Antrim Marina - (Sunday 22nd October 2023)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 22nd October 2023

With last week's weekly visit to Antrim Marina being a non starter due to the power hosing operations around the 'Gateway Centre' building, I was hoping for a more normal conditions during today's visit.  On my arrival just before 10:20am this morning, there were plenty of birds in and around the jetties.  The weather conditions were slightly too good after the strong winds and rain experienced the day before.  It was cloudy, but calm, with the temperature reading 8°C, and as the morning wore on, the sun broke through, with the temperature rising to 12°C.  

My biggest disappointment about missing out on last Sunday's visit, was the expected return of my longest flying Black-headed Gull -  2FDJ , and possibly the return of -  2FFL , should both have survived through the 'Bird Flu' epidemic that hit so many breeding colonies over the summer months.

Although there was no sign of -  2FFL  today, I could not have been more delighted, when, at 12:06, my 16th colour-ring sighting of the day, was that of -  2FDJ .   2FDJ , was ringed at Antrim Marina, as an unsexed 2nd Calendar year bird on the 18th November 2019.  After being ringed, it was recorded through to the 9th March 2020.

On the 25th October 2020,  2FDJ  returned for another winter and was recorded on many occasions through to the 4th January 2021, after which time, there was an exceptional run of re-sightings.  The first of these was made on the 5th February 2021, when Scott Black spotted -  2FDJ  at Strathclyde Country Park, just outside of Motherwell in Scotland.  Then, on the 5th, 11th and 13th of February 2021, Alasdair Fyffe recorded -  2FDJ  on the frozen lake at Kay Park in Kilmarnock, Scotland.  These were exceptionally good sightings to receive, but the best was yet to come.

On the 4th April 2021, I received an email from Arnold Kristjuhan, to say that he had spotted -  2FDJ  at Aardlapalu rubbish dump just outside of the town of Tartu in eastern Estonia.  Tartu is 2,060 kms / 1,280 miles (E) from Antrim Marina, with the Russian border just a further 44 kms to the east.  Whether -  2FDJ  breeds in Estonia or Russia is unknown, but the sighting makes this gull Antrim Marina's longest distance traveller.

After the birds exploits in eastern Europe, it returned to Antrim Marina on the 16th October 2021, remaining through to the 28th February 2022.  With no further spring/summer sightings, last winter -  2FDJ  arrived back to Antrim Marina on the 10th October 2022.  I missed seven weekly visits to the Marina during the winter, as my car broke down on Christmas Day and I had to seek out a new car.  Luckily enough, my final sighting for the 2022/2023, was made on the 6th March 2023.

Although I was hoping for further sightings during the past summer, I was nonetheless delighted to see this gull back today.  The duration since being ringed, is now 3 years, 11 months and 4 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FDJ   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (22 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 18th November 2019, at Antrim Marina)

The return of -  2FDJ , takes this winter's total of colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls to 24 altogether.  During the week, I took a more detailed look at my Antrim Marina Spreadsheet, especially those gulls ringed with Orange Darvics.  I noted that there were 11 birds with these Darvics, which were recorded last winter, but, after today's (13th weekly) visit so far during this autumn/winter season, have not returned.  As these were among the earliest gulls to be ringed, I have good histories for them all, but, due to their continued absence, I'm now convinced that they have all perished during the past breeding season.  I will now write these birds off on the spreadsheet.  Below, I have listed the gulls concerned, along with their ringing and last re-sighting dates, plus the durations since being ringed.

 2AAA  - Adult (M) - 12th November 2012 to 20th March 2023 - 10 years, 4 months and 8 days.

 2AAK  - Adult (M) - 21st December 2012 to 28th February 2023 - 10 years, 2 months and 7 days.

 2ABA  - Adult (M) - 28th December 2012 to 31st October 2022 - 9 years, 10 months and 3 days.

 2ABL  - Adult (F) - 23rd January 2013 to 6th March 2023 - 10 years, 1 month and 11 days.

 2ABS  - Adult (F) - 23rd January 2013 to 7th November 2022 - 9 years, 9 months and 15 days.

 2CSA  - 1st Winter (U) - 19th November 2017 to 28th November 2022 - 5 years and 9 days.

 2CSB  - 1st Winter (U) - 19th November 2017 to 19th December 2022 - 5 years and 1 month.

 2CSL  - Adult (U) - 24th December 2017 to 28th February 2023 - 5 years, 2 months and 4 days.

 2CSX  - 1st Winter (U) - 3rd December 2018 to 5th September 2022 - 3 years, 9 months and 2 days.

 2CTA  - 2nd Winter (U) - 10th December 2018 to 13th March 2023 - 4 years, 3 months and 3 days.

 2CTC  - 1st Winter (U) - 24th December 2018 to 20th February 2023 - 4 years, 1 month and 27 days.

Normally, a couple of gulls fail to return from one winter to the next, but 11 is a very high number.  Those ringed with Blue Darvic's, have been ringed more recently, and for many, their residential status at present are not fully known.  Having said that, there is no doubting that some of these gulls have been lost as well, such as -  2FFC  which was found dead at Germany's largest breeding Black-headed Gull colony back in May 2023, this one later testing positive for 'Bird Flu' there.

Just assuming that an equal number of Black-headed Gulls with Blue Darvics have died over the summer months, this total of 22 birds would explain why I have so many absentees this winter.  As far as numbers go, if we further assume and say five un-ringed gulls died along with every one that was ringed, the total of 132 would easily explain why overall numbers are so low at Antrim Marina.  Imagine replicating that number throughout the country!!!

Around 60 Black-headed Gulls were present on my arrival today, with the ring of -  2FIK  being the first to be read at 10:21.  Just under on hour later, at 11:15, the 15th ring to be read was that of -  2FHC .  My final three colour-ring sightings, were that of the returning -  2FDJ  at 12:06, followed by -  2FIF  at 12:30 and - the Icelandic breeding bird -  2FHV  at 13:05.

By this time, many of the gulls perched on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre', seeing as it was calm and sunny, but at no time did numbers exceed the 70 mark, whereas in the past, numbers would have easily been nearer to the 200 mark.  The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335 , was recorded at 10:41, and later in the morning, I was within inches of catching it.  This bird was ringed in Iceland in July 2023, and then appeared at the Marina on the 8th August 2023.  I really need to catch and fit a Darvic to this bird before it returns to Iceland next spring.

There was another poor showing of juvenile Black-headed Gulls, with just four being counted today.  In the past, juvenile numbers would also have been much higher, which would have included local and foreign birds.  These low numbers, proves that the gulls everywhere have had a really poor breeding season.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 22nd October 2022

2FIK	2FFA	2FIL	2AAB	2CJT	2FFX	2FIA	2FIP	2CSK
2AAN	2CSR	2FJA	2ACV	2BRA	2FHC	2FDJ	2FIF	2FHV

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

2ABN	2BRD	2FDK	2FHT	2FFT	2FIJ

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

The large number of Mute Swans once again grabbed my attention on my arrival.  Whilst counting these (all White) birds, which numbered 14 altogether, I noticed three juveniles making their way in from Lough Neagh.  I thought that the three juveniles might be the local birds that have been raised here over the summer, but as they came closer, I could see that they were smaller and therefore younger.  On reaching the Marina, I could not believe my eyes, as one was actually a juvenile Whooper Swan.  This poor 'fella' had obviously got separated from it's parents and ended up seeking the company of the Mute Swans.  Over recent weeks, Whooper Swans have been arriving into Northern Ireland from their breeding grounds in Iceland.

Juvenile Whooper Swan  -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (22 Oct 2023)

In the past, I have met people who have seen Whooper Swans at Antrim Marina, including adult birds, but I have been coming here since the winter of 2013, and this is the first one that I have seen here.  The Marina's normal four cygnets swam in from the Lough at 10:38.  No further adults appeared, and later in the morning, I read the ring of -  Z78580 .  This swan returned to the Marina on the 1st October 2023, having been seen last, on the 20th March 2023.  This bird was ringed as a juvenile here, on the 15th November 2020 by Debbie Nelson.

Mute Swan  -   Z78580   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (22 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Juvenile, on the 15th November 2020, at Antrim Marina)

A first count of the Mallards gave me a total of 43 birds.  A second count at 12:30, saw a very slight increase to 47, but still no rings.

The resident adult Herring Gull was present throughout today's visit, and I have not seen his partner for several weeks now.  A single adult Common Gull was also present on my arrival, with a further two adults arriving at 11:03, and another two adults arrived at 12:10.  With five adults present, this was the highest number of Common Gulls to be recorded so far this winter, but like the Black-headed Gulls, overall numbers are lower than normal.  A juvenile Common Gull made a brief visit at 1:20pm.  There is still no sign of the small Scottish metal-rung female Common Gull, which had been recorded here every winter since February 2014 when it first appeared here as a juvenile.  My last sighting of this bird -  EY64036 , was made on the 28th November 2022.

2 Hooded Crows and 4 Jackdaws, were the only other species to have been noted during today's visit.

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