Some Recent Ring Sightings...

From Martin Goodey and Bob Dawson

An email from a Bob Dawson came in, on Friday evening of the 5th of January, which had me bouncing on my kitchen chair (the kitchen table happens to be my office at home).  Earlier that day, Bob's friend Martin Goodey photographed a juvenile Common Gull with a Blue Darvic, which was reported as either -  2CJK  or possibly -  2CJR .  I instantly knew that the bird would have been ringed as a chick on Rathlin Island here in Northern Ireland last summer.

Checking the code on my spreadsheet, the letter ' R ' is not used in my character set for this ring series, so the bird would indeed be -  2CJK .  The reason for me bouncing in my chair, is that this young gull had been spotted at Porthloo Beach, St. Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, England.  I replied to Bob, asking for a Grid Reference, so that I could work out the distance from Rathlin to the point of sighting.  I knew this was going to be a record breaker for distance, and when the Reference came back, I worked out the distance as being 597 kms / 370 miles (S).

This indeed was a record breaker.  I began my Common Gull project on Rathlin Island in the summer of 2017.  The principal aim, was to record the number of surviving chicks that would return to the island to integrate into the overall breeding population of around 100 pairs once they had matured.  Over time, movements of all birds and longevities could also be investigated.

The previous best distance for a Rathlin Common Gull was that of -  2BAN .  This bird had been ringed as a chick in June 2017, and was spotted in April 2018, at Kilshannig Point, Tralee Bay, Co. Kerry, Republic of Ireland, a distance of 414 kms / 257 miles (SW).  Unfortunately, there has been no further sightings of -  2BAN  to date.

I asked Bob if any photos had been taken, after which, Martin contacted me with photos and allowed me to use them for my blog.   2CJK , was ringed as a chick at the Arkill Bay (north) colony, on the 19th June 2023, and the duration as of the 5th January 2024, is 6 months and 17 days since being ringed.

My thanks goes to both Bob and Martin for the sighting report along with the photos.  I was really delighted with this one.   2CJK , if it survives till then, should return to Rathlin in 2025 to prospect a nesting site and breed for the first time in 2026.

Common Gull  -   2CJK   -  Porthloo Beach, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly, England  (05 Jan 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2023, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Martin Goodey)

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From Derek Polley

Derek Polley sent me an email on Thursday 4th January 2024, concerning the sighting of a colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit.  On most Thursdays, Derek works as a volunteer at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast.  The Godwit, ringed Red over Blue on the left leg, and Orange (=) on the right leg, was ringed at the WoW Reserve, on the 21st April 2021, as an adult female.  In this case, I cannot give out much information about the birds movements as I have been requested by the project leads, not to divulge any details.

Despite this, it is good to know the bird is still alive and well and revisiting the reserve.  The duration since being ringed, is 2 years, 8 months and 14 days.

My thanks to Derek for the sighting report and photo.  I think the photo was taken through the window of the visitor centre.

Black-tailed Godwit  -  Red/Blue - Orange (=)  -  RSPB Window on Wildlife NR, Belfast  (04 Jan 2024)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 21st April 2021, at the RSPB Window on Wildlife NR)

(Photo Courtesy of Derek Polley)

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From Lindsay Hodges

Lindsay Hodges was also busy on Friday 5th January 2024.  At Ballyholme in County Down, Lindsay spotted all three of the regularly recorded colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls at Luke's Point.

The first two birds to be dealt with here, belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study.   2ABT , has an extensive list of re-sightings here at Ballyholme, as well as at Sandy Bay in Larne, Co. Antrim, and a single sighting at Glynn on Larne Lough.  It is this single sighting at Glynn, which leads me to believe the gull is nesting on the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Nature Reserve just a short distance away from Glynn.

Ballyholme is the wintering site for -  2ABT , and the gull was caught and ringed here on the 24th January 2013.  The duration since being ringed, is now 10 years, 11 months and 12 days.  The full re-sighting history can be read (here).

Black-headed Gull  -   2ABT   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (05 Jan 2024)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 24th January 2013, at Ballyholme)

(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)

Black-headed Gull -  2CLV , is also a winter visitor at Luke's Point.  This gull was ringed as a chick, on the 16th June 2017, at the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough, Co. Antrim.  Just over two months after being ringed, the then juvenile was spotted at Whitehead on the County Antrim coast, and the disappeared until February 2019, when spotted at Luke's Point by Suzanne Belshaw.

With the exception of one sighting, all other sightings have been winter records at Luke's Point.  The exception occurred in June 2021 when -  2CLV  was the grateful recipient of a few chips thrown down by Jim Wells at Bangor Harbour, which is very close to Luke's Point.  The question then, was where could -  2CLV  be breeding at, as there is no colony close by.  Had the bird failed in it's breeding attempt, and made an early return to it's wintering quarters?  The closest two breeding colonies would have been at Groomsport or on Big Copeland Island, both some distance away.  Quite often, many gulls return to breed at their natal colonies, but Big Circle Island does not have any accessible viewing points.

The distance from Blue Circle Island to Ballyholme, is 19 kms / 11 miles (SE), and the duration since being ringed, is 6 years, 6 months and 20 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2CLV   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (05 Jan 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 16th June 2017, at RSPB Blue Circle Island NR, Larne Lough, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)

The third Black-headed Gull, was the Polish-rung -  TRX9 .  This one was first recorded at Ballyholme in September 2021, and has returned every winter since.   TRX9  was ringed as a chick on the 5th June 2019, on Ptasia Wyspa Island, Lake Rynskie, Poland.  1 month and 30 days after being ringed, the then juvenile turned up at Ringstone Edge Reservoir in West Yorkshire, England, which remains as the only other sighting location other than at Luke's Point.  I have checked the Online Polish Ringing Database on numerous occasions, but the gull has never been recorded back in it's natal country.

The list of sightings at Ballyholme is now becoming quite numerous.  The distance from Ptasia Wyspa Island to Ballyholme, is 1,760 kms / 1,093 miles (W), and the duration since being ringed, is 4 years and 7 months.

Black-headed Gull  -   TRX9   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (05 Jan 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 5th June 2019, on Ptasia Wyspa Island, Lake Rynskie, Poland)

(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)

Lindsay also recorded a colour-ringed Brent Goose at Ballyholme, ringed Yellow (Z) - Green (U).  Normally these days, I do not bother with Brent Geese as a prominent Irish Ornithologist promised a new 'Online Database' which failed to materialise.  The same man has caused much havoc among ring readers, as he fails to respond to sightings of his colour-ringed gulls and waders.

However, in the case of this Brent Goose, I noticed that it has a metal ring fitted above the Yellow Darvic.  This tells me that the bird would have been ringed with an Icelandic metal, so I have submitted Lindsay's sighting for the BTO to pursue the ringing details.  This may still take a week or two, but we should be able to obtain a recovery, though not the full ringing and re-sighting history.  Brent Geese ringed in Northern Ireland, are not fitted with metal rings.

My thanks goes to Lindsay, for the sightings along with the photos.

Brent Goose  -  Yellow Z - Green U  -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (05 Jan 2024)

(Waiting for the Ringing Details)

(Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Hodges)

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From Suzanne Belshaw

Suzanne Belshaw has been in touch again, regarding a juvenile Herring Gull spotted close to her home in Lisburn, Co. Antrim.   149:C , is possibly a first re-sighting since being ringed at the Old Lighthouse Island, which is home to the Copeland Bird Observatory in County Down.

A new colour-ringing project was started on the island by Roisin Kearney in the summer of 2023, where Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gull chicks were ringed with the same set of rings.  A few adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also caught and ringed - presumably on the nest.

As yet, Suzanne is still waiting for a reply from Roisin, but I reckon  149:C  was ringed on the 1st July 2023, and having been spotted on the 31st December 2023, the duration is 5 months and 11 days.

My thanks to Suzanne again, for the sighting report and photo.

Juvenile Herring Gull  -   149:C   -  Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (31 Dec 2023)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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