Antrim Marina (14th August 2023)

Antrim Marina - Monday 14th August 2023

Today's visit to Antrim Marina was my third weekly visit of the 2023/2024 winter season.  Arriving at midday, the weather was calm and sunny, with the temperature gauge in my car reading 21°C.  Due to the settled conditions, the Black-headed Gulls once again decided to remain perched on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre'.  Remaining until 3:30pm, gull numbers at ground level never exceeded the 30 mark, which was not helpful when trying to read the colour-rings.

After last week's visit, with the addition of -  2FIJ  and -  2FIL , this winter's list of colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls had reached the 16 mark.  By 1:43pm, with the arrival of -  2FIF , today's total sat at 9 colour-ring sightings and then at 1:57, a couple with their two sons arrived with a paddleboard.  The two boys mucked about on the river beside what used to be the low wooden jetty, and with their presence on the water, the gulls stayed away.  Once the family departed around 2:30, some gulls started to appear again, as people arrived to feed the ducks.

My final two ring sightings of this visit, were new additions to this winter's list, with -  2AAN  appearing at 2:40,  followed by, what looked to be -  2BRD  at 2:51.  This second gull flew off just as I was trying to read the ring through my binoculars.  I grabbed my camera and frantically searched for the bird, and a few minutes later, a photo confirmed the sighting.  Although -  2BRD  was originally ringed at Antrim Marina, appearances these days are rather rare, and last winter, the gull was not recorded here at all.

The continued lack of juveniles is concerning, which would indicate once again that the Black-headed Gulls have had a very poor breeding season on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform'.  Throughout today's visit, just one juvenile was present, and due to it's settled nature of being around people, I'd be pretty sure this is the same juvenile which was here during my two previous visits.  At 2:36, a second juvenile arrived briefly, this being a recently fledged youngster as it's plumage was totally dark.

By the time of my departure, just 11 colour-rings had been read altogether, and with the addition of -  2AAN  and -  2BRD , this winter's list now stands at 18 ring sightings altogether.  Last winter's total, including newly rung birds, was just under the 50 mark, therefore at present this winter's total is still very low.  With 'Bird Flu' having caused havoc around many breeding colonies over the summer, the coming weeks will be of interest, just to see how many make it back to the Marina.  Since my visit last week,  2CJT  has injured it's left leg, and was limping heavily today.

One Black-headed Gull that I was especially wanting to see again, was the Icelandic metal-rung bird that I spotted here last week.  The gull disappeared before I could obtain enough photos of the ring to complete it's number, as I'm missing the final two digits -  5433** .  Although there was no sign of it today, the bird is people friendly, so I'm hoping that it is still about.

The first of today's two returnees -  2AAN , was caught and ringed at Antrim Marina as an adult female on the 21st December 2012, being one of the earliest to be ringed belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study.  Today's sighting is this bird's 291st re-sighting record, with all but one having been made here at the Marina.

Over the year's since being ringed, I had established that -  2AAN  was a winter visitor to the Marina and would usually arrive back in late July.  Where it went to breed was unknown, until a sighting was reported to me on the 16th June 2022.  On this occasion, a Geraldine Seymour photographed -  2AAN  on the Inver River in Larne, County Antrim, which suggests it could be breeding on the nearby Blue Circle Island on Larne Lough, which is an RSPB Reserve.

Larne is just 31 kms / 19 miles (ENE) from Antrim Marina, and this close proximity would explain the early return to Antrim Marina every year once it's breeding season has finished.  The duration since being ringed, is now 10 years, 7 months and 24 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2AAN   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (14 Aug 2023)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 21st December 2012, at Antrim Marina)

Once I had confirmed the second returnee -  2BRD , I was really pleased at having recorded the gull here again.   2BRD , was caught and ringed at Antrim Marina as an adult male, on the 1st February 2015.  It was the fourth of four Black-headed Gulls ringed on that day, which was the day that Adam McClure and myself met for the first time.  I recorded the bird the following week (8th February), and then on the 15th March 2015, Kevin Kirkham spotted -  2BRD  at Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh, and this was followed up with s second sighting at Lurgan Park, when Suzanne Belshaw photographed the gull there on the 24th March 2015.

The next sighting was made by Neville McKee on the 3rd August 2015, having recorded the return of -  2BRD  to Antrim Marina.  Over the following weeks that winter,  2BRD  remained at the Marina, with the final sighting having been made on the 31st January 2016.  Since this,  2BRD  has become a rare visitor to the Marina over the following winter's, but I have no idea as to where the gull is wintering at now.

Over the years, prior to the onset of the new breeding season,  2BRD  has often been recorded at Lurgan Park Lake, arriving there in late February or early March.  Although we have no idea as to where this bird breeds at, sightings at Lurgan Park on the 26th June 2017, and again on the 8th June 2022, would suggest that the breeding site is not that far away.  Lurgan Park is just 28 kms / 17 miles (SSW) from Antrim Marina, and the duration since being ringed, is now 8 years, 6 months and 13 days (PDF).

Black-headed Gull  -   2BRD   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (14 Aug 2023)

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

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 14th August 2023

2AAB	2CJT	2ACV	2FHC	2FIA	2FHV
2CSK	2BRA	2FIF	2AAN	2BRD

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

2FFA	2FFX	2FIJ	2FIK	2FIL	2FIP	2FJA

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

The Mute Swan family with the four cygnets, were present throughout my visit today, and once again, Mallards numbers were good with around 60 to 70 present on my arrival.

An adult Herring Gull was present throughout my visit, with a second adult appearing briefly at 12:56.  An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull had also made a brief visit at 12:51.  For the third week running, there were no Common Gulls.

It was a very poor day for other species, as just three Jackdaws were the only other birds to be recorded today.

*******************************************************