Several Ring Sightings...

From Suzanne Belshaw

A rather belated sighting of Black-headed Gull -  250B , was reported to me recently by Suzanne, with the sighting having been made on the 11th September 2023 at Sprucefield Shopping Centre.  The gull is well known to use Sprucefield as a 'staging' site, in both directions to either it's breeding site, or to it's wintering site, which is at yet unknown.  Suzanne recorded the birds return to Sprucefield on the 25th July 2023, with a second sighting there on the 16th August 2023.  The latest ever date before departure, was recorded last year by Suzanne on the 25th September 2022.

 250B , was ringed as a chick, on the 6th June 2008, at Lough Mask in County Mayo, in the Republic of Ireland.  It's first sighting at Sprucefield, was made by Adam McClure on the 1st July 2013, but was probably visiting Sprucefield for years before being spotted by a ring reader.  Since 2013,  250B  has been recorded at Sprucefield every autumn.  As stated on many occasions in the past, where exactly this gull winters is still not known, but continuing a straight line from Lough Mask through Sprucefield, would take it into Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland.

We have one spring record (4th March 2016) when -  250B  was recorded at Sprucefield on it's return journey to Lough Mask, where it has been spotted during the breeding season on a few occasions.

The distance from Lough Mask to Sprucefield, is 232 kms / 144 miles (ENE), and with a duration of 15 years, 3 months and 5 days, 250B is one of the oldest Black-headed Gulls still living that we have on record.

Black-headed Gull  -   250B   -  Sprucefield Shopping Centre, Co. Down  (11 Sep 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 6th June 2008, at Lough Mask, Co. Mayo, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The sighting of Black-headed Gull -  2ACP , was the 38th sighting record for this bird.  The gull was spotted on the 24th September 2023 close to Suzanne's home in Lisburn, Co. Antrim.   2ACP , is among the earliest Black-headed Gulls to have been ringed belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Study.  

It was ringed as an unsexed adult, on the 9th February 2013, at the Sprucefield Shopping Centre.  All sightings since being ringed, have either been at Sprucefield, or in Lisburn which is around 1 mile north from the shopping centre.  The duration since being ringed, is now 10 years, 7 months and 15 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ACP   -  Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (24 Sep 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 9th February 2013, at Sprucefield Shopping Centre, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Not too long ago, Suzanne made a visit to Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh, but no rings were recorded.  Suzanne went back to the park on the 11th October and this time recorded three ringed Black-headed Gulls, including the return of two juveniles recorded last winter.

A metal-rung adult Black-headed Gull, is a well known winter visitor to Lurgan Park, and this was the bird's second sighting this autumn.   EZ02451 , was ringed as a chick, on the 20th June 2017, at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  The first re-sighting of the then juvenile was made at Lurgan Park by Suzanne on the 7th September 2017.  Since then, Suzanne has recorded the gull at least once every winter since.  The final sighting last winter, was made on the 14th February 2023, before returning on the 23rd August 2023.

The duration since being ringed, is now 6 years, 3 months and 21 days, and the distance from Elvanfoot, is 202 kms / 125 miles (WSW).  

Black-headed Gull  -   EZ02451   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (11 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 20th June 2017, at Elvanfoot, South Lanarkshire, Scotland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

It's always nice to record juveniles that have survived through their first winter, and today Suzanne recorded the return of two birds.

It's a change of scenery for Black-headed Gull - (White) 24X7.  Last winter Suzanne recorded (White) 24X7, on three occasions at Kinnego Marina which is around two miles north from Lurgan Park.  The gull was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake in West Berkshire, England.  Suzanne's sightings at Kinnego Marina, were made on the 14th & 23rd February 2023, and on the 8th March 2023.  The distance from Hosehill Lake to Lurgan Park, is 489 kms / 303 miles (NW), and the duration since being ringed, is 1 year and 4 months.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  24X7  -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (11 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake, West Berkshire, England)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Photo taken by Suzanne Belshaw of - (White) 24X7 taken on the 14th February 2023 at Kinnego Marina

The second returning juvenile is a really nice record as this concerns a Danish Black-headed Gull.   VA7547 , was ringed as a chick, on the 27th May 2022, on Hirsholm Island, situated just off the northern coast of Denmark.  Last winter, the then juvenile was recorded by Suzanne at Lurgan Park on four occasions between the 31st January 2023 and the 29th March 2023.  With this current sighting, the duration since being ringed is now 1 year, 4 months and 14 days, and the distance from Hirsholm to Lurgan Park, is 1,106 kms / 687 miles (WSW).

Black-headed Gull  -   VA7547   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (11 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 27th May 2022, at Hirsholm Island, Denmark)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Photo taken by Suzanne Belshaw of -  VA7547  taken on the 2nd March 2023 at Kinnego Marina

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From David Nixon and Graham McElwaine

On the 5th and 6th October 2023, David Nixon and friend Graham McElwaine recorded two Black-tailed Godwits at Dundrum Inner Bay (South) in County Down.

The first bird was ringed as chick, on the 24th June 2023, in the Skipar area in Iceland.  I have not submitted the sightings to the BTO as yet, so cannot give an official distance.  As of the 6th October 2023, the duration since being ringed, is 3 months and 12 days.

Black-tailed Godwit  -  Dundrum Inner Bay South, Dundrum, Co. Down  (5th & 6th Oct 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 24th June 2023, at Skipar, Iceland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

The second Black-tailed Godwit, has now been recorded on three occasions this autumn at Dundrum Inner Bay (South), the two previous dates being on the 8th & 15th August 2023.  This is the second year running that this Godwit has been spotted at Dundrum, with a single 2022 sighting having been made on the 5th October 2022.

The Godwit was ringed as an unsexed 2nd Calendar Year bird, on the 18th January 2019, at Arnosa on the north-west coast of Spain.  The bird has gathered a long list of sighting in Spain since being ringed, but there has been two sightings in the Republic of Ireland, where it was recorded in September and October 2021 at Dundalk Bay.  The distance from Spain to Dundrum, is 1,337 kms / 830 miles (N), and the duration since being ringed, is 4 years, 8 months and 18 days.

Black-tailed Godwit  -  Dundrum Inner Bay South, Dundrum, Co. Down  (5th & 6th Oct 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 18th January 2019, at Arnosa, Spain)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

Thursday 12th October 2023

Today, David Nixon made a visit to Kinnegar Beach on the County Down side of Belfast Lough.  Whilst there David recorded three colour-ringed Gulls.

A juvenile gull, which for now, we'll identify as being a Herring Gull, was colour-ringed -  157:C .  We are waiting for the ringing details for this bird from Roisin Kearney, but I would reckon that it will be safe to say, that it was ringed on the 1st July 2023, on Lighthouse Island in County Down, which is home to the Copeland Bird Observatory.  Therefore, the duration since being ringed, will be 3 months and 11 days.  The distance from Lighthouse Island, is roughly 21 kms / 13 miles (W).

The same colour-ring set is being used to ring both Herring and Lesser Black-backed chicks on Lighthouse Island.  It is well known, that chicks of these species are similar in appearance, so in future it will be interesting to see whether or not, the correct identity was made at ringing time.  How many Herring Gulls will turn out to be Lesser Black-backed's or vice-versa.

Herring Gull  -   157:C   -  Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (12 Oct 2023)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

Herring Gull -  0Y:W , was ringed as an unsexed breeding adult, on the 23rd May 2014, on Big Copeland Island in County Down.  The first re-sighting was made on the 24th August 2015, when spotted on Rathcor Beach in County Louth in the Republic of Ireland.

I made the next four sightings here on Kinnegar Beach in March 2018, November 2018, September 2019 and on the 16th August 2020.  It's last sighting until now, was made at the nearby Titanic Quarter by Dermot Hughes, on the 4th September 2020.

Three years between sightings, shows how these big gulls can travel about unnoticed.  The duration since being ringed, is now 9 years, 4 months and 19 days, and the distance from Big Copeland Island, is 21 kms / 13 miles (W).

Herring Gull  -   0Y:W   -  Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (12 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Breeding Adult, on the 23rd May 2014, on Big Copeland Island, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

I was well pleased to hear of David's sighting of Common Gull -  2HCH .  It was one of 21 Common Gull chicks that I ringed, on the 13th June 2021, on Big Copeland Island, before getting 'hunted' on the grounds of having no permission to be on the island.  I did have permission to be on the island, but unknown to me, the change from father to son, saw the son deciding not to allow visitors.  With a gamekeeper operating on the island, I feel this is a bit suspicious.

The first sightings of -  2HCH , were made by David, on the 19th and 24th March 2022, here on Kinnegar Beach and then on the nearby pond.  I also recorded -  2HCH  on Kinnegar Pond on the 26th March 2022, and the gull had gone unrecorded until now.  The duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 3 months and 29 days, and the distance from Big Copeland Island, is 22 kms / 13 miles (W).

Along with -  2HCH , only two other chicks that were ringed in 2021 on Big Copeland have been recorded since being ringed - one at Ballyholme in County Down, the other at Rathlin Island in County Antrim.

Common Gull  -   2HCH   Kinnegar Beach, Belfast Lough, Co. Down  (12 Oct 2023)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 13th June 2021, on Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

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From Declan Clarke

Declan Clarke has been in touch with two sightings of a juvenile Herring Gull which he spotted on the 2nd and 4th October 2023, at Ardglass Harbour in County Down.  The bird belongs to Roisin Kearney's new colour-ringing project on the Copeland Islands, which involves the same colour-ring set being used on both Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

 147:C , was ringed as a Herring Gull chick, on the 1st July 2023, on the Old Lighthouse Island, which is the home of the Copeland Bird Observatory.  Declan's sightings were the first for this juvenile, with the sighting on the 4th October 2023, coming 3 month and 3 days since being ringed.  The distance from Lighthouse Island to Ardglass, is 48 kms / 30 miles (SSW).

My thanks goes to Declan for the sighting report and to Roisin for the ringing details.  The photo included below was taken with Declan's mobile phone.

Herring Gull  -   145:C   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (2nd and 4th Oct 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Declan Clarke)

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