Antrim Marina - Sunday 6th October 2024...

Antrim Marina - Sunday 6th October 2024

Today I was making my tenth weekly visit to Antrim Marina to study the wintering population of Black-headed Gulls, especially those that are colour-ringed.  So far this winter, 23 out of a possible 34 colour-rings have been read.  Of the remaining 11 gulls still to return, I have since decided to write off four of these as the should have been here from August, though I gave them the month of September as well.  I arrived at the Marina shortly after 10am.  It was a cloudy day, with a fair breeze blowing in from Lough Neagh, and the temperature gauge in my car read 15ºC.  Shortly after midday, showers of drizzle fell, leading to periods of heavier rainfall.

With the gulls and ducks nicely settled on parking my car beside the small concrete jetty, a count of the Black-headed Gulls totalled 63 birds.  Numbers increased to between 70 and 80 gulls by 12:30, and after this, numbers dropped down to around the 40 mark by the time of my departure at 2pm.

The first three rings to be read at 10:11, were those of  2FFA , the Icelandic  2FHV  and  2FJA .  My 7th sighting came as a bit of a shock.  Spotted at 10:25 on the long wooden jetty, was  2FFH .  Although I knew the gull was one of mine, I simply could not place the code.  I went back to my car to get my camera, but my initial photos were not great as the bird was facing me head on.  Later, I was able to obtain better photos when the gull landed on the rails of the concrete jetty.  Raking my mind wondering about the code, was it one of the two gulls that had been seen on the Whiteabbey Shore?  I couldn't wait to get home to look up the code. 

Wow, I had caught and ringed  2FFH  as a juvenile/1st calendar year bird at the Marina on the 7th December 2020.  After being ringed, it was recorded over my next two visits (14th & 21st December 2020), and then disappeared before turning up again on the 19th April 2021.  The next sighting was reported in an email from David Morrow.  He had spotted  2FFH  at Ballyronan Marina, on the 21st October 2021.  Ballyronan Marina is situated in the top left hand corner of Lough Neagh, some 19 kms / 11 miles (W) from Antrim Marina.

I can remember visiting Ballyronan Marina in the autumn and winter of 2022 to see if I could find the gull there, and having failed to return to Antrim, I eventually wrote the bird off as having perished.  On my Antrim Marina spreadsheet, the column for this bird was filled in with 'Red', (Dead).  I now had to 'Un-Kill'  2FFH .

All in all, I was glad to see it back in good health.  Watching it closely, it was at ease in joining the other gulls trying to get a share of the bread being fed to the ducks.  The only question now, is, will it remain here for the rest of the winter?  It is now 3 years, 9 months and 29 days since I ringed this one.  Could it also be a foreign bird?

Black-headed Gull  -   2FFH   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (06 Oct 2024)

(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Calendar Year Bird, on the 7th December 2020, at Antrim Marina)

Juvenile/1st Winter Black-headed Gull  -   2FFH   -  Antrim Marina  (14 Dec 2020)

At the end of my first hour, I had recorded 16 colour-rings, with that of  2CSK  being read at 11:12.  My final and 19th colour-ring to be read at 13:21, was  2CSR .  Other than the unexpected return of  2FFH , none of the gulls that I've been waiting on appeared today.

Hopefully, things will become interesting over the next two to three weeks, as we reach the time when  2FDJ  returns from Estonia, plus the possibility that  2CTA  and  2FHT  (Poland) turning up as well.

Among today's five absentees, was that of  2FJF .  I'm now concerned about this gull, as it has not been seen since the 15th September 2024.  Prior to that, it had been recorded every week since my first weekly visit back on the 4th August 2024.  It was the only juvenile among the eight gulls that I caught and ringed last winter, which makes it rather special.

The Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull -  543335 , was spotted at 10:53 this morning, having been absent last week.  Like many of the other gulls, they came tantalisingly close to being caught and ringed, but they appear not to be hungry enough to take a chance feeding among the legs of the swans.  A few more swans on the slipway might help.

With  2FFH  putting in an appearance, this winter's total of colour-rings now sits at 24.

An email arrived with me on Sunday evening from a Maria Mulholland.  It turns out that she is a trainee ringer under the guidance of Steven Fyffe. Maria arrived at the Marina just after I had departed at 2pm.  Maria recorded two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls -  2FIL  and  2FJL , both having been recorded during my visit.  Maria using binoculars could not read the rings of two other gulls as the colour-rings were covered in mud.  Those two were  2FFX  and  2FJT , and I had to use my camera to read those codes.  Thank you Maria to take the time to make the sightings and to report them to me.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 6th October 2024

2FFA	2FHV	2FJA	2AAN	2FFX	2CJT	2FFH	2FJT	2FJL	2AAB
2FIL	2ACV	2FJN	2FHC	2FJK	2CSK	2ABN	2BRA	2CSR

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

2BRD	2FFT	2FIF	2FIJ	2FJF

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

A count of the Mallards on my arrival, gave a total of 57 birds, with roughly the same number being present throughout my visit.  As usual, most if not all legs were checked for rings of the course of my stay.

There were no Mute Swans present on my arrival, but the first pair arrived in from Lough Neagh at 11:15.  Although both came to the slipway, neither could be enticed to come out onto the slipway.  Even reaching out to them with bread, they were very hesitant to come close, which tells me that they are not regulars here.  After spending a bit of time to look at their legs in the water, neither of them were ringed.

A second pair of Mute Swans arrived from the Lough at 12:30, but I never got a chance to see their legs, as they were repeatedly chased off by the male of the first pair.  A fifth bird, a male, appeared from upriver at 12:45.  This bird was allowed to alight onto the slipway, but it was not ringed.  

Once again, there was no sigh of the metal-rung Mute Swan -  X4707 .  My last sighting here of this male bird, was made on the 8th September 2024.  This same bird was here in June 2024 and had a partner at the time.  Making it's first appearance here of the winter on the 26th August 2024, it was on it's own.  Around that time, Danny from the Lough Neagh Rescue Team, told me that a swan had been found dead a few weeks before my first visit on the 8th August 2024, possibly this bird's partner.  Has X4707 departed for Bartins Bay where it was ringed in April 2024?

The resident male Herring Gull arrived at 10:48.  Once again, there was no sign of his partner or of his youngster.  I thought this young gull would remain at the Marina, especially seeing as it was receiving good feeds from the public whilst feeding the ducks.

A single un-ringed Common Gull arrived at 12:18, staying for around 15 minutes before flying back out towards Lough Neagh.

Just two Jackdaws, 1 Hooded Crow and a pair of Pied Wagtails were the only other species noted here today.

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From Suzanne Belshaw and John Clarke...

From Suzanne Belshaw

Another email arrived with me recently from Suzanne Belshaw concerning her latest sighting, along with two overlooked sightings from the end of August, and a near miss when trying to capture the metal number of a Mute Swan.  Also in the email, Suzanne stated that her sighting of a Norwegian Black-headed Gull was accepted.

The two belated sightings were of Black-headed Gulls recorded at Ballyholme in County Down on the 31st August 2024.  Responding to Suzanne, it had recently crossed my mind that no gull sightings had been reported at Ballyholme this winter.  I know a couple of birders operate in that area.  Normally, there are three Black-headed Gulls that are recorded in the area each winter, so it was good news that Suzanne had spotted two of them.

Black-headed Gull -  2ABT , belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Study which ran from 2012 until 2018.   2ABT  was among the earliest of the gulls to have been ringed, and was ringed at Ballyholme as an adult male on the 24th January 2013.  Ballyholme is the wintering site for this gull, and has been spotted here almost every winter since being ringed.

In the summer months, the gull is often recorded at Sandy Bay in Larne, Co. Antrim.  The nearest breeding colony to Larne, is on the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough.  I once spotted -  2ABT  on the shore at Glynn (3rd July 2022), which is a stone's throw away from the island.  Over this past summer, the gull was recorded on the one occasion, and that was at Sandy Bay on the 8th June 2024 by Suzanne.

This latest sighting, is the 37th for the bird since being ringed in 2013.  The duration since being ringed is now 11 years, 7 months and 7 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ABT   -  Ballyholme Beach, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (31 Aug 2024)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The second Black-headed Gull spotted at Ballyholme, was the Polish -  TRX9 .  This bird was ringed as a chick, on the 5th June 2019, on Ptasia Wyspa Island, on Lake Rynskie, Poland.  The gull has been a regular winter visitor to Ballyholme, since first being spotted there by John O'Boyle, on the 12th September 2021.  This latest sighting, is now the 22nd record at Ballyholme.  One sighting prior to it's first sighting here, was recorded on the 4th August 2019, when spotted at Ringstone Reservoir in West Yorkshire, England.

Suzanne has checked the 'Live' Polish Ringing Database, and -  TRX9  has yet to be seen back in it's native Poland.  The duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 2 months and 26 days, and Ballyholme is situated 1,760 kms / 1,093 miles (W) from Ptasia Wyspa Island.

Black-headed Gull  -   TRX9   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (31 Aug 2024)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Suzanne's most recent sighting was that of a metal-rung Black-headed Gull which is a frequent winter visitor the Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh.   EZ02451 , was ringed as a chick, on the 20th June 2017, at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  All 21 sightings of this gull has been recorded at Lurgan Park, the first being as a juvenile bird on the 7th September 2017.  As with all metal-rung birds, Suzanne had to confirm the number via a series of photos.  Normally, gulls ringed at Elvanfoot are colour-ringed, but during the 2017 season, there were so many chicks about, they ran out of colour-rings hence -  EZ02451  being ringed with only the metal-ring.

The duration since being ringed, is now 7 years, 3 months and 13 days, and the distance from Elvanfoot is 202 kms / 125 miles (WSW).

Black-headed Gull  -   EZ02451   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (03 Oct 2024)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Back in September, Suzanne sent me a series of photos which she believed was that of a Norwegian Black-headed Gull ringed (White) J2154.  I edited one photo to sharpen the brightness and contrast to make the code stand out better, and then sent a re-sized photo back to Suzanne with recommendation that she should report the sighting onto the 'Live' Norwegian Ringing Database and upload the photo to await the acceptance of the sighting.

Brilliant news has come back - the sighting was accepted.  Suzanne spotted (White) J2154 at Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, on the 25th September 2024, the bird's first sighting outside of Norway.  It was ringed as a chick, on the 15th June 2023, at Leirbergholmen Island, a short distance to the south-west from Stavanger.  One previous sighting was made on the 19th May 2024, when spotted at Revtangen - 19 kms / 11 miles (SW) from it's natal island.

The distance to Whitehouse Lagoon, 846 kms / 524 miles (SW) from Leirbergholmen Island, and the duration since being ringed, was 1 year, 3 months and 10 days.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  J2154  -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (25 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th June 2023, on Leirbergholmen Island, Hafrsfjorden (Fforde), Norway)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Also back in September, Suzanne spotted a metal-rung Mute Swan at Stoneyford Reservoir just outside of Lisburn in County Antrim.  Unfortunately, Suzanne was only able to capture -  X474*  with her camera, knowing she was one number short.  On taking a closer look at the photo, it would appear that the ring butt is actually obscuring the final number.  I had a similar problem with a metal-rung Mute Swan which I came across at Glynn on Larne Lough a couple of years ago.  I cannot find the photo, and therefore may have accidently erased it.  I reminded Suzanne, that the whole number can also be found in miniature on the ring-butt. which may help.  Knowing Suzanne, I'm sure she will 'nail' this one in the future.

Again, my thanks goes to Suzanne for her sightings and photos.

Mute Swan  -   X474*   -  Stoneyford Reservoir, Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (19 Sep 2024)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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From John Clarke

My ex ringing trainer John Clarke has been in touch concerning the return of an Icelandic colour-ringed Oystercatcher - NY-S(UY) - Black over Yellow on the left leg, Grey Ring (Silver) with the letters UY on the right leg.

NY-G(UY), was ringed as a chick, on the 25th July 2019, in the area of Víðir Football Stadium in south-west Iceland.  The initial sightings in Northern Ireland occurred in December 2019 and February 2020 at Portballintrae on the north coast of County Antrim.

On the 15th August 2020, I spotted this bird at the Bann Estuary near Castlerock in County Londonderry, and by the 6th November 2020, the bird had moved eastwards along the coast to Portrush in County Antrim, when John himself first had his first sighting.  John also recorded - NY-S(UY) in January 2023 and in September 2023 back in Portrush.  This latest sighting at Portrush would appear to be this bird's favoured wintering site.

Back in Iceland, a single sighting was made in June 2022 in the south-west of the island.  Boddi, who is the ringing coordinator, is not sure whether it was seen this summer, as all sighting info has yet to be submitted to him. 

The distance from Víðir Football Stadium to Portrush, is 1,330 kms / 826 miles (SE), and the duration since being ringed, is 5 years, 2 months and 14 days.

My thanks goes to John for the sighting report and photo.  Not so long ago, John reported an Oystercatcher at the Myroe Levels on Lough Foyle, County Londonderry.  That particular bird had been spotted there in the past, but the ringer concerned failed to supply any details.  I had another go after John's sighting, but even after the British Trust for Ornithology asking the ringer to supply details, once again we are being ignored.  Most 'Ring Readers' in Northern Ireland have had similar problems.

Oystercatcher  -  NY-S(UY)  -  East Strand Car Park, Portrush, Co. Antrim  (09 Oct 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 25th July 2019, near Víðir Football Stadium), SW Iceland)

(Photo Courtesy of John Clarke)

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Antrim Marina - Sunday 29th September 2024

Antrim Marina - Sunday 29th September 2024

Today saw me making my ninth weekly visit to Antrim Marina to study the wintering population of Black-headed Gulls, with some of those having been colour-ringed here.  I arrived at 10am this morning, the weather being cloudy but dry with a slight breeze.  The temperature gauge in my car read 14ºC.  So far this winter, I have recorded a total of 23 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls out of a possible 34 birds that survived till the end of the 2023/2024 winter

On parking beside the small concrete jetty, I made a quick count of all birds present, which included a total of 41 Black-headed Gulls.  Throughout the visit, numbers remained low and probably never exceeded the 50 mark - this leading to a very poor visit.  The first ring of the day was that of -  2CSR  at 10:04, and by the end of my first hour at 11am, only 9 rings had been read altogether, with -  2BRA  being the ninth at 10:38.

From 11am onwards, the numbers were slow to add, and the 17th and final ring of the day, was that of Belfast breeding (Window on Wildlife Reserve) -  2FFX  at 13:25.  I therefore had six absentees today, and no further returnees were recorded.

Even the Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull -  543335  failed to show itself today.  I did have rings ready to catch one or two new gulls to add to my study, but folk arrived early to feed the ducks, with the gulls getting more than their fair share.  With the edge taken of their hunger, the gulls were less eager to chance coming close to me.

I have checked my spreadsheets concerning the 11 colour-ringed gulls that are still to make an appearance this winter.  Of these, four should have been recorded by now, and looking at their past histories, all four should have returned from August onwards.  I'm now convinced that all four have either perished, or have chosen to winter somewhere else (which I think is unlikely).  The gulls concerned are :-

 2FDK  - Ringed at Antrim Marina on the 18th November 2019 as an unsexed adult, and last seen on the 13th July 2024 at Antrim's Junction One Shopping Centre.  This one more than the other three, should have returned by now seeing it was in the local area during the summer.

 2FIA  - Ringed at Antrim Marina on the 15th November 2021 as an unsexed 2nd calendar year bird, and last seen here on the 3rd March 2024.  I did come across 2FIA at my local park in Ballymena in December 2022, but it quickly returned to the Marina.

 2FIK  - Ringed at Antrim Marina on the 12th September 2022 as an unsexed adult, and last seen on the 31st March 2024.

 2FIP  - Ringed at Antrim Marina on the 28th November 2022 as an unsexed 2nd Calendar year bird, and last seen on the 11th March 2024.

Of the remaining 7 gulls :-

 2AFD  - is due back from Latvia in November.

 2CTA  - has no definite return date as it could appear at any time - breeding site is unknown.

 2FDJ  - is due back from Estonia towards the end of October.

 2FDL  - is a very late returnee that breeds in Sweden.  Return dates are in late November and early December.

 2FHT  - is an irregular visitor to the Marina and could appear at any time.  In the past, this gull has been recorded during the breeding season in Poland, and in December 2022 it was spotted at Whiteabbey on Belfast Lough.

 2FJH  &  2FJP  - were both caught and ringed at Antrim Marina last winter, and were last seen in February and January respectively.  Their absence so far may indicate that they are foreign breeding birds and are still to return.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 29th September 2024

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

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

2ABN	2BRD	2FFT	2FHC	2FIJ	2FJF

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

On parking next to the small concrete jetty, it was immediately noticeable that there were no Mute Swans about, and a quick peek at the small sandy beach saw no birds there either.  With the ringing of gulls in mind, it is helpful to have a few swans on the slipway.  At 10:18, I spotted a pair swimming in from the direction of Lough Neagh, though it took a while before they came out onto the slipway.  By this time, the ducks were already getting their first feeds of bread from passers by.  This was a disaster, as the gulls were also getting a share.  A second pair of Mute Swans swam in from the Lough at 1:23, but were constantly being chased off by the male from the first pair.  There has been no sign of the metal-rung -  X4707  over the last couple of weeks, the last sighting having been made on the 8th September 2024.

A count of the Mallards on my arrival, gave a total of 63 birds.  Although no further counts were made, the overall total appeared to be around the same throughout my visit.  As per usual, most if not all legs were checked for rings.

There was no sign of the Herring Gull family on my arrival.  The male arrived at 10:54, but, by the time that I departed, his female and juvenile never appeared.  A juvenile Herring Gull appeared at 12:57, settling down on the low wooden jetty, but I could tell straight away by it's reaction, this was not the resident youngster.

So far this winter, hardly any Common Gulls have been spotted.  At 12:33, I spotted one standing at the end of the long wooden jetty.  Through my binoculars, I could see a metal-ring, which was likely to be the small Scottish female -  EY64036 .  Grabbing my camera from the car, I took a series of photos and despite not capturing the two letters, I did get -  64036  which was enough to confirm the sighting.  This is now my second sighting for the gull this winter.  I first spotted it during my first weekly visit of the winter on the 4th August 2024.

 EY64036  was ringed as a chick, on the 20th June 2013, at Hunterston in North Ayrshire, Scotland.  It first appeared at Antrim Marina as a juvenile, on the 9th February 2014.  The gull has been recorded here every winter since the 2013/2014 winter, though sightings in more recent years has greatly reduced.  Today's sighting is now the 64th to be made at the Marina, with the ring having to be read on each appearance just to be sure it is the same bird.  As you can imagine, the ring has never been read anywhere else.  Iain Livingstone who is the ringing coordinator for the Clyde Ringing Group, has told me that the Hunterston site no longer exists as it has been bulldozed over.  This meant the loss of a breeding site for both Common and Black-headed Gulls.  The ringing group are now using the Isle of Tiree to ring both species, but survival rates among the chicks have been somewhat erratic.

It has been 11 years, 3 months and 9 days since -  EY64036  was ringed, and the distance from Hunterston to Antrim Marina, is 141 kms / 87 miles (SW).

Common Gull  -   EY64036   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (29 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 20th June 2013, at Hunterston, North Ayrshire, Scotland)

Time was getting on, and I began to think that for the first time ever, no Jackdaws at all were going to be recorded, but a pair arrived just minutes before I departed.  The only other birds to be seen today, were a pair of Pied Wagtails which did not stay for long.

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From David Nixon and Suzanne Belshaw...

From David Nixon

David Nixon was at Millquarter Bay (Strangford Lough, Co. Down) on the 27th September 2024, when he spotted a Herring Gull - rung  T1VC .  This gull was last recorded in Northern Ireland back on the 25th October 2021 when spotted by David at this very same site.  Having reported his latest sighting to Mark Fitzpatrick who is the ringing coordinator for the gulls ringed on the Calf of Man (Isle of Man), there has been a further three sightings since October 2021. two at Strandhall on the mainland of the Isle of Man (both in December 2021), and on the Calf of Man in April 2023.

 T1VC , was ringed as a chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man.  The first two re-sightings were made at Millquarter Bay in June and July 2020 by Graham McElwaine, followed by two sightings back on the Isle of Man - Strandhall (October 2020), Calf of Man (July 2021).  Two sightings in September 2021 by Graham McElwaine saw the gull back at Millquarter Bay, followed by David's sighting there in October 2021 as mentioned above.

The duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 2 months and 24 days, and Millquarter Bay is situated 56 kms / 34 miles (WNW) from the Calf of Man.  My thanks goes to David for the sighting report and photo, and to Mark Fitzpatrick for the updated history for this gull.

Herring Gull  -   T1VC   -  Millquarter Bay, Strangford Lough, Co. Down  (27 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

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From Suzanne Belshaw

Suzanne Belshaw visited Kilkeel Harbour in County Down on the 13th September 2024.  Whilst there, she spotted two colour-ringed Herring Gulls.  The first turned out to be a first sighting of -  110:D .  Having contacted Graham Prole who is the ringing coordinator for the Irish Midland Ringing Group, we learnt that the gull was ringed as a chick, on the 1st July 2017, on Ireland's Eye Island, in County Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

An impressive 7 years, 2 months and 12 days, had slipped past before this first sighting.  The distance from Ireland's Eye Island, to Kilkeel Harbour, is 72 kms / 44 miles (N).  Our thanks goes to Graham for the ringing details.

Herring Gull  -   110:D   -  Kilkeel Harbour, Kilkeel, Co. Down  (13 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 1st July 2017, at Ireland's Eye Island, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The second Herring Gull -  4X:W , was ringed as a chick, on the 6th May 2015, on Big Copeland Island just off the coast from Donaghadee in County Down.  I recorded the first re-sighting for this gull on the 19th January 2020, on the seafront at Donaghadee.  

On the 16th June 2020, I visited Big Copeland Island to read colour-rings on adult Common Gulls, as well as colour-ringing their chicks.  Walking between colonies, I passed a small Herring Gull colony, where I had my second sighting of -  4X:W .

The next sighting, was made on the 16th August 2020, when spotted by Graham McElwaine at Mill Bay (East), on Carlingford Lough in southern Co. Down - some 77 kms / 47 miles (SSW) from Big Copeland Island.  The extensive tidal mudflats there draw in lots of gulls and waders during the autumn and winter months.

This was the last sighting until this one made by Suzanne at Kilkeel.  The distance from Big Copeland to the harbour at Kilkeel, is 75 kms / 46 miles (SSW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 9 years, 4 months and 7 days.

It is very likely that -  4X:W  still breeds at the same spot on Big Copeland Island, but access to the island has not been possible under the new ownership.  Makes you wonder, when a gamekeeper is employed on the island!!!

Herring Gull  -   4X:W   -  Kilkeel Harbour, Kilkeel, Co. Down  (13 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 6th May 2015, on Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

A metal-rung Herring Gull spotted by Suzanne near her home in Lisburn, Co. Antrim, meant the camera was called into action.  Taking many photos of the ring, the bird turned out to be the same gull recorded at this site on two previous occasions.  You can never assume that you are seeing a bird recorded previously, so the metal always has to be re-read.

 GJ31081 , was ringed as an unsexed 2nd calendar year+ bird, on the 27th November 2023, at the former Belfast Waterworks in Cliftonville, Belfast.  It may have been possible that this gull had come to 'grief' in one way or another, and may have been ringed before release by Debbie 'Doolittle' Nelson who runs a sanctuary for sick an injured wildlife.

Suzanne's previous sightings were made on the 16th and 30th June 2024.  The site in Lisburn, is 15 kms / 9 miles (SSW) from the Waterworks, and the duration since being ringed, is now 9 months and 19 days.

Herring Gull  -   GJ31081  -  Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (15 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Year Plus Bird, on the 27th November 2023, at Belfast Waterworks, Cliftonville, Belfast)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Suzanne's visit to Whitehouse Lagoon just north from Belfast, produced two ring sightings - one old and one new.  The old one, was that of an Icelandic Oystercatcher which has been recorded on the Lagoon every winter since it's first sighting there on the 6th September 2015.

Originally, the Oystercatcher was ringed with a Green Ring over a White Ring on the left leg, with a Green Flag over a Black Ring on the Right Leg - GW-GfN.  Somehow, the bird managed to discard the Green Flag on the right leg, whilst the Green Ring on the left leg slipped underneath the White Ring.

GW-GfN, was ringed as an unsexed breeding adult, on the 5th June 2015, in the Mjóanef area of southern Iceland.  As mentioned above, the bird has been recorded here every winter, with the only sighting last winter, having been recorded by Suzanne on the 1st September 2023.  The lack of sightings was due to less coverage, and there is no doubting that the bird spent the whole winter at the Lagoon.

Over the years, the Oystercatcher has been recorded back on it's breeding grounds in Iceland.  The ringer - Boddi, stated that they tried to re-catch the bird this past summer, to give it a new set of colour-rings, however, Boddi said that the bird was too cute to be caught for a second time.

The duration since being ringed, is now 9 years, 3 months and 19 days, and the distance from Mjóanef to Whitehouse Lagoon, is 1,294 kms / 804 miles (SE).

Oystercatcher  -  GW-GfN  -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough  (25 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Breeding Adult, on the 5th June 2015, at Mjóanef, Eystri Rangá, S. Iceland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The new sighting was that of a Norwegian Black-headed Gull.  Although the bird was quite distant from Suzanne, she just about managed to capture the code as being - (White) J2154.  Although the code looked a bit 'iffy', Suzanne sent me photos for my opinion.  I ran these through a photo editor to try and sharpen the colour and brightness and the code looked good for - (White) J2154.

I suggested that Suzanne should go ahead and submit her sighting onto the 'Live' Norwegian Ringing Database and to upload the re-sized photo that I sent to her.  Having done that, Suzanne was able to obtain the bird's history, although it might take a few days before the sighting is verified.

J2154, was ringed as a chick, on the 15th June 2023 on Leirbergholmen Island, on Hafrsfjorden (Fforde), just south-west of Stavanger, Norway.  One previous sighting was made on the 19th May 2024 at Revtangen, 19 kms / 11 miles (SW) from where it was ringed.

Suzanne's sighting at Whitehouse Lagoon is 846 kms / 525 miles (SW) from Leirbergholmen Island, and the duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 3 months and 10 days.

As always, my thanks goes to Suzanne for her sighting reports, along with the photos.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  J2154  -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough  (27 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th June 2023, at Leirbergholmen, Hafrsfjorden, Sola, Rogaland, Norway)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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