Where Are The Gulls...

Antrim Marina - Monday 21st November 2022

Having experienced a poor showing from the Black-headed Gulls on last Monday's weekly visit, this week was just as bad.  It rained throughout the visit, and having to remain in the car to try and keep dry, no matter how I positioned my car, the rain still managed to get in through the open window.  On my arrival, just 19 Black-headed Gulls were present, and the first colour-ring read was that of -  2FIL  at 9:15.  More Black-headed Gulls arrived within no time at all, and by 10:12, the ring of -  2BRA , was the 18th to be read.  By now, at least 60 Black-headed Gulls were present, but then numbers started to drop off.  From this point, only a further six colour-rings were read, giving a total of 24 for the visit.

Of 41 colour-rings to look out for, this meant I had 17 absentees today, and no more returnees were recorded.  It was really boring, due to the lack of birds present, and as the rain began to fall even heavier around 12:30, I decided to leave for home.  I took a photo of the gulls present as I was leaving, with particularly all birds standing about the car park, these numbering around 40 altogether. 

Black-headed Gulls Spread Around Car Park on my Departure

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 21st November 2022

2FIL	2AAN	2FHX	2AAA	2FDK	2FFA	2ABL	2AAB
2ACV	2ABN	2CSB	2CJT	2FIF	2FFF	2CSA	2CSR
2FIA	2BRA	2AAK	2FFX	2FHJ	2FHP	2FIK	2CTC

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

2ABA	2ABS	2CSK	2CSL	2CSX	2FDJ	2FDX	2FFC	2FFL
2FFP	2FFT	2FHA	2FHC	2FHV	2FIH	2FIJ	2FIN

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

On parking close to the slipway at the Marina, I noticed straightaway that there were only two cygnets present along with their parents.  Recently, one of the cygnets would stray away from the family group, but would re-join them later in the morning.  Of the two youngsters present, one along with it's mother walked up to my car looking for a feed of bread.  Eventually, the second youngster exited the river to make it's way over, but this one was limping very heavily, having to flap it's wings to keep it's balance.  This one plonked down beside my car, but after a while, I had to lift the bird and place it back onto the water for it's own safety.  

Shortly before I departed, a third youngster appeared.  At this point, a man with his dog approached the slipway, and though the dog was on a lead, he allowed the dog to confront the three 'hissing' cygnets.  Once again, we have a dog owner, who blatantly ignores the need to keep dogs away from wildlife.  It would not surprise me in the least, if the injured cygnet, was the result of being chased by a dog.

Around 11am, an adult Mute Swan swam in from Lough Neagh, only to be chased off by the resident pair.  I reckon that this may be the same bird that managed to come onto the slipway last week.

Mallard numbers continue to be shocking low.  17 were counted on my arrival, and at the time of my departure, only 12 birds remained.  Again, for this time of the year, upwards of a hundred ducks should normally be present.

One adult Common Gull was present throughout today's visit, and a second adult arrived at 10:55, followed by a juvenile at 11:03.  Still no sign of the Scottish metal-rung bird.  The resident Herring Gull arrived at 10:45 and was still present when I departed.

Just 2 Jackdaws and a male Pied Wagtail, were the only other species noted today.  What is going on with the birds at Antrim Marina - I've never known it to be so poor here.

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From Lindsay Hodges

Lindsay Hodges has been in touch again with a couple of ring sightings at Ballyholme and one at Kinnegar Beach.  Lindsay has recently moved into the Ballyholme area, so I suspect, that I will hear a lot more from him in the future.

In my previous post, I reported on two Black-headed Gull sightings made by Lindsay at Ballyholme, and in my reply, I stated that another regular that can be found at Ballyholme is -  2ABT .  No sooner said, when on the 18th November 2022, Lindsay spotted -  2ABT  at Luke's Point in Ballyholme, along with his second sighting of the Polish Black-headed Gull -  TRX9 .

 2ABT , has a long history of sightings, with this one being the 30th overall.  The gull was ringed as an adult male at Ballyholme on the 24th January 2013.  During the winter months since being ringed, the gull has often been recorded wintering at Ballyholme, but in the summer months the bird has been recorded on several occasions at Sandy Bay in Larne, Co. Antrim.  It was suspected that -  2ABT  may well be nesting on the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough.  On the 3rd July 2022, I photographed -  2ABT  on the shore in front of Glynn railway station, which is as close as you can get to the island without the use of a boat.  The duration since being ringed, is now 9 years, 9 months and 25 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ABT   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (18 Nov 2022)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 24th January 2013, at Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)

As mentioned above, the second Black-headed Gull was the Polish -  TRX9 .  See my previous post for this birds account (read).

Black-headed Gull  -   TRX9   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (18 Nov 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 5th June 2019, on Ptasia Wyspa Island, Lake Rynskie, Ryn, Poland)

(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)

Whilst on my tea-break at work on the night of the 22nd November 2022, I received another email from Lindsay, this time containing a sighting of a Bar-tailed Godwit which was spotted earlier that day.  I recognised the bird as one which was recently spotted by Suzanne Belshaw at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast, situated near to David's sighting on Kinnegar Beach on Belfast Lough.

By the time that I surfaced on the following day, David's sighting had already been sorted.  David had sent a copy of his photo to his brother who works for the RSPB in England, who suggested that the Godwit was from Norway.  The Norwegians were then contacted, and a reply quickly followed.

The bird, ringed with a plain 'red' ring on the left tibia, and a 'yellow flag' inscribed with the letters 'PVE' on the right tibia, was ringed as an unsexed juvenile, on the 21st August 2022, at the Revtangen Ornithological Station on the south-west coast of Norway.  The distance was given as 829 kms / 515 miles (WSW), and the duration since being ringed, was 3 months and 1 day.  Suzanne's sighting of this bird, was made on the 14th September 2022.

My thanks again goes to Lindsay for these sightings, along with the photos.  

Bar-tailed Godwit  -  R-Yf(PVE)  -  Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (22 Nov 2022)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Juvenile, on the 21st August 2022, at Revtangen, Rogaland, Norway)

(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)

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From David Knight

David Knight emailed me concerning a juvenile Common Gull that he spotted on the 19th November 2022 at Bessbrook Pond in Bessbrook, Co. Armagh.  The bird bore a White Darvic inscribed - JU434.  Knowing this was from Norway, I submitted the bird onto the live 'Norwegian Ringing Database', and instantly obtained the ringing details.

It was ringed as a chick, on the 7th July 2022, at Sortland in northern Norway.  David's sighting was the first for this young gull, having travelled a whopping 1,965 kms / 1,220 miles (SW).  The duration since being ringed, was 4 months and 12 days.

My thanks to David for reporting this sighting to me, and for allowing me to add this to my blog along with the photo.  This is David's second contribution, having reported a Herring Gull at the same site back in February 2022.

Juvenile Common Gull  -  (White)  JU434  -  Bessbrook Pond, Bessbrook, Co. Armagh  (19 Nov 2022)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 7th July 2022, at Sortland, Nordland, Norway)

(Photo Courtesy of David Knight)

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