Thursday, 26 December 2024

Xmas Day - Wednesday 25th December 2024...


      Xmas Day - Wednesday 25th December 2024       
Today I was taking the advantage of it being Christmas Day to look for a very special gull, it being a metal-rung hybrid Ring-billed x Common Gull.  Recent sightings of this gull were submitted both to myself and the nibirds website, by Aaron Long on the 15th December 2024, and by Christmas holidaying visitor Jeff Higgott on the 23rd December 2024.  Both sightings were made on the Millisle Seafront in County Down.

Jeff Higgott also recorded the gull at Millisle last year on the 19th December 2023, when on his family holiday.  Jeff became a contact whilst reporting on a colour-ringed Black-headed Gull belonging to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Study, where I now respond to sightings of these birds.  Having been informed of my NI Ring Reading Spreadsheet, Jeff then reported his ring sightings to me, where in several cases, I was able to supply all known histories.

Along with last year's sighting of the Ring-billed x Common Gull sighting, Jeff sent me a link to an article about the bird which outlined the back history of the gull, and how it ended up being ringed as a Common Gull chick on Big Copeland Island in June 2002 (Read Article Here).  Initial sightings of this gull, had everyone thinking that it was an American Ring-billed Gull with a metal-ring, until Richard Weyl managed to read the ring in March 2008, which confirmed that it had been ringed as a chick.  The article explained how a real Ring-billed Gull had remained on Big Copeland and eventually bred with a Common Gull which produced our hybrid -  EG55164 .

After the recent sightings of this hybrid, I read the article again and also looked at Common Gulls in my own records.  A few years back, I recorded several Common Gulls at Millisle, several of which, I was only able to obtain 'partial' numbers on their metal rings.  I keep folders for every metal or colour-ringed bird, where I save photos, PDF Files, etc., belonging to each bird.  Among my Common Gulls, on the 18th February 2017, I had read -  E**5164 , and I now remember that despite the odd looking beak, as the bird had a BTO ring I just assumed it was a Common Gull.  Although I did not obtain the first two letters before the five numbers, as it was a BTO ring, the first letter had to be an ' E '.

Common Gull  -   E**5164   -  Millisle Seafront, Drumfad Bay, Co. Down  (18 Feb 2017)

With my interest having 'spiked', as a ringer I have access to the BTO's DemOn Ringing Database.  On entering the number -  EG55164 , not a single submission of the ring was entered since Richard Weyl's sighting in 2008.

Expecting Christmas Day being quieter along the Millisle Seafront, I decided to head down to find this gull and if possible, to photograph it's ring number.  Shortly after arriving, I found the gull standing on the rails of the tidal pool.  Although a fair distance from myself, my camera just about had the reach to read the ring.  After my initial photos, it flew off over to the Millisle village where it disappeared from view.

The waiting game had now begun.  From previous reports, the tidal pool was a favoured resting place, so I reckoned it would return, and return it did - time after time.  Despite having thought it would be quieter with less folk about, dog walkers were a constant pain in the neck.  With the tide being out, the tidal pool was empty, and dogs on the loose were running around all over the place.  Sticking to my task, I eventually captured enough photos to verify the number as -  EG55164 .  This now confirmed my hybrid as being the original bird, and dismissed the possibility of any brothers or sisters which may also have been ringed.  After 16 years, the ring has finally been submitted for a second time.

Ringed as a chick, on the 19th June 2002, on Big Copeland Island, the duration since being ringed, is now 22 years, 6 months and 6 days.  The Millisle seafront is roughly 8 kms / 5 miles (S) from Big Copeland Island.

Ring-billed x Common Gull  -   EG55164   -  Millisle Seafront, Drumfad Bay, Co. Down  (25 Dec 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2002, on Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

Each time my target bird disappeared, I would take a quick run around the seafront to see what else was about.  I came across two other metal-rung Common Gulls, one near my hybrid and the other at the car park where the toilets are situated.  I decided not to try for these, as it could take up too much time trying to complete them.  I also spotted a distant Common Gull with a White Darvic.  Thinking it may possibly be a Norwegian bird, zooming in with my camera, I realised that it was a Blue Darvic in terrible condition.  It is still possible to read the codes on such rings, as the letters and/or numbers would be indented and can be read at a short distance.  Unfortunately, this bird was just out of reach for the camera.

Back in the main car park, I came across an old friend which has been spotted by several other observers.  Common Gull -  2BBC , was ringed as a chick, on the 23rd June 2009, on Big Copeland Island.  The first ever re-sighting was made on the 23rd January 2010, when as a juvenile, it was spotted at Gormanstown in County Meath.  Since then, all of the next 49 sightings over the years since 2010, have been made here on the Millisle Seafront.  Before today, Jeff Higgott made the last sighting on the 29th December 2023.  Now 15 years, 6 months and 2 days since being ringed, it was good to see that it is still alive and well.

Common Gull  -   2BBC   -  Millisle Seafront, Drumfad Bay, Co. Down  (25 Dec 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 23rd June 2009, on Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

Trying to lure my target gull back, I even tried throwing out a large amount of bread to attract the gulls towards the tidal pool.  A couple of un-ringed Common and Black-headed Gulls appeared, but most were Herring Gulls of various ages.  A colour-ringed juvenile Herring Gull also arrived.  Quickly dealt with, with my camera, it was a bird from the Isle of Man -  F62:M .

Having submitted my sighting to Mark Fitzpatrick who is the ringing coordinator of Manx gulls, I was surprised to obtain the details later on Christmas Day.   F62:M , was ringed as a chick, on the 2nd July 2024, on the Calf of Man, a small island just off the southern coast of the Isle of Man.  This first re-sighting comes 5 months and 23 days since being ringed.  The distance from The Calf of Man to Millisle, is roughly 76 kms / 47 miles (NW).  My thanks goes to Mark for his quick response.

Juvenile Herring Gull  -   F62:M   -  Millisle Seafront, Drumfad Bay, Co. Down  (25 Dec 2024)
(Ringed as a Chick, on the 2nd July 2024, on The Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

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