Antrim Marina (8th August 2023)

We are now well into the autumn season, and already, many sightings of colour-ringed gulls are being reported to me.  Several of these are first ever sightings in Northern Ireland, and I'm being kept busy adding these to my Main Ringing Reading Spreadsheet, as well as contacting the various owners and submitting the sightings to the BTO.  I am also sitting on another post, though this cannot be completed until I receive the ringing details for the birds concerned.  As I wait, further sightings are trickling through.  Looking as if I'm going to be kept busy over the following weeks in order to keep up.

Could the effects of 'Bird Flu' be the cause of gulls moving quickly onto their wintering sites.  With many breeding colonies having been decimated early into the summer, it would come as no surprise to having gulls moving on at a fast pace.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Antrim Marina - Tuesday 8th August 2023

I had to postpone Monday's weekly visit to Antrim Marina, as late on Sunday evening, Jim Wells asked me to go to Rathlin Island on Monday.  Whilst on Rathlin, we visited the largest Common Gull colony at Arkill Bay which was completely deserted.  The silence felt eerie, when compared to hustle and bustle of the breeding season.  On Tuesday evening, one of my Rathlin colour-ringed Common Gulls was reported at its wintering site in Dundrum, Co. Down. 

I therefore made my weekly visit on Tuesday instead, arriving at 12:45.  On Monday last week, I began the first of my weekly visits for the winter of 2023/2024, and despite low numbers of Black-headed Gulls, I managed to read 14 colour-rings which begins this winter's list.

Today's visit to the Marina, saw very calm sunny conditions with the temperature gauge in my car hitting 25°C.  Very few Black-headed Gulls could be found at ground level, but I noted many gulls were resting on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre'.  At one point, those gulls on the roof took to the air, to reveal a flock of 60 to 70 birds.

Despite many folk arriving to feed the ducks, most of the Black-headed Gulls remained on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre'.  Reading rings was a long, slow process, and by the time that I departed at 16:00, for the second week in a row, just 14 rings were read, which included two more birds to be added to this winter's list.  The first of these, was my first sighting -  2FIL  at 12:51, and my 13th sighting -  2FIJ  at 15:27.

Throughout my visit, the most Black-headed Gulls on the ground, never exceeded the 25 mark.  Once again, a single juvenile was recorded, which remained throughout my visit.  The lack of juveniles, clearly suggests that the gulls have had a very poor breeding season on the nearby former 'Torpedo Platform' this summer.

At 13:25, I spotted a Black-headed Gull with just a metal-ring, which I initially thought was -  2ABL , who managed to discard its colour-ring back in July 2016.  These days, I have to identify -  2ABL  by its metal number -  EY37326 , but when I zoomed into this gull's ring, the upside-down digits told me I had a new bird.

This sighting of this gull, could not have occurred at a worse time.  A few people were feeding the ducks at the same time, and barring taken a photo of the bird itself, and one of its ring, the bird managed to grab a couple of bits of bread and then flew away.  Back at home, I managed to read -  5433  on the ring, and also the word - Iceland on the photo of the gull itself.  On checking my spreadsheet at home, the rings of Icelandic Black-headed Gulls have six numbers, so I was missing the final two numbers for this bird.  While in the scrum for bread -  5433** , has no problems being in close proximity to people which suggests to me, that back home in Iceland, it is used to being around people.  Due to this, if the gull remains at the Marina, I should have a good chance to complete the whole number.

Black-headed Gull  -  Iceland   5433**   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (08 Aug 2023)

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Tuesday 8th August 2023

2FIL	2CJT	2FIA	2ACV	2FHV	2FIP	2FIK
2FIF	2FFX	2AAB	2BRA	2FHC	2FIJ	2FJA

The Two Absentees

2CSK	2FFA

With today's two additions to this winter's list, I will be on the lookout for 16 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls next week.  Below are the details for this week's two new colour-ring sightings.

 2FIL , was caught and ringed last winter at Antrim Marina, as a 2nd Winter/Calendar Year bird, on the 31st October 2022.  The final re-sighting during the 2022/2023 winter season was recorded on the 6th March 2023.  Over the past summer, just one visit was made to Antrim Marina, and this was made by Suzanne Belshaw, who recorded two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls, including this bird.

This sighting may suggest that -  2FIL  could be a resident bird, but future summer sightings will be needed to cement this gull's residential status.  Today's sighting takes the duration since being ringed, to 7 months and 16 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIL   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (08 Aug 2022)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 31st October 2022, at Antrim Marina)

 2FIJ , appears to be quite interesting due to its elusive nature.  I caught and ringed -  2FIJ , as an unsexed adult at the Marina, on the 10th January 2022.  After being ringed, the only sighting during the remaining weeks of the 2021/2022 winter season, was made by Suzanne Belshaw at the Marina on the 21st March 2022.  Despite many random breeding season visits,  2FIJ  did not appear again until the 8th August 2022.

I recorded -  2FIJ  for a second week running on the 15th August 2022, which was my final sighting of the gull for the remainder of the 2022/2023 winter.  However, on a visit to Antrim Marina on the 12th December 2022, Dermot Hughes, along with John O'Boyle recorded -  2FIJ , which was the last sighting until today.  It will be interesting to see how many sightings of the gull will be made this winter.  With a total of five sightings altogether, with today's sighting, the duration is 11 months and 2 days since being ringed.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIJ   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (08 Aug 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 10th January 2022, at Antrim Marina)

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

There was no sign of the Mute Swan family today, this being an adult pair, along with 4 cygnets.  Mallard numbers were around the 60 mark, with this total remaining throughout my visit.

Again, no Common Gulls, but an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull appeared at 13:28.  An adult Herring Gull was present throughout my visit.

A pair of Rooks arrived at 14:32, but did not stay for long.  A juvenile Pied Wagtail appeared at 14:38, followed by a male at 15:12.  A pair of Hooded Crows, also made a brief visit at 15:00.  4 adult Jackdaws were also present throughout todays visit.

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