Antrim Marina - (1st January 2024)

Antrim Marina - Monday 1st January 2024

For this week's weekly visit to Antrim Marina, seeing as I'm still off work on holiday until Thursday, I opted for a Monday visit instead of Sunday.  My reasoning being, that fewer folk would pass through, possibly due to hangovers following the previous evening's New Year celebrations.

As things turned out, my decision was a complete disaster.  For the first time this winter, Black-headed Gull numbers finally reached the 100+ mark, though still 100-200 down on previous winters.  I arrived at 10am, the weather was calm and sunny with the temperature reading 3°C, rising to 5°C by midday.

Passing through the barrier into the front car park, I made my way over to my usual parking spot beside the short concrete jetty.  As I approached I could see a woman standing among the swans with a plastic container with what looked like - cat biscuits.  The swans had their beaks into the container spilling biscuits onto the ground where the ducks and gulls were having the 'feed of their lives'.  Once empty, the woman left, minutes later she was back with another full container.

There were Black-headed Gulls all over the place, with an estimated 120 already on site.  With 34 colour-rings to look for, that of -  2FJT , was the first to be read at 10:05.   2FJT  was the last of 8 new gulls ringed here this winter, courtesy of a Mute Swan having stood on it's wing.  I duly rescued and then ringed the bird.  An hour later at 11:05, the 23rd and what turned out to be my final ring sighting of the day, was of the Estonian -  2FDJ .

My visit began to turn 'pear shaped' around 10:30, when four canoeists across the river at Antrim Boat Club launched onto the river and then made their way upriver.  Gulls definitely do not like canoeists or paddleboarders, and of course the birds around me quickly departed.  Within minutes of the area clearing, some gulls began to return.  No sooner had these birds returned, when a Police helicopter arrived.  Flying just above the height of the tree tops, the helicopter kept combing the area, and through to the entrance to Lough Neagh.  I later learnt, that the man who went missing in the Town of Antrim on the 17th December, had still not been found, with some fearing that he might have entered the river known as the 'Six Mile Water', which flows past Antrim Marina and into the adjacent Lough Neagh.

As I write this on Friday 5th January 2024, the Police had put out a fresh appeal about this missing man.  By midday, a women with three small children arrived with a canoe.  These children continuously took turn's on the canoe, though staying within eye-shot of the women.  By 12:30, there was no sign of them leaving, so I abandoned the remainder of my stay.

At this point, an Black-headed Gulls that were still in the area, decided to perch themselves onto the roof of the 'Gateway Centre'.  With just 23 rings read, I had 11 absentees today, with no further returnees.  The Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull -  543335 , that has been here since the 8th August 2023, was again recorded at 10:06.  Interestingly, the Latvian -  2AFD  was recorded for the third visit running.  In recent winters, it has preferred to winter at the Castle Way car park in the centre of Antrim town, but with the big decrease in wintering gulls, none can be found at that car park now, hence more sightings of -  2AFD  back at the Marina where it had been ringed in February 2014.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 1st January 2024

2FJT	2FIL	2AAB	2AAN	2CSR	2FIK	2FJA	2ABN
2AFD	2FJF	2BRA	2FFA	2FHC	2FJJ	2FIF	2CJT
2ACV	2CSK	2FJH	2FFX	2FIP	2FJL	2FDJ

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

2BRD	2CTA	2FDK	2FFT	2FHT	2FHV
2FIA	2FIJ	2FJK	2FJN	2FJP

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

As stated above, it was the Mute Swans that grabbed my attention on my arrival, with these being fed on what looked like 'Cat Biscuits'.  Once the commotion had settled, I was able to count 13 (White) swans, plus 4 cygnets.  The cygnets which stayed together, were likely to be the birds reared upriver during the summer.  Among the 13 swans was -  Z78580 , which arrived back in October.  Before I had departed, a further three adult swans had slipped in un-noticed, plus another cygnet.  This cygnet, was slightly younger than the others, and is probably one of the two mute swan juveniles that first appeared here along with the juvenile Whooper Swan.

Just the one adult Herring Gull today, this one being the resident male.  There was no sign of the female which had first appeared in recent weeks.

Two Common Gulls were present on my arrival, with a further five adults appearing before my departure.  Again, no sign of the Scottish metal-rung female.

The very friendly Moorhen was present throughout my visit, and at 11:23, I spotted a 2nd bird.  On closer look, this one was a juvenile.

A Rook and a male Pied Wagtail made brief visits.  4 Jackdaws, came and went on several occasions.

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