Too Fat & Common Gulls...

Black-headed Gull  -   2FAT

On the 8th April 2025, I received an email from a Dorothy Jones.  Earlier that say, Dorothy visited the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's Slimbridge Reserve in Gloucestershire, England.  Whilst at the Reserves Rushy Hide, she spotted one of my Black-headed Gulls - ringed,  2FAT .

I instantly knew that this was a first re-sighting of a chick that I ringed on Inch Island Lake in County Donegal.  Other than at Antrim Marina, Inch Island is the only other site where I have ringed Black-headed Gulls with my Blue Darvics.

Checking my data,  2FAT  was ringed on the 4th June 2019, and the duration since being ringed was now 5 years, 10 months and 4 days.  The distance from Inch Island to Slimbridge, is 497 kms / 309 miles (SE).  Since 'Covid' times, I have not been able to get back onto Inch Island to ring more chicks.

Replying to Dorothy, I asked had she managed to obtain a photo for blog purposes, but she said that the gull was too 'flighty' and was not seen again.  This would not surprise me, as we are into the breeding season now.

This sighting was very interesting in itself.  Many gulls return to their natal colonies to breed, but here we have one that may well be nesting at Slimbridge.  Another point of interest, is that this gull has been out and about for nearly six years before being spotted.  I'm hoping now, that someone else will spot this bird again in the future.

My thanks goes to Dorothy for the unexpected sighting.

Inch Island Lake to WWT Slimbridge  -  497 kms / 309 miles (SE)

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Rathlin Island Common Gulls

Since early March, Ric Else and Hazel Watson, have been sending me emails reporting on the return of Common Gulls to their nesting colonies on Rathlin Island, along with sightings of some of my colour-ringed birds.  Ric and Hazel are residents on the island, and work with the RSPB at their Reserve at Bull Point.  When off duty, they travel around the island documenting sightings for their Rathlin Bird Report, as well as keeping an eye out for my gulls.

When the breeding season ends, virtually all of the gulls leave the island and do not return until the following spring.  What perplexes me, is where do these gulls go to, as nobody spots these colour-ringed birds.  With the exception of one gull, only one other of my gulls was spotted from the end of June 2024 until March 2025, having been seen in Newcastle, Co. Down in December 2024.  The exception, is -  2BXA , who appears to be the only year round resident on Rathlin, normally being spotted in Church Bay or Mill Bay.

I have not had time to blog on Ric's previous sightings, but here I have included the latest batch of four.

 2BBC , was ringed as a chick, on the 24th June 2017, at Doon Bay on Rathlin (2017 was the year I began my colour-ringing project here).  The gull has been recorded during the winter months at Dundrum South Inner Bay in County Down in 2018, 2021 & 2023.

It's first re-sighting back on Rathlin was recorded by Ric Else in April 2020, when spotted back at it's natal colony at Doon Bay, and has been recorded breeding here every year since then.  This year, Ric spotted -  2BBC  back at Doon Bay on the 30th March.  The duration since being ringed, is now 7 years, 9 months and 6 days.

Common Gull  -   2BBC   -  Doon Bay, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim  (30 Mar 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 24th June 2017, at Doon Bay, Rathlin Island)

(Photo Courtesy of Ric Else)

 2CDK , was ringed as a chick, on the 19th June 2022, at the Rue Point colony on Rathlin Island.  As yet, there have been no sightings of this gull away from the island.  The first re-sighting was made by me on the 27th May 2024, when I discovered the gull back at Rue Point.  At this point, I reckon that it had returned to 'prospect' a nest site, as it would not reach full adulthood until 2025.

This year,  2CDK  was spotted back at Rue Point on the 8th March 2025, and was recorded there again on the 6th April.  The duration since being ringed, is now 3 years, 9 months and 18 days.

Common Gull  -   2CDK   -  Rue Point, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim  (06 Apr 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 19th June 2022, at Rue Point, Rathlin Island)

(Photo Courtesy of Ric Else)

 2CFT , was ringed as a chick, on the 21st June 2022, at the Arkill Bay colony on Rathlin Island.  There were no sightings of this bird until the 5th May 2024, when I recorded it at the Rue Point colony on Rathlin, where Ric Else also spotted it on the 27th May 2024.  Another bird which had not reached full maturity, therefore another 'prospecting' bird.

This year, Ric recorded it's return to Rue Point on the 24th March, along with this latest sighting on the 6th April.  It looks 'nailed on' that -  2CFT  will breed at Rue Point, which is 2kms south from it's natal colony at Arkill Bay.  The duration since being ringed, is now 2 years, 9 months and 16 days.

Common Gull  -   2CFT   -  Rue Point, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim  (06 Apr 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 21st June 2022, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island)

(Photo Courtesy of Ric Else)

 2CHV , was ringed as a chick, on the 21st June 2022, at the Arkill Bay colony on Rathlin Island.  Ric's sighting on the 6th April 2025 of this gull at the Rue Point colony on Rathlin, is the first for this bird since being ringed, the duration being, 2 years, 9 months and 16 days.  Now of breeding age, it will be interesting to see if it stays at Rue, or move 2kms north to it's natal colony at Arkill Bay.

Common Gull  -   2CHV   -  Rue Point, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim  (06 Apr 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 21st June 2022, at Arkill Bay, Rathlin Island)

(Photo Courtesy of Ric Else)

During the summers of 2023 and 2024, the Common Gulls on Rathlin have had very poor breeding seasons, and during my visits in 2024, I noticed that many nests were failing during the 'incubation' period in May.  This became more obvious, when many of my colour-ringed gulls disappeared off the island without making any attempts to have replacement clutches.

Just 20 chicks were colour-ringed in 2023, and 16 in 2024, compared to an excellent total of 84 in 2022.  Currently, there is an ongoing project to exterminate Ferrets and Rats on the island, and recent news suggests that the Ferrets have been eliminated, with now attention focusing on the Rat problem.

As just mentioned, 2022 was a good year as far as colour-ringing went.  If even 20% of those youngsters have survived to reach maturity, around 17 should be recorded back on Rathlin this summer.  Ric has already recorded a couple of them.  Now that I'm returning to normality after my recent illness, I'm looking forwards to making my first visits to read rings at the colonies.    

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Antrim Marina - Monday 31st March 2025...

Antrim Marina - Monday 31st March 2025

I still have not fully recovered from my illness, and an offer to cover this week's weekly visit was offered by Suzanne Belshaw, which was easily accepted.  Being the last day of March, Suzanne's visit saw the conclusion of this winter's weekly study which began on the first weekend of August.  No visits will be made during April, as many gulls will be busy courting and building nests.  Once the first eggs are laid, off duty adults will venture out looking for food, so summer residents are more easily recorded in May, also in June by which time chicks will be hatching out.  My thanks to Suzanne for covering my final visit and also for her photos.  Just for the record, my doctor has given me a sick-line until the end of April.

Suzanne's visit lasted for two and a half hours, arriving at 10am and leaving around 12:30.  The maximum number of Black-headed Gulls never passed the 20 mark during the visit.  Six colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls were recorded, 5 of which are known to be residents, the exception being -  2ACV .  I was surprised by this sighting, as in the past, the gull has been seen at breeding colonies in Leighton Moss in Lancashire, England, and also at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast.  Last summer -  2ACV  landed on a bonnet of a car at Carrickfergus on the 14th July 2024, which suggested the gull was enroute to the Marina for the winter (present on the 4th August 2024).  Could it have nested in Leighton Moss last summer, or had it moved north from Belfast?

Black-headed Gull  -   2ACV   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (31 Mar 2025)

(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 21st October 2013, at Antrim Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Resident Black-headed Gull  -   2BRA   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (31 Mar 2025)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Resident Black-headed Gull  -   2CJT   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (31 Mar 2025)

(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 4th December 2016, at Antrim Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Resident Black-headed Gull  -   2CSR   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (31 Mar 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 24th December 2017, at Antrim Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Resident Black-headed Gull  -   2FIF   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (31 Mar 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 23rd November 2021, at Antrim Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Resident Black-headed Gull  -   2FIJ   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (31 Mar 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 10th January 2022, at Antrim Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

Driving along the avenue towards the Marina, a pair of Oystercatchers were seen feeding on one of the playing fields of Antrim Forum.  At the Marina, four Sand Martins were checking out the Swift nestboxes which have been incorporated high on the wall of the Gateway Centre.  The Sand Martins used these for the first time last summer, and a few boxes are still available for more pairs.

Other species spotted around the Marina, were Buzzard (1), Sparrowhawk (1), Great-crested Grebe (1), Grey Wagtail (2), an immature Common Gull and the pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Around 20 Mallards were present, and though no numbers were given for Mute Swans, Suzanne did record the regular ringed bird -  X4707 .  This swan was ringed as an adult male, on the 5th April 2024, at Bartins Bay on the eastern shore of Lough Neagh.  The distance to the Marina, is 21 kms / 13 miles (NNE), and the duration since being ringed, is now 11 months and 26 days.

Mute Swan  -   X4707   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (31 Mar 2025)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 5th April 2024, at Bartins Bay, Lough Neagh, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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Juvenile Common Gull Spotted in Spain...

Common Gull  -   2HAC

On the 16th March 2025, I received an email from Paco Solera who lives in Spain.  Whilst visiting a park at Costa Ballena in southern Spain the day before, he spotted a colour-ringed juvenile Common Gull on the island in the middle of the lake.  Paco also attached a photo of the bird rung -  2HAC .

I had to check my records, and discovered that the ring was one of 18 that I supplied to the Copeland Bird Observatory for use on Common Gulls on the Copeland Islands in County Down.  The Copeland Islands consists of three islands known as Big Copeland Island, Mew Island and the Old Lighthouse Island, the latter of which is the home of the Bird Observatory.  Big Copeland Island has the largest Common Gull breeding population, but is now out of bounds under the new ownership.

Colour-rings Supplied to Copeland Bird Observatory - (Photo from Richard Donaghey)

Knowing that the gull would have been ringed as a chick in June 2024, I had to contact Steven Fyffe (who is the new ringing coordinator for the CBO), and ask for the actual ringing details.  Steven duly replied to say that -  2HAC  was one of two chicks ( 2HAF ) that were ringed on the Old Lighthouse Island on the 26th June 2024.

Using the coordinates (Lat & Long) supplied by Paco, I found the park and worked out the distance as being 2,002 kms / 1,244 miles (S).  I knew we had something special here, and on checking the BTO's Online Ringing Reports, not only was this the second sighting ever of a British-rung Common Gull to have been recorded in Spain, but this bird had also broken the distance record for a British-rung nestling Common Gull - Summary of Ringing Totals | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology.

I submitted Paco's sighting to the BTO, and their official recovery details gave a distance of 2,001 kms (S), and the duration since being ringed, was 8 months and 17 days.

My thanks goes to Paco for his sighting report, plus allowing me to use his photo for this blog post.  A truly wonderful sighting, and hopefully further sightings of this bird will come in over time.

Juvenile Common Gull  -   2HAC   -  Costa Ballena, Southern Spain  (15 March 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 26th June 2024, on Old Lighthouse Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Paco Solera)

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Antrim Marina...

Antrim Marina

For those who regularly read my posts concerning the wintering population of Black-headed Gulls at Antrim Marina, unfortunately, I had to cancel my last two weekly visits due to my health.

As posted in my blog on the 10th March 2025, I made mention of a strong easterly wind which was quite chilly.  Having been exposed to the wind over four hours, as the week passed by, my head, neck and shoulders seized.  For the best part of the next fortnight, I suffered from constant headaches and pain, eating painkillers for breakfast, lunch and supper.  As I write (Thursday 27th March), my head and neck are nearing normality, but another problem surfaced.  Trying to get out of bed in the mornings was difficult, and on one morning I managed to hurt my lower spine.

Since then, I have more or less been confined to the kitchen chair, due to the pain when trying to walk.  I thought it may have eased off by now, but no end is in sight.  It looks like a visit to the doctor has to be made soon.

Although I have not been able to visit Antrim, two sightings of my colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls have been reported to me.

In my blog post on the 3rd March 2025, I made mention of -  2BRD , which by then, should be found at Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh, and I was eagerly waiting on an email from Suzanne Belshaw, as she covers the site.  An email duly arrived from Suzanne, to say that she spotted -  2BRD  at Lurgan Park Lake on the 13th March 2025.

 2BRD  was caught and ringed at Antrim Marina on the 1st February 2015, and though he winters in the Antrim area, he always moves south to Lurgan prior to the new breeding season starting, and here again, he is true to form.  Despite these known movements, exactly where he breeds is still unknown.

My thanks again goes to Suzanne for the sighting report, along with the photo.

Black-headed Gull -   2BRD   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (13 Mar 2025)

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

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

On the 21st March 2025, an email arrived from Ian Enlander.  On that day, Ian visited the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast, where he spotted Black-headed Gull -  2FFX .  Although I had expected -  2FFX  to leave Antrim Marina earlier, I last saw him at the Marina on the 10th March.

I caught and ringed -  2FFX , as a juvenile/1st winter bird at Antrim Marina, on the 21st December 2020, and he has returned to winter each year since then.

On the 26th June 2022, while I was visiting the Window on Wildlife Reserve, I spotted -  2FFX  on nesting Platform One situated directly in front the visitor centre.  At this point, the gull was still immature, so I suspected he was choosing a possible nest-site for the 2023 season by which time he would reached full maturity.

On the 19th March 2023,  2FFX  was back on the same Platform where I witnessed his courtship display and the carrying of nest material.  A further three sightings there through to the 20th May 2023, was made by myself and Derek Polley who volunteers for the RSPB almost every Thursday.

During the 2024 breeding season,  2FFX  was not spotted at all at the WoW Reserve, though I would reckon he was there somewhere.  Ian's latest sighting was good news, and in his reply to where the gull was spotted,  2FFX  was actually seen back on Platform One.  My thanks to Ian for his sighting.

Derek Polley has also been in touch concerning sightings of colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits at the WoW Reserve.  Reporting back, that Black-headed Gull -  2FFX  may return to the reserve, as he was nearing the end of another winter at Antrim, Derek said measures were being undertaken by the RSPB to prevent Black-headed Gulls from nesting on Platform One.

Photo of Platform One Courtesy of Derek Polley

The idea, was to keep the Platform clear so that the Common Terns could use the Platform when they return from their wintering quarters.  A more recent email from Derek, says those measures have failed, as the gulls are still managing to nest on the Platform.  Looking at the photo, those 'spikes' will actually assist the gulls to keep their nests safe from predation by Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls.  My thanks to Derek for this info.

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My next post will feature a record breaking juvenile Common Gull which was reported to me recently having been spotted in southern Spain.

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Antrim Marina - Monday 10th March 2025...

Antrim Marina - Monday 10th March 2025

Another Monday visit to Antrim Marina, arriving on the stroke of 10am.  Weather conditions saw a 50/50 covering of cloud and sunshine, with the temperature gauge in my car reading 12ºC.  A strong wind was blowing in from an easterly direction which made it feel quite chilly.

On arrival, a count of the Black-headed Gulls, gave me a total of just 39 birds.  Over my four hour visit, on several occasions, no gulls were present for long periods of time barring a pair of Lesser Black-backed's.  When gulls did return, the Black-headed's never exceeded the 40 mark.  

With 33 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls recorded here this winter, rings were read at a fairly steady pace until I had reached a total of 10 at 11:18.  With no further rings read by the time of my departure around 2pm, although the visit was disappointing, it was not really a big surprise as many gulls will be on the move towards their breeding sites now, wherever those might be.

Taking a look at the nearby 'Torpedo Platform', many gulls were flying around it, obviously selecting a bit of 'real estate' in which to build their nests.

Of the 10 rings read today, most are known to be residents.  Interestingly,  2FFX  is still here, though in the past it has been recorded by now at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast.  Adult -  2FJV , and juvenile -  2FKA , were among three to be caught and ringed during the winter, so their residential status will be unknown for a while yet.

The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335 , is still here, and was spotted at 10:28.  This one is coming to the end of it's 2nd winter at the Marina having been ringed as an adult in July 2023.

Another Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  2FHV , has not reappeared so far.  Caught and ringed here at the Marina, it uses the site as a 'staging post' on it's return from Iceland in the Autumn, and prior to heading back to Iceland to breed.  I last saw it here on the 19th October 2024, and I'm hoping it's failure to turn up again does not point to something more sinister.

Two more weekly visits will see the conclusion of my weekly visits which I began last August.  I am not expecting too much from these visits, but it is always good to record the resident birds.  After my final visit, I will avoid the Marina in April, and through May, June and July I will undertake random visits to see which colour-ringed (resident) gulls are about.  I still need to learn more about gulls ringed over recent winters, and hope for sightings from foreign countries.

This weekend, I received an email from Ric Else who is a resident on Rathlin Island and works for the RSPB there.  He reported that good numbers of Common Gulls are now returning to the island.  I began a Common Gull colour-ringing project on Rathlin in 2017, and Ric reported the re-sightings of six of my birds in his email.  Finishing at Antrim Marina at the end of March, my attention then  turns to Raptor Study Work, as well as visiting Rathlin to record more of my colour-ringed Common Gulls.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 10th March 2025

2FJK	2CJT	2FJN	2CSK	2AAN	2FFA	2FKA	2FFX	2FIL	2FJV

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

2AAB	2ABN	2ACV	2AFD	2BRA	2BRD	2CSR	2CTA
2FDL	2FFH	2FFT	2FHC	2FHV	2FIF	2FIJ	2FIX
2FJA	2FJF	2FJH	2FJL	2FJP	2FJT	2FJX

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

What an amazing day for Mute Swans.  An initial count after I parked beside the short concrete jetty gave me a total of 11 birds.  Interestingly, a pair on the slipway, were very territorial and chased off the other swans throughout my visit.  They were happy enough for the other swans to come ashore on the nearby small sandy beach.

As the morning wore on, more and more swans came in from the direction of Lough Neagh.  Counts at 11:19, 12:00, 12:35 and 12:55, gave me totals of 17, 21, 25 and 30.  With a total of 30, this was easily the highest count here for a very long time, and reminiscent to the totals regularly recorded here when I first began surveying back in September 2013.  Another point of interest, not a single juvenile was among them.

Despite the numbers, not all would alight onto the sandy beach.  The highest count on the beach was 13, and no rings were spotted on these.  Surely there would have been one or two with rings. 

Mallard numbers continue to be on the low side, with around 30 birds throughout my visit.  Again, most if not all legs were checked for rings.

The Lesser Black-backed Gull pair were present throughout my visit, and during the spells where no gulls were present at the Marina, this pair stood on top of lampposts in the adjacent car park.

The resident male Herring Gull made a brief appearance at 12:27, but there was no sign of his partner or the youngster they raised last summer.  The 3rd calendar year bird also made a brief visit at 1:03.

An adult Common Gull along with a juvenile were present on my arrival, and these two came and went throughout the morning.  The adult was easily identifiable, as it had a very long thin beak with a slight dark bar and yellow legs.  A second adult made a brief visit at 12:02, this one having greenish coloured legs.

A pair of Rooks made a brief visit feeding on bran flakes lying uneaten on the slipway.  Two pairs of Jackdaws made repeated visits, and shortly before I departed, another Jackdaw arrived sporting while flecks across its black breast.  The pair of Pied Wagtails were present throughout this visit.

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Antrim Marina - Monday 3rd March 2025...

Antrim Marina - Monday 3rd March 2025

Another Monday visit saw my arrival to Antrim Marina, just before 10am.  The weather was cloudy and calm, with the temperature gauge in my car reading 9ºC.  Around 60 Black-headed Gulls were present, and numbers remained around that total over my four hour visit.

With a total of 33 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls recorded here this winter, the reading of rings was slow though steady with a good turnover of gulls coming and going.  My overall total finished on 20, with the ring of -  2FJP  being read just before I departed at 2pm.   2FJP , along with -  2FJH  (not recorded today), were birds that I ringed during the Autumn/Winter of 2023.  Both gulls were late returnees to the Marina (December) this winter which would suggest they are foreign breeders.

I would suspect that some of today's absentees, have now departed towards their breeding sites.   2FJF , which was reported in Scotland on the 17th January 2025, has not returned to the Marina, so it looks as if he did not visit Strathclyde Country Park for a quick 'Indian Takeaway'.  I'm now keeping my fingers crossed that he will be spotted again further afield.

Two weeks ago, a Black-headed Gull with a BTO sized metal-ring was spotted on the rails of the short concrete jetty where I park my car.  By the time I collected my camera from the car, it had flown off and I could not find it again.  At 12:42 today, I spotted what was presumably the same bird in the same position on the concrete jetty.

This time, it stayed long enough for me to photograph the bird and it's ring.  Due to it being perched on the far end of the jetty, it was difficult to obtain the final digit on the ring, which appeared to be a ' 6 '.  The whole number therefore read -  EA85506 .  I would have needed a boat to read the final digits for certain, though I was happy enough that I did have the correct number.

Returning home, I checked the ring numbers -  EA855  00 to 09 , on the BTO's DemOn Ringing Database, to find that all 10 numbers were used on Black-headed Gull chicks on the 15th June 2022, though DemOn does not show ringing locations.

I submitted my bird as -  EA85506 , but if I find that the number is incorrect at a later date, then I can amend my submission.  The recovery details arrived from the BTO, to say that the gull was ringed at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  The distance from Elvanfoot to Antrim Marina is 182 kms / 113 miles (WSW), and the duration for this first resighting, is 2 years, 8 months and 16 days.

In the past, we have had several of these Elvanfoot Black-headed Gulls in Northern Ireland that were ringed in June 2022, being recorded with colour-rings or just metal-rings.  I recall an email conversation with Iain Livingstone who is the Ringing Coordinator for the Clyde Ringing Group, about the dilemma they faced in 2022.  Having visited the Elvanfoot colony, there was an exceptionally high number of chicks present which exhausted their supply of colour-rings, leaving many chicks to be ringed with metals only.

Now reaching breeding age, I'm surprised to see the gull is here, instead of returning to it's natal colony.  Will it stay here and breed on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform', the next couple of months may answer that question?

Black-headed Gull  -   EA85506   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (03 Mar 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th June 2022, at Elvanfoot, South Lanarkshire, Scotland)

In my previous post, I made mention of the Swedish -  2FDL , having arrived very late this winter (5th January 2025), and had only been seen on that one occasion.  I should have kept my mouth shut, as it was my 18th colour-ring sighting today, at 13:20.  Since being ringed here in November 2019, it's appearance today was the first ever March sighting here.  The single sighting in Sweden, was recorded on the 3rd April 2022, at a breeding colony on the outskirts of Stockholm, which numbered around 400 pairs.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FDL   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (03 Mar 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 18th November 2019, at Antrim Marina)

Another gull I made mention of in my previous post, was -  2FFX .  I did not expect to see it today, as I was half expecting to be heading off to his breeding site at the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve in Belfast.  His earliest sighting at the reserve was recorded on the 19th March 2023.

Another absentee -  2BRD , should now be found at Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh.  It visits Lurgan Park during the weeks prior to the new breeding season starting.  This is a site often covered by Suzanne Belshaw, so I'm keen to receive her next email.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Monday 3rd March 2025

2FJN	2FKA	2FJV	2FFA	2FHC	2FJK	2FFX	2CJT	2FIL	2FIF
2ACV	2CSR	2CSK	2AAB	2FJT	2AAN	2ABN	2FDL	2FJX	2FJP

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

2AFD	2BRA	2BRD	2CTA	2FFH	2FFT	2FHV
2FIJ	2FIX	2FJA	2FJF	2FJH	2FJL

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

As usual over recent weeks, the large number of Mute Swans are first to grab my attention as I park up beside the small concrete jetty.  A high of 21 were counted - 19 adults and two 3rd calendar year birds.  On a couple of occasions, all of them came ashore to obtain feeds of bread and pellets.  Only the one bird was ringed, this being -  X4707 , which was ringed in April 2024 at Bartins Bay on the eastern shore of Lough Neagh.  After several feeds, some swans departed towards the Lough.

Mallard numbers continue to be on the low side.  Around 30 were counted on my arrival, with numbers dropping slightly after feeds.  As usual, I'm pretty sure most if not all legs were checked for rings.

A pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present throughout my visit, and often chased the other gulls forcing them to drop their share of bread being fed to the ducks.

The juvenile Herring Gull arrived at 10:35, with his father who is a resident here, arriving 10 minutes later.  No sign of the female, but she could be on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform' which is their likely nest site.  The immature, 3rd calendar year Herring Gull arrived at 13:05.  This very friendly bird, did not join into the feeds today, and the size of his crop told me he had already had a good feed elsewhere.  Pity, as I had a ring and pliers ready.

2 adult Common Gulls along with a juvenile were present on my arrival.  At 12:24, I had a high count of 5 adults and two juveniles.  None of these were ringed.  I reckon the two metal-rung birds from Finland and Scotland will not be seen again this winter.  The Finnish bird was one of my best sightings here this winter.  Appearing just before Christmas, I had not seen it here since 2018.  Ringed as a juvenile on the 6th August 1995, my final sighting on the 17th February 2025 saw the duration since being ringed, as 29 years, 6 months and 11 days.

Two pairs of Jackdaws, along with a pair of Pied Wagtails, were present throughout the visit.  A pair of Hooded Crows, 1 Rook and the 'noisy' juvenile Jackdaw made brief appearances.

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Antrim Marina - Tuesday 25th February 2025...

Antrim Marina - Tuesday 25th February 2025

With Sunday being wet with several showers, and a midday appointment on Monday, this week's visit was made on Tuesday.  Arriving at 9:57, there was a lot of sunshine and a light breeze.  The temperature gauge in my car read 7ºC, though it still felt quite chilly.

After passing through the barrier which operates on vehicle number recognition, I drove slowly across the car park towards my usual parking spot next to the short concrete jetty.  Whilst driving across I passed a Black-headed Gull with a Blue Darvic, and a quick peek through my binoculars revealed that it was last week's newcomer -  218H .  I now know a little bit more about this bird's history.

Ringed as an unsexed adult at Bowness in Cumbria, England in November 2022, quite a number of re-sightings have been recorded at Bowness or at nearby Hodbarrow.  Interesting about those sightings, is that they occurred during both the winter and the breeding seasons, suggesting that it was resident to that area.  So what brought it over to Northern Ireland, as these are the first sightings away from Cumbria?    218H  looks to be very settled here at Antrim Marina, which has me wondering, was it here in the past before it's capture in Cumbria?.  It will be interesting to see if this gull stays here for the summer.

Black-headed Gull  -   218H   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (25 Feb 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 29th November 2022, at Bowness, Cumbria, England)

On parking at the concrete jetty, a rough count of the Black-headed Gulls gave me a total of around 80 birds.  Unlike my previous two visits, which was disastrous as far as numbers go, numbers remained around the 80 mark throughout my visit, though judging by the number of colour-ringed gulls present, there appeared to be a large turnover of gulls coming and going.

With a total of 33 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls to look for belonging to my study, my total for the day ended on 18.  Rings were recorded at a rapid rate, with -  2FJA  being the first at 10:00.  An hour later at 11:01, the ring of -  2CSK  was the last to be read.  Although I had planned to stay until 2pm, at 12:50 it began to rain pretty hard, and seeing as no further rings had been read for the best part of two hours, I decided to call it a day.

Among the sightings today, were -  2ABN  and -  2ACV , which have been absent for a few weeks, but this is nothing new concerning these two.  There is still no sign of the Icelandic bird -  2FHV .  This one appears to use Antrim Marina as a 'staging post' when returning from Iceland, and then before it's return to Iceland.  Another gull that stands out this winter, is the Swedish -  2FDL .  It's return to the Marina was very late this winter (5th January 2025) and I have not seen it since.  This winter on the whole has been very mild, and this could be effecting migration patterns.

Several of the Black-headed Gulls have fully developed 'dark hoods', which is a sure sign that the new breeding season is fast approaching.  One such bird is that of -  2FFX .  This bird is quite special, as it is of known age, and it's breeding site was discovered at an early stage in it's life.

 2FFX , was caught and ringed at Antrim Marina as a juvenile bird on the 21st December 2020.  The last sighting of this gull during the 2020/2021 winter season was made on the 12th April 2021.  No sightings were made during random visits to the Marina in the summer of 2021, but I recorded it's return to the Marina on the 9th August 2021.  Recorded almost every week throughout the 2021/2022 winter, the final sighting at the Marina, was made on the 14th March 2022.

During the breeding season, I would undertake a few random visits to the RSPB's Window on Wildlife Reserve at Belfast's Harbour Estate.  Here, I would scope the nesting platforms for ringed gulls and terns whilst they are breeding.  On the 26th June 2022, whilst making another random visit, I spotted -  2FFX  on breeding 'Platform One' located in front of the Visitor Centre.  As the bird was not at full breeding age, I suspected that it was prospecting a nest-site for the 2023 breeding season, by which time it would be an adult.  It may also be possible, that the Window on Wildlife Reserve could be the site where it grew up as a chick.

On my first weekly visit at Antrim Marina to study the Black-headed Gulls during the 2022/2023 winter,  2FFX  had already returned (2nd August 2022).  Once again, the gull was recorded throughout the winter, with the final sighting being recorded on the 28th February 2023.  On the 19th March 2023, I made an early visit the the Window on Wildlife Reserve, and there was -  2FFX  back on 'Platform One'.  Here I watched him displaying to his partner, and bringing in nesting material.  He was recorded four times during the breeding season on the 'Platform', the last date being on the 20th May 2023.  By this time of the summer, the height of the vegetation makes scoping very difficult.

I began my weekly visits to the Marina to cover the 2023/2024 winter on the 31st July 2023, and discovered -  2FFX  had already returned.  Again, recorded regularly through to the 25th February 2024, random visits to the Window on Wildlife Reserve during the breeding season did not reveal any sightings.  At the Reserve, Black-headed Gulls also nest on the edges of the large Lagoon, and had -  2FFX  changed his nest-site, it would have been extremely difficult to pinpoint where at.  

This winter, he was recorded back at the Marina during my first visit on the 4th August 2024.  Judging by his previous record here, today's sighting should be the final one for this winter.  It would be great to find him back on the RSPB Reserve this summer.  The duration since being ringed, is now 4 years, 2 months and 4 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FFX   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (25 Feb 2025)

(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 21st December 2020, at Antrim Marina)

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Tuesday 25th February 2025

2FJA	2ABN	2FJK	2BRA	2FJN	2FJV	2FJH	2FHC	2ACV
2FIL	2FKA	2CSR	2AAN	2AAB	2CJT	2FFX	2FJT	2CSK

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

2AFD	2BRD	2CTA	2FDL	2FFA	2FFH	2FFT	2FHV
2FIF	2FIJ	2FIX	2FJF	2FJL	2FJP	2FJX

The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335 , is still here and was spotted at 10:20.  I took just the one photo of the bird, and seeing the numbers ' 54 ' on the upside-down ring was enough to confirm it.  Ringed in July 2023, it is now coming to the end of it's second winter here at the Marina.  What I found of interest in this bird today, was that it shy-ed away from the feeds being fed to the ducks.  Having fed well throughout the winter, perhaps it has decided to lose a few 'pounds' before it fly's back to Iceland.  It has been 1 year, 7 months and 11 days, since being ringed.  Although it was accidently caught in a garden Whoosh-trap at Laugarvatn towards southern Iceland, I reckon that it breeds at one of the more northern colonies.  I would be fairly certain that it was on it's way to Northern Ireland when caught and ringed.

Black-headed Gull  -   543335   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (25 Feb 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 14th July 2023, at Laugarvatn, Árnessýsla, Iceland)

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

As per usual over the past few weeks, the large number of Mute Swans catches the eye on my arrival.  My first count gave a total of 14 birds, but three others had slipped in unnoticed by 10:54, with another two arriving from Lough Neagh at 11:07.  The legs of all 19 birds were checked for rings, but none this week.

Mallards numbered 40 on arrival, but dropped slightly to around 30 after a few feeds from the public.  Again, most if not all legs were checked for rings.

Last week saw the presence of a Lesser Black-backed Gull, this being the time of the year that they return from their wintering sites in southern Europe and North Africa.  Today, a pair was present throughout my visit.

There was no sign of the resident pair of Herring Gulls, but their youngster from last summer arrived at 10:45.  The 3rd calendar year Herring Gull which arrived recently, appeared at 10:51.  Being so people friendly, I brought a metal 'G' size ring and my pliers along today and just missed out on catching the bird on two occasions.  

Common Gull numbers have now dropped off, with one adult on my arrival, and a total of three adults by 10:43.  Two juveniles were also recorded at 10:20 and 12:11.  All five were still present when I departed around 12:50 - no rings..

Two pairs of Jackdaws and the usual pair of Pied Wagtails, were the only other species seen today.

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