Change of Visit...

Antrim Marina - Tuesday 28th February 2023

On Sunday afternoon (26th February), as I was returning home from Ring Reading in Belfast (read below), I decided to call back into the town of Antrim, where I made a quick visit to the Baptist Church, before spending around an hour at Antrim Marina.

At the Baptist Church, not a single gull was seen on the roof, where fairly often, large numbers of Black-headed Gulls can be found there.  Moving on to Antrim Marina, the first sight to strike me, was the very high number of Mute Swans.  It was difficult to count them at first, as there were loads of people feeding them, with the Black-headed Gulls making the most of a free meal.

Once everything started to quieten down a bit, I counted 30 (White) Mute Swans and four very friendly cygnets.  During my hour at the Marina, I recorded 13 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls, three of which were not present during my weekly visit two days later.  These three were -  2FIA ,  2FIT  and  2CJT .  It only dawned on me on Sunday evening about -  2FIA , which I recorded here at the Marina last Monday, the 20th February.  I had actually spotted -  2FIA  standing on the ice in my local park in Ballymena, on the 16th December 2022, and the 20th February sighting here at the Marina was the first since then.

Whilst at the Marina, I noticed that the compound being used for dredging purposes had been cleaned and tidied up.  I reckoned the workmen would return on Monday to finish moving equipment, so I decided to undertake my weekly visit on Tuesday instead.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 26th February 2023

2CSL	2FIA	2FIT	2FDT	2CJT	2BRA	2FHV
2AAK	2FIP	2FDL	2FJC	2FFX	2CSK

I arrived on Tuesday at 10:15, and I was correct about the compound.  Everything was gone, barring the fencing that enclosed the compound.  It was dry, dull and cloudy, with a slight breeze, and the temperature in my car said 8°C, which rose to 10° by the time of my departure at 2:15pm.

On parking in my usual spot, I was not amused, as not a single gull could be seen anywhere.  At 10:28, a single Black-headed Gull landed on top of a lamppost, where I noticed the distinct bulge of a Darvic.  Out came the camera, and this was -  2FFX .   2FFX , was ringed here as a juvenile/first winter bird, on the 21st December 2020.  Today's sighting is the 48th sighting record, with all but one having been made here at Antrim Marina.  The exception, was a sighting at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast, on the 26th June 2022.   2FFX , will be of breeding age this year, so it will be interesting to see whether it returns to the WoW Reserve to nest.  At the reserve, I had spotted -  2FFX , whilst trying to obtain the code on a colour-ringed Mediterranean Gull, which I managed to nail.

At 10:40, another five Black-headed Gulls arrived, with -  2CSR  and -  2AAA  being recorded among them.  All six gulls flew off, when six ladies returned from the Lough just before 11am.  They had just set out for the Lough when I arrived at the Marina.

Again, I was left with no gulls, and I had to wait until 11:45 before the first Black-headed Gulls returned, with -  2AAN  being sighted at 11:49.  After this, gulls trickled in slowly, and by the time that I departed at 2:15pm, just 22 out of 49 colour-rings were read, and no further returnees.  Numbers had reached the 60 to 70 mark overall, well down on  what I was hoping for.  Whilst I was waiting for the gulls to return, two workmen arrived and dismantled the fencing around the compound - the front of the Marina looked normal again.

Among today's sightings was -  2AAA , which was the first Black-headed Gull to be ringed belonging to Adam's former project, having been ringed here in November 2012.  It is one of five gulls recorded today, having passed the ten year mark since being ringed, the others being -  2AAB ,  2AAK ,  2AAN  and  2ABL .   2ABL , is always hard work, as it managed to loose it's colour-ring some time ago now, and when a gull appears with a metal only, I have to confirm whether it is actually -  2ABL , or another gull entirely.

Three other gulls on today's absent list,  2ABA ,  2ABN  and  2ABS , in theory, should also have passed the ten year mark since being ringed.   2ABA , ringed in December 2012, was last recorded this winter on the 31st October 2022.  However,  2ABA , has not been a regular visitor to the Marina in recent years and could still be alive.  The absence of regulars -  2ABN  and  2ABS , are now causing me some concern.  Both were ringed on the 23rd January 2013, as was -  2ABL , but  2ABN  has not been seen since the 19th December 2022, whilst  2ABS , was last seen on the 7th November 2022.  I'd be pretty certain now, that both birds have perished due to their continued absence.

This was yet another disappointing visit, and there are still quite a few of the gulls still missing since last winter.  Have they been missed?, have they been affected with bird flu?, or have they changed their wintering sites or perhaps simply died?  

Two of the non-returnees were both spotted during the autumn/winter at Whiteabbey Beach on Belfast Lough, these being -  2FFN  (August & October 2022), and -  2FHT  (December 2022 (Suzanne Belshaw)).   2FFN , was ringed as an unsexed adult here in December 2020, and has only been recorded back at the Marina on the one occasion (11th October 2021).   2FHT , was ringed at a juvenile/1st winter bird in November 2021, recorded for a couple of weeks after ringing, and has not been back to the Marina since.

Considering Suzanne Belshaw's success at recording new ring sightings, especially at Lurgan Park and Kinnego Marina this winter, I think it is very strange that none have been recorded here at Antrim Marina.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Tuesday 28th February 2023

2FFX	2CSR	2AAA	2AAN	2FJC	2BRA	2FJA	2FIN
2FIF	2AAK	2FDK	2FFA	2FFC	2CSK	2FHV	2FDT
2FFP	2CSL	2ABL	2FIK	2ACV	2AAB

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

2ABA	2ABN	2ABS	2CJT	2CSA	2CSB	2CSX	2CTC	2FDJ
2FDL	2FDX	2FFF	2FFL	2FFT	2FHA	2FHC	2FHJ	2FHP
2FHX	2FIA	2FIH	2FIJ	2FIN	2FIP	2FIT	2FIV	2FIX

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

As there were no gulls present on my arrival, my attention went immediately onto the large gathering of swans present on both the slipway and small sandy beach.  On Sunday, having popped into the Marina late in the afternoon, 30 (White) Mute Swans along with four juveniles were present, which was the highest number recorded this winter.

A count on my arrival, gave a total of 20 swans and no juveniles.  A pair swam in from the Lough at 10:50, taking the total to 22.  A headcount at 11:50, gave 23 birds, so one had slipped in unnoticed.  At midday, another two pairs swan in from the Lough, which gave me a final total of 27 (White) swans altogether.  With the swans going in and out of the water, I'm not sure whether all legs were checked, but the only ring recorded was that of -  Z78580 , ringed here as a juvenile in November 2020.

Mallard numbers were not great today, with 16 birds on arrival, building up to around 40 birds by the time that I departed.  Again, most legs were checked, but still no rings.  Having recently been in contact with Dan Curly in County Monaghan, the gun clubs there still ring their captive reared Mallard chicks before release into the wild, with the aim of repopulating for those that have been shot.

Other than the Black-headed Gulls, the first to arrive at 11:41, was a Lesser Black-backed Gull, which announces their return from southern Europe and north Africa.  On my way to Antrim this morning, as I was driving past my local park in Ballymena, I also noticed a pair on the roof of the parks pavilion.  A second Lesser Black-backed appeared just before I departed.  The first bird started calling out to the new arrival, which flew around in a couple of circuits before flying back out towards the Lough.

No sooner had the Lesser Black-backed Gull appeared, then the male Herring Gull arrived at 11:42.  What could be his mate, arrived at 12:35.

The first adult Common Gull appeared at 12:02, with another two adults arriving together at 12:53.  A juvenile arrived at 1:05, followed by another two juveniles arriving together at 1:18.  The 4th and 5th adults appeared just after 1:30.  There was no sign of the Scottish metal-rung female, that has only been recorded on the one occasion this winter.

The only other species recorded to day, were four Jackdaws, four Rooks, and a Pied Wagtail.  What I found interesting about the Rooks, was that they arrived soon after a lot of grain had been thrown onto the slipway for the swans and ducks to feed on.  How on earth did they know it was there all of a sudden?

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From Suzanne Belshaw

Suzanne Belshaw is really keeping herself busy looking for ringed gulls, and has been back to Lurgan Park and Kinnego Marina, where over recent weeks, she has had numerous first sightings of gulls ringed outside of Northern Ireland.   In my previous post, I commented on the number of ringed juvenile Black-headed Gulls that she has recorded here this winter, which then included one found practically on her own doorstep.

At Lurgan Park Lake, two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls were spotted, which included yet another new juvenile.  However, my favourite of the two, was the sighting of - 2BRD, which is one of my study birds ringed at Antrim Marina.   2BRD , has always be a rare visitor to Antrim Marina, and has not been recorded there this winter.

 2BRD , was ringed as an adult male at Antrim Marina, on the 1st February 2015, and has been recorded at the Marina every winter since, except for this winter.  With having no car for 7 weeks, I could not get to the Marina, but -  2BRD  could have put in an appearance during that time.  Over the years since being ringed,  2BRD  has often been recorded at Lurgan Park Lake just before the onset of the breeding season, hence today's sighting still backing up that theory.  In some years, the bird has been sighted back at Lurgan Park in the month of June, so presumably, it's breeding season had finished.

The duration since being ringed, is now 8 years and 23 days, and the distance from Antrim Marina is 28 kms / 17 miles (SSW).

Black-headed Gull  -   2BRD   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (23 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 1st February 2015, at Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The new juvenile - rung (White) 2907, was ringed as a chick, on the 22nd June 2022, on Lough Ree in County Longford in the Republic of Ireland.  Suzanne's sighting was a first for this bird, coming 8 months and 1 day since being ringed.  The distance to Lurgan Park, is 145 kms / 90 miles (NW).  Our thanks goes to Brian Burke from the Lough Ree Gull Ringing Project for supplying the details.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  2907  -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (23 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 22nd June 2022, on Lough Ree, Co. Longford, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

At Kinnego Marina, the three regular Black-headed Gulls -  2BPN ,  2BPS  and  2BPT , were all recorded during Suzanne's latest visit.  You can read about these three in my post published on the 12th February 2023 (read here).

Black-headed Gull  -   2BPN   -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (23 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 29th October 2014, at Kinnego Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Black-headed Gull  -   2BPS   -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (23 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 31st October 2014, at Kinnego Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Black-headed Gull  -   2BPT   -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (23 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 31st October 2014, at Kinnego Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Also recorded for a second time, was the juvenile Black-headed Gull - (White) 24X7.  Suzanne recorded this bird on the 14th February 2023, so nice to know it is still here.  Ringed as a chick at Hosehill Lake in West Berkshire, the duration is now 8 months and 12 days since being ringed, and the distance to Kinnego Marina, is 492 kms / 305 miles (NW).  I wonder how many of these new juveniles, will return for a second winter.  With the number that Suzanne has recorded this winter, surely some of them will come back.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  24X7  -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (23 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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From David Stirling

David Stirling has reported two colour-ringed gulls at Ardglass Harbour.  At the minute, I will hold onto these sightings until I obtain the ringing details from Mark Fitzpatrick, who is the ringing coordinator for the Isle of Man.  Normally, Mark would be very quick to respond, so I reckon he is busy at present at the Bird Observatory on the Calf of Man.  Details and photos will be published in a later post, once obtained.

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From David Knight

David Knight has been in touch concerning his latest ring sighting at Bessbrook Pond in Bessbrook, County Armagh - a juvenile Herring Gull -  D03:D .  Having redirected his email to Graham Prole who is the ringing coordinator for the Irish Midland Ringing Group, a reply was soon received.

 D03:D , was ringed as a chick, on the 6th July 2022, on the rooftop of Leinster House in the City of Dublin, which happens to be the home of the Irish Government.  David's sighting was a first for this young juvenile, coming 7 months and 9 days since being ringed.  Having submitted the sighting to the BTO, the official distance came back, as 97 kms / 60 miles (N).

My thanks goes to David for the sighting report, along with the photo, and to Graham for supplying the info.  Hopefully, there will be future sightings here in Northern Ireland.

Herring Gull  -   D03:D   -  Bessbrook Pond, Bessbrook, Co. Armagh  (25 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 6th July 2022, at The Dail (Leinster House, City of Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Knight)

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From Lindsay Hodges

A nice Black-headed Gull sighting was reported to me by Lindsay Hodges.  Whilst looking for Mediterranean Gulls on Kinnegar Beach at Belfast Lough, he spotted Black-headed Gull -  2CHC .

 

 2CHC , belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study, and was ringed as a chick, on the 25th June 2016, on the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Nature Reserve on Larne Lough, Co. Antrim.  David's sighting, was the second for this particular gull since 2016, the duration now being 6 years, 8 months and 1 day.  Kinnegar Beach, lies on the County Down side of Belfast Lough, and is situated 22 kms / 13 miles (SSW) from Larne Lough.

The first re-sighting was made by myself on the 22nd March 2020, on the Glynn foreshore on Larne Lough, with the river outflow being a favourite area for the gulls to drink and bathe.  The Glynn foreshore is within sight of Blue Circle Island, so -  2CHC  may well have bred there during the summer of 2020.

My thanks to Lindsay for the sighting report and photo.  I really love these rare sightings of Adam's former project birds.

During a couple of email conversations, it turns out that unknowingly, Lindsay actually passed by me.  I I had arrived nearing high tide to scope the birds at their roost on Kinnegar Pond.  David asked, if I was the person crouching down looking through a telescope.  Yep, it was me.  I habitually crouch to scope for rings, as keeping myself small, is less imposing for the birds and the result, is that they are more at ease.  I have a feeling that Lindsay will not pass me by a second time.

Black-headed Gull  -   2CHC   -  Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (26 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 25th June 2016, on RSPB Blue Circle Island Nature Reserve, Larne Lough, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)

On the 28th February 2023, Lindsay made a visit to Luke's Point in Ballyholme, Co. Down.  Two colour-ringed Black-headed Gull were spotted and both are established winter visitors around Ballyholme, as is another Black-headed Gull which was not present during Lindsay's visit.

The first, was -  2CLV , a gull that I have never come across, despite my efforts around Luke's Point on a couple of occasions.   2CLV , was ringed as a chick, on the 16th June 2017, at the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Nature Reserve on Larne Lough, Co. Antrim.  2 months and 12 days after being ringed, the then juvenile was spotted by Cameron Moore on the 28th August 2017, at the coastal town of Whitehead, around 10 kms / 6 miles (SE) from Blue Circle Island.

 2CLV , then went unrecorded until the 27th February 2019, when spotted by Suzanne Belshaw at Ballyholme Yacht Club, close to Luke's Point.  Initially, sightings were patchy, but these was likely due to no regular coverage of the area by Ring Readers, and the next two sightings at Luke's Point were  next recorded in January 2021, both by George Gordon.

These were followed by a sighting on the 16th June 2021, when Peregrine Falcon enthusiast Jim Wells came across -  2CLV , at Bangor Harbour, which is just around the corner from Ballyholme.  Interestingly, there are no breeding colonies around Bangor, so had -  2CLV  finished with it's nesting season, and had returned to the area in preparation for the winter. 

During the 2021/2022 winter, just the two sightings were reported at Luke's Point, having been made on the 3rd October 2021 and on the 17th February 2022, by George Gordon.  This winter, the first sighting was made by Lindsay on the 15th November 2022, and today's sighting is the third since then.  The duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 8 months and 12 days, and Luke's Point is situated 19 kms / 11 miles (SE) from Blue Circle Island.

So far, we have no idea as to where this gull goes to breed.  It may well nest back in it's natal colony at Blue Circle Island, but this would be difficult to establish, as there are no vantage points anywhere near to the island to observe the nesting gulls.

Black-headed Gull  -   2CLV   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (28 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 16th June 2017, at RSPB Blue Circle Island NR, Larne Lough, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)

The second Black-headed Gull spotted today by Lindsay, was the Polish-rung -  TRX9 .  This gull first appeared here last winter, with the initial sighting having been made by John O'Boyle, on the 12th September 2021.  Six sightings were recorded through the 2021/2022 winter, with the final sighting having been made by Suzanne Belshaw, on the 17th March 2022.

The next sighting was quite interesting, as it was made on the 19th July 2022, having been recorded by David Bellamy and Robert Fisher at Kingsland Park in Ballyholme.  Was this an early return from Poland, or had -  TRX9  spent the summer in Ballyholme?  Having checked the 'Live' Polish Ringing Database, no summer sightings had been reported in Poland.

 TRX9 , was back at Luke's Point, on the 6th August 2022, when spotted by Suzanne Belshaw.  Since Suzanne's sighting in August, todays record is now the seventh this winter, having been recorded in November, December and January.

 TRX9 , was ringed as a chick, on the 5th June 2019, on  Lake Rynskie, Ryn, Poland.  The first resighting of the then juvenile, was made on the 4th August 2019, when spotted at Ringstone Edge Reservoir in West Yorkshire, England, and remains the only sighting other than here at Ballyholme.

The duration since being ringed, is now 3 years, 8 months and 23 days, and the distance from Lake Rynskie is, 1,760 kms / 1,093 miles (W).

Black-headed Gull  -   TRX9   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (28 Feb 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)

While I was working on this week's post on Thursday 2nd March, another email came in from Lindsay.  This time, he hit a 'hattrick', having recorded all three regulars at Luke's Point -  2CLV , TRX9 , and this time, he had -  2ABT  as well.

I think Lindsay was very lucky to have recorded -  2ABT , as going by it's past history, the gull would be about to leave, to cross to the County Antrim side of Belfast Lough, to Sandy Bay in Larne.   2ABT , has a good re-sighting history, with today's sighting being the 32nd since being ringed here at Luke's Point, as a wintering adult male, on the 24th January 2013.

Over the years since 2013, we know that -  2ABT  always spends the winter around Ballyholme, and then would head off to Sandy Bay in Larne, County Antrim, for the summer.  The nearest breeding colony to Sandy Bay, is the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough, and as mentioned above with -  2CLV , there are no vantage points to view the colony.

Having said that, last summer, on the 3rd July 2022, I was at Glynn railway station viewing the foreshore of Larne Lough, when I spotted -  2ABT .  To me, there is no doubting that this gull does breed on the island, as it is very close to Glynn.

 2ABT , is one of the original Black-headed Gulls to be ringed, belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland BHG Study, the duration having now exceeded the 10 year mark, at 10 years, 1 month and 6 days.

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

Black-headed Gull  -   2ABT   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (02 Mar 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)

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Sunday 26th February 2023

I remained at home on Saturday, and as the tides were not great on Sunday, I did not leave home until just after midday.  My first stop was in the town of Antrim, where I checked the car parks at Castle Way and at the town's KFC outlet.  At Castle Way, around 20 un-ringed Black-headed Gulls were present, and I had hoped for a second sighting of Black-headed Gull -  2AFD , whose return from Latvia was recorded on Christmas Day.

At the KFC outlet, a metal-rung 3rd calendar year Black-headed Gull was present.  Despite my best efforts to attract it towards my car with bread, it kept being chased off by another Black-headed Gull.  I did not have a chance of photographing the ring, but I reckon that it was the same bird from Norfolk, England, which had been ringed as a chick in June 2021.  The first of three sightings at the KFC outlet, was made back on the 14th August 2022.

Now it was on to Belfast, where I made my first stop at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve.  Looking onto the two breeding platforms, a small number of Black-headed Gulls were present, but  there were no sign of rings.

A short drive then took me to Kinnegar Beach.  As it was nearing high tide, numbers of Oystercatchers, Bar-tailed Godwits and Knots, were tightly crammed together on the small islets, along with a few Black-headed, Herring and Common Gulls.  Scoping through the crowds, I eventually spotted two colour-ringed birds.

The first bearing a yellow-flag on it's upper right leg - read -  PVE .  I easily recognised this bird, as it had previously been reported to me on two occasions by Suzanne Belshaw and Lindsay Hodges.  After a while, I had a brief glimpse of a plain red ring on the birds upper left leg, when the bird had a quick stretch of it's wings.

R-Yf(PVE), was ringed as an unsexed juvenile, on the 21st August 2022, at Klepp in Norway.  The first re-sighting was made by Suzanne at the nearby RSPB WoW Reserve, on the 14th September 2022, which was followed by Lindsay's sighting on the 22nd November 2022, here on Kinnegar Beach.  The duration since being ringed, is now 6 months and 5 days, and the distance from Klepp, is 830 kms / 515 miles (WSW).

Bar-tailed Godwit  -  R-Y(PVE)  -  Kinnegar Pond, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (26 Feb 2023)

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

An Oystercatcher kept me rooted to the spot for ages, having spotted the top of a Darvic ring in the water.  Standing with it's headed tucked around to it's back 'dozing', eventually it began walking into deeper water, where it began having a good wash down.  Constantly scoping the bird, was a strain on the eyes, and I was relived as it walked onto the bank where I was able to photograph the rings, which appeared to be - White (NC), on the left leg, and Orange over Orange on the right leg.

On returning home, I ran a search for - W(NC)-OO through my spreadsheet, but did not get a match.  I then sent an email to Boddi in Iceland reporting the sighting.  In his reply, the two plain Orange rings were actually Red, and that these tended to fade in colour over time.  He also made comment on the 'C' appearing as 'O' due to the reflection on the water, but the letter 'O' is not used in their character set.  On looking at the attached PDF File, I had recorded - W(NC)-RR previously here at Kinnegar.

W(NC)-RR, was ringed as an unsexed breeding adult, on the 22nd May 2017, at Sandgerði in south-west Iceland, which would take the duration to 5 years, 9 months and 4 days.  Having reported my previous sightings to the BTO, their official distance was given as 1,408 kms / 875 miles (SE).  The full history for - W(NC)-RR, can be read (here).  Another point of interest, is the positioning of the rings, as normally the White Coded Darvic, would be fitted onto the right leg, with the plain rings being fitted onto the left leg.

Oystercatcher  -  White (NC) -Red/Red  -  Kinnegar Pond, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (26 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as an Un-Sexed Breeding Adult, on the 22nd May 2017, at Sandgerði, SW Iceland)

On leaving Kinnegar, I drove to the Connswater Shopping Centre in a vain attempt to re-sight a Norwegian Black-headed Gull which I call my Christmas Day Gull - (White) J4TJ.  The best time to record this bird, is on Christmas Day, when the car parks are completely empty with all of the shops closed for the day.  This past Christmas, I was well on my way to Belfast, when the clutch  in my car completely failed, resulting in a failed attempt to record my gull.  I said 'vain attempt', which was confirmed when I got to Connswater.  The car parks were full, and folk were walking around in their droves.

I departed and made my way to Whitehouse Lagoon on the northern edge of Belfast.  Here, I spotted three Black-headed Gulls with Orange Darvics, with two being photographed before something spooked them all into the air.  Some of the gulls did return, but none with the Darvic's. 

The first of the three, was my seventh sighting of -  2ANB , which so far is unique to myself.   2ANB , was ringed as a chick, on the 15th July 2015, at the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough, Co. Antrim.  The first three sightings were made here at Whitehouse Lagoon, twice in September 2016, and then in September 2018.  The following two sightings were interesting, as I recorded the gull twice in the town of Antrim - March 2020 at the KFC car park, and September 2020 on the roof of the Baptist Church.

The final sighting before today, was made in September 2020, with -  2ANB  being spotted on the shore of Belfast Lough, directly below Hazelbank Park, just up the road from Whitehouse Lagoon.  The duration since being ringed, is now 7 years, 7 months and 11 days, and Whitehouse Lagoon lies 20 kms / 12 miles (SW) from Larne Lough.  I really like these rare sightings of Adam's former study birds.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ANB   -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (26 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th July 2015, on RSPB Blue Circle Island NR, Larne Lough, Co. Antrim)

The sighting of -  2APT , is now the 11th for this gull.  It was ringed as a chick, on the 15th June 2015, at the WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre in County Down.  The first resighting was made on the 20th August 2016, when I discovered -  2APT  on the Whiteabbey shore.  Whiteabbey is about a mile north of Whitehouse Lagoon.  Indeed, the next three sightings were made by myself at Whitehouse Lagoon, on the 27th August 2016, 4th September 2016 and on the 19th October 2016.

Whitehouse Lagoon was also the scene for the next sighting, having been spotted on the 13th March 2018, by David Nixon, along with Philip McHaffie.  In May and June 2018, I discovered -  2APT  back breeding at it's natal colony at Castle Espie.

The gull then went unseen for a while, until I spotted it back wintering at Whitehouse Lagoon in December 2020, and then in April and May 2021, Ross McIlwrath, who was the ranger at Castle Espie, reported that -  2APT  was back breeding at the site.  During the breeding season of 2022, I visited Castle Espie on several occasions during the breeding season, but there was no sign of -  2APT .

With no sightings since May 2021, today's sighting at Whitehouse Lagoon was pleasing to get.  The Lagoon is situated 19 kms / 12 miles (NW) from Castle Espie, and the duration since being ringed, is now 7 years, 8 months and 11 days.  It is great to know that the gull is still alive, and I'll be watching out for it at Castle Espie this summer.

With the time fast moving on, I now decided to go back to Antrim to make a quick visit to the Marina before it started to get dark (read at top of this page).

Black-headed Gull  -   2APT   -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (26 Feb 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th June 2015, at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre, Co. Down)

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