Some Recent Sightings...

Following on from my previous post, there has been no further news about the colour-ringed Common Gull which was spotted among Ring-billed Gulls on a Golf Course at Rockport in Maine, USA.  I can only assume that the bird has been looked for without any success.  An email would have been appreciated to say that they did try.  I am still hoping that it is one of my gulls, and perhaps someday someone will 'nail it'.

A number of ring sightings has been reported to me lately, though I have delayed this post whilst waiting for official recoveries from the British Trust for Ornithology.  As I write, these recoveries may come in before I finish this post.

_________________________________________________________________________________

From Graham Prole and Jan Rod

On Sunday the 3rd November 2024, ringers - Graham Prole and Jan Rod travelled up from the Republic of Ireland to attend a Ringers Conference held at the Discovery Centre at Oxford Island in County Armagh.  At the conference, Graham presented a talk about his Mute Swan colour-ringing  project based around County Dublin and the surrounding area.

Whilst at Oxford Island, Graham and Jan made a visit to the nearby Kinnego Marina where they came across two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls which are regular winter visitors at the site.  Both of them sent me photos of the gulls, so I have included all of them.

 2BPN  is the last surviving of five Black-headed Gulls ringed at Kinnego Marina belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Project.  All five were colour-ringed in October 2014, which included a metal-rung gull originally ringed in Latvia.

 2BPN  was ringed as an adult female on the 29th October 2014.  This latest sighting is the first for this winter, and the 83rd sighting overall since being ringed.  All sightings bar one has been recorded at Kinnego Marina during the autumn and winter months.  The exception was also at the Marina made on the 4th May 2015 by Suzanne Belshaw.  This sighting could suggest that it was breeding somewhere close by, or perhaps it's nesting attempt ended in failure, hence an early return.

The last sighting before today, was recorded by Steven Fyffe on the 21st February 2024.  Visits to this Marina has become less frequent during recent times compared to the earlier years after being ringed.  The duration since -  2BPN  was ringed, is now 10 years and 5 months.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BPN   -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (03 Nov 2024)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 29th October 2014, at Kinnego Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Graham Prole)

Black-headed Gull  -   2BPN   -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (03 Nov 2024)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 29th October 2014, at Kinnego Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Jan Rod)

It was good news to know that Black-headed Gull (White) 24X7, has returned to Kinnego Marina for another winter.  (White) 24X7, was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake in West Berkshire, England.

As a juvenile, it was first spotted at Kinnego by Suzanne Belshaw, on the 14th February 2023, with a further two sightings before the end of the 2022/2023 winter.  On the 11th October 2023, it returned to the area having been spotted by Suzanne at Lurgan Park Lake, situated a short distance away from the Marina, with a further four sightings recorded at Kinnego between the 26th November 2023 and on the 23rd February 2024.

Graham and Jan's sighting is the 10th overall, and the duration since being ringed is now 2 years, 4 months and 23 days.  On the DemOn Ringing Database (which can only be used by BTO ringers), there is a handy 'Tool' known as 'Encounter Histories'.  With this, I checked the metal number for (White) 24X7, and discovered that no sightings has been submitted anywhere else, than those in County Armagh.  The distance from Hosehill Lake to Kinnego Marina, is 492 kms / 305 miles (NW).

My thanks goes to both Graham and Jan for their joint sighting reports and for the inclusion of their photos.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  24X7  -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (03 Nov 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake, West Berkshire, England)

(Photo Courtesy of Graham Prole)

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  24X7  -  Kinnego Marina, Lough Neagh, Co. Armagh  (03 Nov 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2022, at Hosehill Lake, West Berkshire, England)

(Photo Courtesy of Jan Rod)

*******************************************************

From David Nixon

David has been in touch concerning three 'big gull' sightings made on the 1st November 2024.  Davis was only able to obtain a photo for just one of these, so I'll start with this one.

At Ardglass Harbour, Davis spotted an adult Herring Gull -  708:D .  Having reported his sighting to Graham Prole who is the ringing coordinator for the Irish Midland Ringing Group, a reply was quickly obtained.   708:D  had been ringed as an unfledged juvenile, on the 1st July 2018, on Ireland's Eye Island just off the coast from Howth in County Dublin.

One previous sighting was recorded on the 28th October 2019, on the Skerries Islands in County Dublin.  This latest sighting at Ardglass comes 6 years and 4 months since being ringed.  The distance from Ireland's Eye Island to Ardglass Harbour is 101 kms / 62 miles (NNE).  Our thanks goes to Graham for the details.

Herring Gull  -   708:D   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (01 Nov 2024)

(Ringed as an Unfledged Juvenile, on the 1st July 2018, on Irelands Eye Island, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

David's other two sightings were made at Millquarter Bay on Strangford Lough, Co. Down.  The sighting of an adult Herring Gull was quite interesting.   V63:D , had been ringed as a chick on the 3rd July 2016, at the Gravel Pits near the Point of Ayre, which is situated on the southern coast of the Isle of Man.

David's sighting was a first, having come 8 years, 3 months and 29 days since being ringed.  It is interesting how these 'big gulls' get about without being spotted.  The distance from the Point of Ayre to Millquarter Bay is 75 kms / 46 miles (W).

The second bird was an adult Great Black-backed Gull -  S62:M , which is no stranger to Northern Ireland, albeit it has not been seen here since the 27th October 2021, when spotted by David at the high tide roost in Dundrum South Inner Bay.  Two other Northern Ireland sightings were made in May 2018 at Ardglass Harbour and in December 2020 when Graham McElwaine scoped it at Mill Bay on the County Down side of Carlingford Lough.

Four other sightings outside of Northern Ireland, were three back on the Isle of Man in August 2024. June and August 2024, with the first ever sighting having been made back in March 2018 at Bullock Harbour in County Dublin.

David's latest sighting comes 9 years, 4 months and 10 days since being ringed as a chick on the 22nd June 2015, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man.  Millquarter Bay is situated 54 kms / 33 miles (NW) from the Calf of Man.   My thanks to David for his three sightings and the photo of -  708:D .

*******************************************************

From Declan Clarke

Declan Clarke took a photo using his phone to capture the colour-ring on a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull at Ardglass Harbour in County Down.   0H8:D  was spotted at the harbour on the 4th November 2024, and was ringed as a chick, on the 11th June 2024, on Dalkey Island in County Dublin.  A first ever sighting away from the island, the distance to Ardglass is 116 kms / 72 miles (NNE).  The duration since being ringed is just 4 months and 24 days.

My thanks goes to Declan for the sighting report along with the photo, and to Graham Prole for supplying the ringing details.

Juvenile Great Black-backed Gull  -   0H8:D   -  Ardglass Harbour, Ardglass, Co. Down  (04 Nov 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 11th June 2024, on Dalkey Island, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Declan Clarke)

*******************************************************

From Myself

On Saturday 2nd November 2024, I worked the east coast of County Antrim to search for ringed birds.  Starting at Carnlough Beach, I moved southwards to finish at Glynn on Larne Lough.  Having checked several areas along the way, I could not believe just how few gulls and waders there were.  Carnlough is usually quite good, but, barring a handful of gulls, a small flock of resting Turnstones were the only birds of note.  Here, I was also looking for a colour-ringed Icelandic Oystercatcher which has wintered here since August 2016, only thing is - not a single Oystercatcher was to be seen.

Just two colour-rings were spotted during my travels, and I was rewarded with a new Oystercatcher sighting on the shore just below the Halfway House Hotel, north of the coastal village of Ballygally.  Ringed Orange over Green on the left leg, a White Darvic on the right leg had the characters 'KC' - OG-W(KC).

Reporting the bird to Boddi in Iceland, the ringing details arrived on Monday morning.  OG-W(KC), was ringed as an unsexed breeding adult, on the 21st May 2023, at Másteinsholt in southern Iceland.  Boddi stated that it's nesting attempt failed in 2023.  During this summer's breeding attempt, a camera was set up to watch the nest, and later on it captured an Artic Fox raiding the nest resulting in another failure.  My sighting was the first outside of Iceland, with the duration since ringing, being 1 year, 5 months and 12 days.  I am still waiting on the recovery details from the BTO, therefore I do not have an official distance.  My thanks goes to Boddi for supplying an interesting history for this bird.

Oystercatcher  -  OG-W(KC)  -  Halfway House Hotel (Shore), Co. Antrim  (02 Nov 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Breeding Adult, on the 21st May 2023, at Másteinsholt, Ölfus, Southern Iceland)

My second ring sighting was at my final stop of the afternoon at Glynn on Larne Lough.  A fairly good number (though not great) of gulls and waders were on the mudflats where I scoped the birds from the railway platform of Glynn Station.  Many birds were bathing in the freshwater of the Glynn River which flowed into the Lough.  One thing which strike me, was the lack of Black-headed Gulls, with less than 20 present.  This is really surprising as there is a nest site a short distance away on Blue Circle Island and there should be quite a few year round residents..

Having scoped the gulls for the best part of an hour, I eventually spotted the top of an Orange Darvic ring on a Great Black-backed Gull, though most of the ring was hidden by seaweed.  Now the wait was on for the bird to move, which eventually it did, but annoyingly it headed off into the river.  I watched it like a hawk among the other gulls and I got my reward in the end.  Although the bird was the best part of 200 metres away from me, I was able to zoom in with my camera to capture the code -  M87:M .

Reporting my sighting to Mark Fitzpatrick on the Isle of Man, I received a reply a few days later.   M87:M . was caught and ringed as a juvenile/2nd calendar year bird, on the 24th March 2020, on Kitterland Island, which is a tiny island just off the southern coast of the Isle of Man, between the mainland and the much larger island of The Calf of Man.

My sighting was a first for this gull since being ringed, and came after 4 years, 7 months and 9 days.  The official distance from the BTO arrived late this afternoon, being 108 kms / 67 miles (NW).

Great Black-backed Gull  -  M  -  Glynn (Shore), Larne Lough, Co. Antrim  (02 Nov 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 24th March 2020, on Kitterland Island, Isle of Man)

*******************************************************

From Suzanne Belshaw

It has been a while since I heard from Suzanne, but I sent her an email to alert her of a Black-headed Gull sighting at Kiltonga Nature Reserve at Newtownards in County Down, with the gull sporting a White Darvic.  The observer was not able to read the code on the ring, and seeing as Suzanne sometimes operates in the area, she might like to pop in and have a look for it.

Suzanne replied, to say she has been getting over a cold, and now that she is back on her feet, has quite a bit of work to catch up on.  Suzanne did have one sighting which she made way back on the 13th October 2024.  This was one of Adam McClure's Black-headed Gulls -  2ACP , which belongs to his former Northern Ireland Study.

Suzanne's sighting of -  2ACP  was made close to her home in Lisburn in County Antrim.   2ACP  was ringed just a short distance away at the Sprucefield Shopping Centre Car Park, as an unsexed adult on the 9th February 2013.  This sighting is the 45th sighting record since being ringed, with most sightings being recorded at Sprucefield, along with a handful of sightings close to Suzanne's home.  As yet, we have no idea where this bird goes to breed during the summer months.  

I wanted to include this sighting, as -  2ACP  is among the few surviving gulls from Adam's project, with the duration since being ringed. now 11 years, 8 months and 4 days.  Suzanne's home is around 2 kms (N) from the Shopping Centre.  My thanks to Suzanne for the update, and though no photo was included, I have used one taken by Suzanne back in September 2023.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ACP   -  Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (24 Sep 2023)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 9th February 2013, at Saintfield Shopping Centre, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

*******************************************************