed.  The other two sightings were reported by Tom Cooney, on the 3rd September 2021, and again on the 2nd October 2021, at Dundalk Bay in County Louth, Republic of Ireland.

David's sighting at Dundrum, comes 3 years, 8 months and 17 days since being ringed, and the distance is 1,332 kms / 827 miles (NNE).  I would be fairly certain, that this is the first Spanish ringed Black-tailed Godwit, to be recorded here in Northern Ireland.

My thanks to David for the sighting, and to Antonio Fernández Cordeiro, who is the coordinator for the Anduriña Ringing Group.

Black-tailed Godwit  -  R-YRY  -  Dundrum Inner Bay (North), Dundrum, Co. Down  (05 Oct 22)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Second Year Bird, on the 18th January 2019, at Arnosa, Spain)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

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From Suzanne Belshaw

On the 12th October 2022, Suzanne re-sighted two Black-headed Gulls during a visit to the former Belfast Waterworks at Cliftonville in Belfast.  (White) 2717, was ringed as a chick, on the 18th June 2021, on Lough Ree, Co. Longford in the Republic of Ireland.  It's first re-sighting, was made by Suzanne, here at the Waterworks, on the 22nd June 2022.  On the 10th September 2022, I recorded (White) 2717, on the Dargan Mudflats on Belfast Lough.

This third sighting takes the duration since being ringed, to 1 year, 3 months and 24 days, and the distance from Lough Ree to Belfast, is 179 kms / 111 miles (NE).  According to Brian Burke, who is the projects ringing coordinator, 12 Black-headed Gulls from the Lough Ree project have now been recorded in Northern Ireland.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  2717  -  Belfast Waterworks, Cliftonville, Belfast  (12 Oct 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 18th June 2021, on King's Island, Lough Ree, Co. Longford, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The re-sighting of a Norwegian Black-headed Gull by Suzanne at the waterworks, is the second for this winter, and the fourth in Northern Ireland overall.   J7L8 , was ringed as an adult male, on the 12th April 2017, at Lake Engervannet on the outskirts of Oslo.  All four NI sightings have been made here at the waterworks - 11th October 2019 by Paul McCullough, 1st September 2020 by Suzanne, 20th September 2022, and this latest sighting.  There was one 2022 sighting in Norway, and this was made on the 7th April 2022 in Oslo.

The duration since being ringed is now 5 years and 6 months, and the distance to Belfast Waterworks, is 1,148 kms / 713 miles (WSW).

Black-headed Gull  -   J7L8   -  Belfast Waterworks, Cliftonville, Belfast  (12 Oct 2022)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 12th April 2017, at Lake Engervannet, Oslo, Norway)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Suzanne's sighting of a Black-headed Gull, on the 13th October 2022, at Kinnegar Beach on Belfast Lough, was really pleasing to get.  The bird concerned -  2AJF , belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Project, which I now respond to.

 2AJF , was ringed as a chick, on the 19th June 2014, at the WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre in County Down.  The gull went unrecorded until 2018, when I made the first of seven re-sightings for this bird :-

12th May 2018 - RSPB Window on Wildlife Reserve, Belfast - 3y, 10, 23d - 17 kms / 10 miles (NW).

9th December 2018 - former Dargan Landfill Site, Belfast - 4y, 5m, 20d - 18 kms / 11 miles (NW).

17th February 2019 - Kinnegar Shore, Belfast Lough - 4y, 7m, 29d - 16 kms / 9 miles (NW).

2nd March 2019 - RSPB WoW Reserve, Belfast - 4y, 8m, 11d.

9th March 2019 - RSPB WoW Reserve, Belfast - 4y, 8m, 18d.

30th March 2019 - RSPB WoW Reserve, Belfast - 4y, 9m, 11d.

13th April 2019 - RSPB WoW Reserve, Belfast - 4y, 9, 25d.

Since 2019, this gull has gone unrecorded until now.  My sightings of -  2AJF , at the RSPB Reserve, saw the bird being recorded on nesting platform two.  Although the platform has been monitored since 2019, there has been no sign of -  2AJF .  Many Black-headed Gulls nest around the edges of the lagoon at the reserve, so it may be likely that is where the gull is nesting at now.  Suzanne's sighting, takes the duration to 8 years, 3 months and 24 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2AJF   -  Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (13 Oct 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2014, at WWT Castle Espie NR, Strangford Lough, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

On the 18th October 2022, Suzanne fell in with a colour-ringed Redshank, which she has recorded twice previously at the same site on Tyrella Beach in County Down.  Suzanne's first encounter, was made on the 9th November 2021, with the second having been made on the 1st February 2022.

Unfortunately, neither the BTO or the International Wader Study Group, could identify the owner of the colour-ringing project as seemingly, it had not been registered.  A handful of birdwatchers here in Northern Ireland, knows who the culprit is, and it's sad to be saying this, the individual concerned is actually funded to carry out several projects.  He is ringing many birds but has not been submitting the ringing details to the BTO, and they therefore, cannot produce recoveries.

I have also recorded one of these Redshanks, two colour-ringed Oystercatcher and a colour-ringed Herring Gull, belonging to the same person.  Having submitted Suzanne's redshank sightings, plus my own birds by their colour-marks only, the BTO has recently removed these birds from my DemOn account, therefore, we will have no chance in obtaining the ringing details.  I was told to re-submit the sightings whenever I can obtain a metal-number for each bird respectively

By doing this, the BTO are letting the ringer concerned, 'get away with his activities', which will only add to the frustration when 'ring readers' spend much time in the field recording colour-ringed birds belonging to the said person, and not obtaining any outcome.  Although I informed the BTO and the IWSG who the ringer is, their emails to that individual have not been answered.

Redshank  -  W(HCA)-Y  -  Tyrella Beach, Co. Down  (18 Oct 22)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

On the 23rd October 2022, Suzanne fell in with a colour-ringed Herring Gull -  B91:D  in Lisburn, Co. Antrim.  Having reported her sighting to Graham Prole, who is the ringing coordinator for the Irish Midlands Ringing Group, a quick reply duly followed.   B91:D , was ringed as a chick, on the 1st July 2021, on the roof of St. James Hospital in the City of Dublin.

The first re-sighting of this bird, was recorded on the 19th September 2022, when Jan Rod recorded the gull at Bray Harbour in County Wicklow.  Suzanne's sighting takes the duration since being ringed, to 1 year, 3 months and 22 days.  The distance from Dublin to Lisburn, is kms / miles ().

2nd Calendar Year Herring Gull  -   B91:D   -  Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (23 Oct 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 1st July 2021, at St. James Hospital, City of Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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