Antrim Marina - Wednesday 2nd July 2025...

Antrim Marina - Wednesday 2nd July 2025

Today saw me making my fifth random summer visit to Antrim Marina to record the resident colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.  In the days leading up towards today's visit, Black-headed Gulls have appeared around my home in Ballymena, which tells me these gulls are now on the move towards their wintering sites.  Even at my local park (The Peoples Park), around a dozen Black-headed Gulls were perched on the roof of the former 'Cottage Hospital' which overlooks the park's lake.  They have obviously completed their breeding season, whether they failed or were successful in rearing chicks.

Arriving at Antrim Marina just before 12:30pm, I departed at 3:45pm.  Altogether, 8 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls were record, 7 of which have been recorded during previous random visits.  The exception was the third to be recorded -  2FJA .  I caught and ringed -  2FJA  at Antrim Marina as an unsexed 2nd Winter Bird on the 19th December 2022.  During random summer visits in 2023 and 2024, the gull was absent, so I assumed that it nested outside of the Antrim area, returning to the Marina on the 31st July 2023 and 4th August 2024.  Today's sighting is now the earliest return date.  Having spotted it resting on the short concrete jetty early on, it was still there when I departed.  Although healthy looking, perhaps it was having a good rest.  It is now 2 years, 6 months and 13 days since it was ringed.  My last sighting of -  2FJA  at the Marina, was back on the 25th February 2025.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJA   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (02 Jul 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 19th December 2022)

Black-headed Gulls were present throughout my visit, with numbers ranging from around 20 birds to 60 / 70 altogether.  There is still no sign of -  2AAB  which does not look good.  My next visit to Antrim Marina will be on the 3rd or 4th August 2025 when I will resume my weekly winter visits running through to the end of March 2026.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Wednesday 2nd July 2025

2FIF	2FJN	2FJA	2FIL	2BRA	2FFA	2CJT	2FJL

A look at the 'Live Camera' situated on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform' before leaving home, I noticed that many gulls have now departed, with very few chicks visible.  From what I've seen this summer, it looks as if the gulls have had a poor breeding season.  At the Marina today, two juveniles made brief appearances, whilst others flew overhead calling, with at least one parent following.

Juvenile Black-headed Gull  -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (02 Jul 2025)

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

Parking at my usual spot beside the concrete jetty, the absence of Mute Swans immediately caught my attention.  Around 2pm, a male flew in from upriver, landing on the water in front of the jetty.  About 10 minutes later, his mate, ringed -  X4707  swam in from upriver along with her six cygnets.  They have fairly grown since I last saw them, and they are already very comfortable with people around them.  Children really enjoy being so close to these youngsters.

The Mallard with three newly hatched chicks seen on my previous visit, were nowhere to be seen.  Mallard numbers were down from last week's visit, two counts giving me 25 and 28 birds.  Just before 2pm, a Mallard arrived from upriver along with four large chicks.  She made her way to the slipway and turned around and swam towards the opposite side of the river along with her youngsters.

Female Mallard along with Four Large Chicks  -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (02 Jul 2025)

A juvenile / 2nd Calendar Year Common Gull was present throughout my visit, likely the same bird as on my previous visits.  An adult un-ringed Common Gull arrived on several occasions which looked to be the same bird each time.

Both the resident male Herring Gull and his mate made repeated visits but never together.  I reckon each time they managed to obtain a feed, they headed off to their nest site most likely on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform'.  Lesser Black-backed Gulls also made numerous visits, with a high of five at one time.

9 Jackdaws were present at one time, and a juvenile made a brief visit.  2 Rooks and 1 Hooded Crow, were the only other visitors.

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On leaving Antrim Marina, I drove to the Junction One Shopping Centre with the aim to find Black-headed Gull -  2FDK .  With no sightings last winter, I had wrote this bird off as 'Dead'.  With a surprise sighting at Antrim Marina on the 8th June 2025, I had to 'Un-Kill' this bird.  The last sighting of this gull was at the Junction One Shopping Centre (McDonalds Outlet), on the 13th July 2024 hence the search today.

In the past, a small colony of Black-headed Gulls nested on derelict buildings behind the Asda outlet, but I heard these buildings had been demolished.  On today's visit, those buildings are gone, but a large number of Black-headed Gulls were flying above the roof of the tall Enkalon building next to the demolished buildings.  Although so high up, no fledged youngsters could be seen, so I'm not sure if the gulls are nesting there.

Whilst in the area, I drove slowly looking at other buildings.  When I got to Ferguson's Way, I could hear the distinct calls of Common Gulls.  Turning in between the outlets, plenty of Commons were flying about, but again, I could not get a view onto the roofs to confirm nesting.  No chicks were heard, but surely with so many birds here they are bound to be nesting.

Finishing up at the McDonalds Outlet, just a handful of Black-headed's were present, but no -  2FDK .

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