Antrim Marina - Sunday 22nd September 2024...

Antrim Marina - Sunday 22nd September 2024

For this week's weekly visit to Antrim Marina, I arrived at the slightly later time of 10:30, departing at 2:30pm after a four hour watch.  It was a cloudy day, with the temperature gauge in my car reading 16ºC.  Although calm at first, the wind strengthened slightly over the course of my visit, feeling chilly from an easterly direction.

So far this winter, I have recorded 23 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls out of an expected total of 34 birds.  On arrival, the gulls were nicely settled around the Marina, with a count of 74 in total.  Reading rings over the first hour progressed at a steady pace, with -  2ACV  being the 14th ring read at 11:30.  At this point, I reckoned that today would be a good time to try and catch the first gulls of the winter to ring.  Having collected the rings from the boot of my car, I was all set with the rings placed in the foot-well on the drivers side.  When I catch birds, I return to the car setting the gull's on my lap and add the rings to both legs.

Having got everything ready, all of a sudden, several people arrived to feed the ducks.  Some brought bread with them, whilst others took advantage to use the new 'Pellet Dispenser', that had been put in place the week before (had meant to take photos, but forgot).  In no time at all, the gulls had helped themselves to a good feed.  After this, numbers dropped very quickly, meaning nothing got ringed.

From 11:30, only four more rings were read taking the day's total to 18, and no further returnees were recorded.  These final four were -  2FHC  at 12:04,  2FJL  at 12:09,  2FJT  at 12:19, and the second sighting this winter of -  2BRD  at 13:41.  Although -  2BRD  is an irregular winter visitor at the Marina, I reckon it spends most of it's time somewhere around Antrim town.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BRD   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (22 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 1st February 2015, at Antrim Marina)

(Duration since being Ringed :- 9 years, 7 months and 21 days)

New Pellet Dispenser at Antrim Marina

The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335 , was recorded at 10:45, but, as with many of the other gulls, it soon disappeared having had a good feed around 11:30.  I watched it standing directly in front of folk, which shows just how confident it is.  It is annoying to think, just how close I got to colour-ringing this bird in the past.  I really need to catch this one before it returns to Iceland next spring.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 22nd September 2024

2FJK	2CSK	2FFX	2FJN	2AAN	2FFA	2FJA	2AAB	2CJT
2FHV	2CSR	2FIL	2FIF	2ACV	2FHC	2FJL	2FJT	2BRD

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

2ABN	2BRA	2FFT	2FIJ	2FJF

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

A pair of un-ringed Mute Swans were on the slipway when I arrived, and a second un-ringed pair arrived from the direction of Lough Neagh at 11:10.  With the four present, I was going to use them to help me catch a gull or two to be ringed, but with the gulls having received a good feed around 11:30, it was not to be.

The Herring Gull pair, along with their juvenile, were present throughout my visit.  The female as per usual, kept her distance from her youngster.  For the second week running, the male had the courage to come and take bread from my hand.  Although his youngster stood beside him, it did not have the nerve to try and get bread from me.  I have 'G' sized rings in the car, and would dearly love to ring this youngster before it departs from the Marina for good.  Not really sure whether I can catch the male, but you never know.

Once again, not a single Common Gull appeared, though a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls arrived for a brief visit at 11:05.

Mallard numbers well back up to their higher numbers, with 53 birds counted on my arrival, increasing to around 70 birds before the feeds arrived at 11:30.  After this, numbers dropped down to the 40 to 50 mark.

3 Rooks, 2 Jackdaws and a pair of Pied Wagtails, were the only other species noted today.

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