Osprey Challenge...

Bann Estuary - 29th August 2023

Since mid August, I have been following the extensive list of sightings of a colour-ringed Osprey that have appeared on the NIBA website.  The bird concerned - (White) EY, has decided for now, to make the Bann Estuary it's home.  Having said that, the bird will make a move to Africa sometime soon.  With the addition of a couple of colour-ringed Sandwich Terns having also been reported at the estuary, on Tuesday 29th August, I decided to visit the Bann Estuary myself later that afternoon to see what I could get.

Arriving mid afternoon, the tide was coming in, which meant the terns were being pushed closer towards me.  With my camera fixed onto my tripod, I slowly panned through the terns taking photos of every ring spotted.  Eventually, the beach disappeared under the water and the terns had moved on.  My next task was to find the Osprey, to see if I could capture the bird and the details on it's ring.  I have never seen an Osprey before, and as a rule, I would not go looking new sightings or rarities.  But, as this Osprey was ringed, I was challenging myself to capture the code.

A successful afternoon of ring reading, saw me capturing the codes on 6 Sandwich Terns, with a further three being dismissed as the codes looked a bit 'iffy', 'and of course', I got my Osprey.

The Osprey, was ringed as a female chick, on the 23rd June 2012, at Dornoch in the Sutherland Region of Scotland.  Although I have reported my sighting to the Osprey Project in Scotland, I am waiting on a reply.  Having said that, some details have come through from some of our local birdwatchers who have been watching this bird.  I now have the birds metal number, and apparently it has been sighted in the past in Gambia in Africa.  It was also one of two chicks ringed at the nest.  I checked the metal number on the BTO's DemOn Ringing Database, and there was just the one sighting listed, which was on the 13th January 2020.

The duration since being ringed, is 11 years, 2 months and 6 days.  I do not have an official distance from the BTO, but I estimate the distance is roughly 343 kms / 213 miles (SW).

Osprey  -  (White)  EY  -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (29 Aug 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick (Female), on the 23rd June 2012, at Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland)

Sandwich Tern -  C50 , is registered to a project in Cumbria, England.  I sent an email to Bart Donato of Natural England, but received an 'out of office' reply.  I will just have to sit back and wait on this one for now.

Sandwich Tern  -   C50   -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (29 Aug 2023)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

The following two Sandwich Terns - (White) KSK and (White) K7B, are from Lady's Island Lake in County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland.  I sent an email to Tony Murray, who is yet to reply.  The last time I sent Sandwich Tern sightings to Tony, he eventually found them in his 'Spam Box'.  Normally, Tony would be very quick to reply.

Sandwich Tern  -  (White)  KSK  -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (29 Aug 2023)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

Sandwich Tern  -  (White)  K7B  -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (29 Aug 2023)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

The pick of the bunch, was Sandwich Tern -  N57 .  It was ringed as an unsexed adult, on the 29th March 2023, by a Dutch Ringing Team, at La Langue de Barbarie in Senegal.  My sighting was the first since being ringed, 5 months ago to the day.  I estimate the distance from Senegal to the Bann Estuary, as being 4,442 kms / 2,760 miles (NNE).  My thanks goes to Ruben Fijn, for his super quick response with the birds details.

Sandwich Tern  -    N57   -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (29 Aug 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 29th March 2023, at La Langue de Barbarie, Senegal)

Sandwich Tern -  EFC , belongs to the Grampian Region in Scotland.  I have emailed Ewan Weston, but it may be some time before I receive a reply.  Around this time a couple of years ago, Ewan was working on a project in China.

Sandwich Tern  -   EFC   -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (29 Aug 2023)

(Waiting for Ringing Details)

Sandwich Tern -  3A5 , is from a new Sandwich Tern colour-ringing project, based at the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Nature Reserve, on Larne Lough, Co. Antrim, with this bird being ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2021.  Having contacted the project owner - Roisin Kearney, the full history was received.

Three previous re-sightings were reported from Stranraer in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland (two in July), and at Port Seton in the Lothian Region, Scotland (August 2022).  As of my sighting today, the duration is now 2 years, 2 months and 18 days since -  3A5  was ringed.  The distance from Larne Lough to the Bann Estuary, is 75 kms / 46 miles (WNW).  My thanks goes to Roisin for the details.

Sandwich Tern  -   3A5   -  Bann Estuary, Castlerock, Co. Londonderry  (29 Aug 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2021, on RSPB Blue Circle Island NR, Larne Lough, Co. Antrim)

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From Declan Clarke

Declan Clarke was at Ardglass Harbour in County Down, on the 30th August 2023, when he came across two colour-ringed Herring Gulls, taking photos with his mobile phone.

One was a juvenile -  037:C , which belongs to the new big gull colour-ringing project on Old Lighthouse Island, which is home to the Copeland Bird Observatory.  I contacted Roisin Kearney, who replied to say that the gull was ringed as a chick, on the 1st July 2023.  Declan's sighting was a first for this bird, having been made 1 month and 29 days since being ringed.  Ardglass Harbour is 48 kms / 30 miles (S) from the Old Lighthouse Island.  My thanks to Roisin for the details.

Looking at the ring, it looks as if something, perhaps a piece of wood, has slipped inside of the colour-ring.  It should not be a problem, but the sooner it falls out, the better.

Juvenile Herring Gull  -    037:C   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (30 Aug  2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 1st July 2023, on Old Lighthouse Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Declan Clarke)

The second Herring Gull was an adult -  T8YW , and this was the bird's fifth sighting in County Down.   T8YW , was ringed as a chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man.  The birds first re-sighting was made on the 13th July 2020, when spotted by Graham McElwaine at Millquarter Bay in County Down.  Graham, also had the second sighting, on the 26th August 2020, with the bird being recorded here at Ardglass Harbour for the first time.

The third sighting was also at Ardglass Harbour, when David Nixon spotted the gull on the 10th March 2021.  On the 8th August 2021, the gull was back at Millquarter Bay having been spotted again by Graham.  Having reported Declan's latest sighting to Mark Fitzpatrick, who is the ringing co-ordinator for the Manx gulls, Mark replied with an updated history for -  T8YW .  This included a further five sightings which were made in January and February 2022, with the gull having been recorded at Queens Park Lake in Blackburn, England.

The duration since being ringed, is now 4 years, 1 month and 27 days, and Ardglass Harbour is situated 57 kms / 35 miles (WNW) from the Calf on Man.  My thanks goes to Declan for his sightings, along with the photos, and to Mark for supplying the updated history.

Herring Gull  -   T8YW   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (30 Aug 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of Declan Clarke)

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From Suzanne Belshaw

Whilst visiting Whitehouse Lagoon on the 1st September 2023, Suzanne Belshaw recorded two returnees.  The first is a regular wintering Oystercatcher from Iceland - GW-GfN.  Two of this birds colour-marks have disappeared - there used to be a 'Green Flag' above the Black ring, but it fell off and the Green Ring above the White ring, actually slipped inside of the White ring.

This Oystercatcher was caught and ringed as an unsexed breeding adult, on the 5th June 2015, in the Eystri Rangá region in southern Iceland.  The first re-sighting was made on the 5th September 2015, when the Oystercatcher turned up here at Whitehouse Lagoon.  This bird has returned to the Lagoon every winter since 2015, with a number of re-sightings made at the Lagoon every winter.  Over the years, there have been occasions when GW-GfN, has been spotted back on it's breeding grounds.

This latest sighting by Suzanne, takes the duration since being ringed, to 8 years, 2 months and 27 days, and the distance from Iceland to Whitehouse Lagoon, is 1,294 kms / 804 miles (SE).  Suzanne has reported her latest sighting to Boddi in Iceland, but I know from past experience, any summer sighting reports will not have been dealt with just yet.

Oystercatcher  -  GW-GfN  -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (01 Sep 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Breeding Adult, on the 5th June 2015, at Mjóanef, Eystri Rangá, S. Iceland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Suzanne's sighting of a Black-headed Gull - (White) 2BVL, turned out to be one that I had also recorded here at Whitehouse Lagoon as a juvenile bird.  (White) 2BVL, was ringed as a chick, on the 8th June 2020, at the Broad Law colony in the Moorfoot Hills in Scotland.  I came across the then juvenile (photo below), on the 20th December 2020.  Suzanne has sent an email to Tom Dougall, but we are still waiting for a reply.  Therefore, at the minute, we are in the 'dark' as to further re-sightings.  I checked up on the gull's metal number on the BTO's DemOn Database, but my previous sighting is still the only one entered.  The duration since being ringed, is 3 years, 2 months and 24 days, and the distance from Broad Law to Whitehouse Lagoon, is 220 kms / 136 miles (WSW).

My thanks goes to Suzanne again for her sightings and photos.  Suzanne now has her Nikon P900 back again, having successfully recuperated from 'major surgery'.  There will be no stopping her now!!! 

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  2BVL  -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (01 Sep 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 8th June 2020, at Broad Law, Moorfoot Hills, Borders Region, Scotland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  2BVL  -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (20 Dec 2020)

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