Antrim Marina - (Sunday 12th November 2023)

Antrim Marina - Sunday 12th November 2023

I was slightly later than planned, to arrive at the Marina today.  I had stopped at a nearby filling station to purchase some fuel and a couple of brown loafs.  Arriving at 10:08, there was light rain and a slight breeze with the temperature gauge in my car reading 11°C.  Over the course of the morning these light showers were never far between.  My normal parking spot beside the concrete jetty was cordoned off with fencing though I could not see what the purpose of this was.  During last week's visit, the water level of the river was that high, it overflowed the concrete jetty by a few inches, but today it was now a few inches below the jetty.

Around 60 Black-headed Gulls were spread around the jetties, and the first two colour-rings to be read, was those of -  2FIF  and  2FIL  at 10:10.  At 10:25, I spotted a metal-rung Black-headed Gull on the top rail of the low wooden jetty.  The ring was on the bird's right leg, and having a metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull ringed on the left leg at the Marina, I knew I had a new bird here today.

My attention was now more or less focused on this bird to photograph the ring and complete the number.  It was fairly calm, which meant I easily got close enough to start taking pictures.  The only problem, was that it was settled in a position where I could not get photos at different angles.  Each time when all of the gulls took to the air, I had to relocate this one again once the birds came back down.  I really needed to complete the number as quickly as possible in case it departed from the area completely.  As it turned out, the gull remained throughout my visit and the number was completed.

Ringed -  595818 , this turned out to be my third metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull to be recorded here this winter.  The first bird -  543335 , was spotted on August 8th and has remained here since then, and it was actually re-sighted again today at 10:11.  The second was -  527948 , a very nervy bird, recorded on the 18th September 2023.  It was not comfortable being around people at the Marina, so it came as no surprise that I have not seen it since.

I reported my latest sighting to the Icelandic Bird Ringing Centre, and a reply was duly received.  They have to contact the ringer for the details, but they reckoned this gull was ringed sometime in 2023.

Black-headed Gull  -  Iceland   595818   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (12 Nov 2023)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

With a total of 24 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls having been recorded altogether this winter, I continued reading rings, and my final ring was read at 12:11, this 14th sighting being that of -  2CSR .  This meant I had 10 absentees today, and no further returning gulls.  I was hoping that -  2FDL  would appear having arrived back from Sweden - perhaps next week.

Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 12th November 2023

2FIF	2FIL	2AAN	2CJT	2CSK	2FIP	2BRA
2FIK	2FFX	2FDJ	2FJA	2ABN	2FFA	2CSR

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

2AAB	2ACV	2BRD	2FDK	2FFT	2FHC	2FHT	2FHV	2FIA	2FIJ

Further head counts were made at 11:45, where just 30 Black-headed Gulls were present, but numbers increased again to around 70 birds by 1:30.  Having recorded my final ring sighting at 12:11, by 1:30, I decided to stop for the day.  Seeing as very few people had arrived to feed the ducks today, I had a go at catching a few new birds for ringing.  Last week, I had noticed that the gulls were really hungry now, and tried their best to rob the ducks of their bread.

With just a couple of swans on the slipway, there was plenty of room for the gulls to nip in and grab the bread that I threw onto the ground between the swans and myself.  I crumpled up several slices at a time to leave a very tempting pile on three occasions and successfully caught three new Black-headed Gulls.  I knew the Icelandic -  543335  was around me, but with so many vying to grab some bread, I could not keep track as to where this bird was.  I really do want to get a colour-ring onto this gull before it heads home to Iceland in the spring.

The first of the three caught today, was a juvenile/1st winter bird now rung -  2FJF .  The second was an unsexed adult rung -  2FJH , whilst the third bird was an unsexed second winter bird (hatched in 2022) now rung -  2FJJ .  With these three added to this winter's total, I will be on the lookout for 27 colour-rings next Sunday, plus any further returnees.  As it was raining slightly again, I made no attempt to locate and photograph these newly rung birds, so I will do that as well next Sunday.

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

Mute Swan numbers were lower this week, with 11 (White) swans and a single cygnet present on my arrival.  The single cygnet looked like one of the two younger ones that were among 9 cygnets present last Sunday.  By 12:30, just 7 (White) swans and no cygnets were present.  I say (White) swans, as not all of their beaks are pure orange - which is the case of -  Z78580 , whose ring was read at 11:10, this one having been ringed as a juvenile here in November 2020.

Just 30 Mallards were present on my arrival and numbers decreased to around 20 birds by 12:30.  As usual, most if not all legs were checked, but still no rings on any of them.

A single Common Gull was present on my arrival, and a maximum high of 5 were counted at 11:45.  Just three remained by 12:30, and they were still at the Marina when i departed just before 2pm.

The resident adult Herring Gull was present throughout my visit.  A juvenile Herring Gull arrived at 12:27.  This youngster was so tired, it parked itself on the outer edge of the concrete jetty, and tucked it's head into its back to have a doze.

Just two Jackdaws appeared today.  Long gone are the days when number surpassed the dozen mark.  A juvenile Pied Wagtail was the only other species to be recorded today, making a brief appearance at 12:47.

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