More Firsts...

Finally, I have recorded my first ring sighting in 2023.  Having been without a car since Christmas Day, my new car had a quick run out ring reading on Tuesday 14th February.  This coming weekend will now see me back in action, as well as resuming my weekly visits to Antrim Marina on Monday.

A few more first sightings have come in from David Stirling, Suzanne Belshaw and myself, which all adds to a quite an extensive list recorded this winter, along with a vast number of re-sightings.  They all help to build up a history for those birds concerned, along with their survival rates.  All good stuff.   

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Carnlough Bay & Glenarm Harbour

With a little spare time on Tuesday afternoon on the 14th February, my eldest son and I, took a quick run down to the coastal villages of Carnlough and Glenarm.  At Carnlough Beach, the outflow of the Glencloy River attracts a lot of gulls who like to bathe in the freshwater.  Common Gulls easily outnumbered the Great Black-backed's, Herring and Black-headed Gulls.  There were also good numbers of Ringed Plovers, Turnstones, Dunlins, plus a handful of Oystercatchers.  

Scoping from the edge of the playpark, I eventually spotted one of my own colour-ringed Common Gulls.   2BCV , was ringed at a chick, on the 19th June 2018, at the Arkill Bay colony on Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim.  I began a Common Gull colour-ringing project on Rathlin in 2017, with the main aim of seeing how many chicks survive to return as breeding adults.

This sighting of -  2BCV , was a first for this bird, coming 4 years, 7 months and 26 days, since being ringed.  The distance from Arkill Bay to Carnlough, is a mere 36 kms / 22 miles (SSE).  I often wonder what's happening to my Common Gulls, as sightings during the winter months are few and far between.  This sighting of -  2BCV , proves there are gulls still out there alive and well, but are just not being spotted, or are being spotted by observers who cannot read rings at a distance.

Another thought, is that -  2BCV  would definitely have been of breeding age last summer, but did the gull return to Rathlin to breed?  There are two small east coast colonies on Rathlin, where access from the landowner has not been given.  It is possible, that -  2BCV  bred at one of the two colonies?

Common Gull  -   2BCV   -  Carnlough Beach, Carnlough, Co. Antrim  (14 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2018, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim)

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From David Stirling

David Stirling has been in touch again with another colour-ringed gull sighting.  On Saturday 11th February 2023, whilst at Ardglass Harbour in County Down, David spotted a juvenile Great Black-backed gull bearing a Green Darvic, the code reading -  N:3G4 .  Going onto the cr-birding website, the corresponding scheme was found and an email was sent out.  By Wednesday, there had been no reply, therefore I decided to submit the sighting through my BTO DemOn Account by the birds colour marks only, and we duly received a recovery.

 N:3G4 , was ringed as a chick, on the 4th July 2022, at Walney South Nature Reserve in Cumbria, England, by members of the Walney Bird Observatory.  Looking at DemOn, as I now had the gull's metal number, I could see that David's sighting was the first confirmed record since being ringed.  The duration since ringing, is 7 months and 7 days, and the distance from South Walney, is 161 kms / 100 miles (W).

The gull also happens to be the first Great Black-backed with a Green Darvic, to be entered onto my Main Ring Reading Spreadsheet, so it looks likely that this is the first from Cumbria to be recorded in Northern Ireland.

My thanks goes to David, who happens to be a more recent contact, for his sighting along with the photo.

Great Black-backed Gull  -   N:3G4   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (11 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 4th July 2022, at Walney South Nature Reserve, Cumbria, England)

(Photo Courtesy of David Stirling)

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From Suzanne Belshaw

Suzanne has followed on with a series of sightings of late, with another batch of sightings, which included two juveniles that have been recorded for the first time since being ringed.

A visit to Tyrella Beach in County Down, on the 10th February 2023, produced a colour-ringed juvenile Herring Gull -  H04:M .  Having contacted Mark Fitzpatrick, who is the ringing co-oirdinator for the Isle of Man, we quickly received the ringing details.

 H04:M , was ringed as a chick, on the 10th July 2022, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man.  Suzanne's sighting was a first for this youngster, coming 7 months exactly since being ringed.  Tyrella Beach, is situated 64 kms / 39 miles (WNW), from the Calf of Man.

Our thanks goes to Mark for supplying the ringing details.

Herring Gull  -   H04:M   -  Tyrella Beach, Co. Down  (10 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 10th July 2022, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

On the 9th February 2023, Suzanne made another visit to the former Belfast Waterworks, having been there last, on the 27th January 2023.  On this occasion, 3 colour-ringed Greylag Geese were recorded, as well as two ringed Black-headed Gulls, which took off before Suzanne could read their rings.  One was a Black-headed Gull bearing a Green Darvic, which may well have been one of the Norwegian gulls previously recorded here.  The second Black-headed Gull, was ringed with a metal ring.

Two of the Greylags - (White) 024 and (White) 039, were recorded during Suzanne's previous visit (see previous post).  The third Greylag, had been recorded on two occasions in the past, but we were unable to obtain a ringing recovery without the metal number.  Although we know that these geese are ringed by the Belfast and North Down Ringing Group, at that time, the ringing details were either not submitted, or were submitted without including the colour-marks.

Aware of the situation, Suzanne had the awareness to photograph the metal ring as well as the colour-ring.  I submitted the sighting of - (White) 016, by the metal-ring -  5101913  to the BTO, and we have now received a recovery.   5101913 , had been ringed as an unsexed juvenile at the Waterworks, on the 18th August 2020.  Suzanne's previous sightings at the Waterworks, were made on the 28th September 2020, and on the 3rd December 2021.  This latest sighting, takes the duration, to 2 years, 5 months and 23 days since being ringed.

Greylag Goose  -  (White)  026  -  Belfast Waterworks, Cliftonville, Belfast  (09 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Juvenile, on the 18th August 2020, at Belfast Waterworks)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

On the 14th February 2023, Suzanne followed on with a host of recent visits to Lurgan Park Lake and Kinnego Marina.  One new colour-ringed Black-headed Gull was spotted, along with further sightings of Black-headed Gulls -  2BPS ,  EN52966  and Mute Swan -  X4638  at Kinnego Marina, as well as Black-headed Gulls -  2FCK  and  EZ02451  at Lurgan Park (see previous post).

The new ring sighting was that of a juvenile Black-headed Gull rung - (White) 24X7.  The owners of - (White) 24X7, have been in touch, but cannot supply details until this weekend.  I submitted Suzanne's sighting to the BTO by the colour-marks only, and we did receive a recovery.

(White) 24X7, was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake Nature Reserve in West Berkshire, England.  Suzanne's sighting was a first for this juvenile, coming 8 months and 3 days since being ringed.  The distance to Lurgan Park Lake, was given as 492 kms / 305 miles (NW).

Again, my thanks to Suzanne for another crop of ring sightings, along with the photos.  Suzanne is really keeping me busy at present.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  24X7  -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (14 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake, West Berkshire, England)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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