Gulls On The Move...

In my previous post, I was undertaking my final summer visit to Antrim Marina in order to record the resident colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.  In the days before the visit, I had noticed a build up of Black-headed Gulls in my home town of Ballymena.  With gulls appearing in my own estate, and at the nearby People's Park, I knew these were the first to return to Ballymena from their breeding sites.  There are no breeding colonies around Ballymena.

Whilst at Antrim Marina, the return of -  2FJA  was noted.  It was last seen at the Marina on the 25th February 2025 and was not seen during any of my random summer visits, which also ties in with the summer of 2024 where no sightings were made during five random visits.   2FJA  is definitely nesting outside of the Antrim area - but where?

Over the past couple of weeks, other sightings of Black-headed Gulls on the move have been reported - the details of these can be found below.

Going back to my previous post, on leaving Antrim Marina, I drove to Antrim's Junction One shopping Centre in search of another one of my gulls -  2FDK .  Last winter, it failed to return to Antrim Marina so I wrote it off as having died.  I had to 'Un-Kill' the bird on the 8th June 2025 when it appeared back at the Marina during a random visit.

The idea of searching the Junction One Shopping Centre, was to check if Black-headed Gulls were nesting there.  A few years back, they nested on derelict buildings behind the Asda Shopping Centre, but as far as I knew, these buildings had been knocked down.  At Junction One, I noted a lot of Black-headed Gull activity on top of the tall Enkalon building, but there was no way of proving that they bred up there.  Having drove around looking for -  2FDK , there was no sign of the bird.

However, on the 17th March 2025, I received an email from Emma Inzani who has a PhD Project through The University of Exeter, concerning Urban Herring Gulls.  Emma was redirecting an email sent to her by Emma Tweed concerning -  2FDK .  Emma Tweed had been at the Junction One Shopping Centre the day before, and unfortunately found -  2FDK  with it's colour-ring having slipped over it's ankle.

Emma Inzani, stated that she has released Herring Gulls whose legs had been caught up in netting, also noting that the legs suffered no permanent damage.

The slipping of colour-rings is very rare, and hopefully the ring will fall off soon.  Emma Tweed had enclosed a photo which saw the lower leg looking black, but I'm sure this was just caused by a shadow rather than a circulation cut off.

A few years back, we had another gull at Antrim Marina which had the same problem.   2ABL  was ringed at Antrim Marina by Adam McClure as part of his former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study.  Ringed in January 2013, the gull was proved to be a year round resident at the Marina, but during a random summer visit on the 8th July 2016, I noticed it's colour-ring had slipped over it's ankle.

The colour-ring remained there until the 2nd January 2017, by which time it had fallen off.

The gull suffered no 'ill effects', and was recorded regularly (metal ring read) until the 8th March 2023.  Despite rings slipping, they are not tight enough to cause serious problems, so I'm hoping that -  2FDK  manages to discard the ring as soon as possible.  I shall be resuming my weekly visits to the Marina shortly, and if possible will try and catch the gull.  Also, I'll keep a look out for any gulls with metals only, just in case it is -  2FDK .

Below are the birds reported to me over recent weeks :-

Saturday 5th July 2025

Black-headed Gull -  2CLV , is another bird from Adam McClure's former NI Study, and was spotted on the grass in front of the 'Café Cod' fish and chip shop in Bangor, Co. Down by Leslie Crawshaw, on the 5th July 2025.

The gull was ringed as a chick by Adam, on the 16th June 2017, on the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough in County Antrim.  Over the years since 2017, this bird has often been recorded wintering at Luke's Point in Ballyholme, which is only a short distance away from the centre Bangor.  As yet, the breeding site of -  2CLV  is unknown.

This latest sighting takes the duration since being ringed to, 8 years and 19 days, and Bangor lies 18 kms / 11 miles (SE) from Larne Lough.

My thanks goes to Leslie for the sighting report along with the photo.

Black-headed Gull  -   2CLV   -  Bangor, Co. Down  (05 Jul 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 16th June 2017, at RSPB Blue Circle Island, Larne Lough, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Leslie Crawshaw)

Also on the 5th July 2025, Suzanne Belshaw visited the Sprucefield Shopping Centre in County Down when she spotted the return of Black-headed Gull -  250B .  Suzanne has known this gull for a long time and surely must have been excited to see it back again.

 250B , was ringed as a chick, on the 6th June 2008, on Lough Mask in County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland.  First recorded at the Sprucefield Shopping Centre in July 2013, the gull has returned every autumn since then.  This gull usually moves on towards it's wintering site in August or September, but so far we do not no where that is.  In the past, I've drawn a straight line from Lough Mask, through Sprucefield, which would lead through to Scotland - so you never know.

On the odd occasion,  250B  has returned to Sprucefield on it's return journey to Lough Mask where it has been recorded during the breeding season at the village of Cong close to the Lough.

The duration since being ringed, is now a very impressive 17 years, 1 month and 4 days, when Suzanne had a second sighting on the 10th July 2025 (see below).  The distance from Lough Mask to Sprucefield, is 232 kms / 144 miles (ENE).

Black-headed Gull  -   250B   -  Sprucefield Shopping Centre Car Park, Co. Down  (05 Jul 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 6th June 2008, at Lough Mask, Co. Mayo, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Sunday 6th July 2025

On the 6th July 2025, I received an email from Richard Smith who has a blog site called (Dee Estuary Birding).  Richard was reporting the sighting of a colour-ringed Black-headed Gull that had been spotted earlier that day be a Timothy Knich, having been spotted at Hilbre Island on the Dee Estuary in Merseyside, England.

Checking my records, this was a first re-sighting of -  2ALT .   2ALT , is another one from Adam's McClure's former study and was ringed as a chick, on the 15th June 2015, at the WWT Castle Espie Wetland Reserve in County Down.  I now respond to sightings of the gulls from Adam's Study.

The duration for this first re-sighting comes after 10 years and 21 days since being ringed.  The distance from Castle Espie, is 206 kms / 128 miles (SE).  I still find it amazing when gulls pass by all of that time without being seen.

My thanks goes to Timothy for the sighting report and photo, and to Richard for getting in touch.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ALT   -  Hilbre Island, The Dee Estuary, Merseyside, England  (06 Jul 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th June 2015, at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Timothy Knich)

Thursday 10th July 2025

Suzanne Belshaw records -  250B  for a second time this autumn (read above).

Black-headed Gull  -   250B   -  Sprucefield Shopping Centre Car Park, Co. Down  (10 Jul 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 6th June 2008, at Lough Mask, Co. Mayo, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Monday 14th July 2025

Suzanne Belshaw makes a brief visit to my study site at Antrim Marina, where she records two of my colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.  The first was -  2FJK , another returnee, but again, it's breeding site is unknown.  I caught and ringed -  2FJK  at the Marina as an unsexed adult, on the 3rd December 2023.  It was last recorded here on the 10th March 2025.  The duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 7 months and 11 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJK   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (14 Jul 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The second Black-headed Gull was -  2FJN .   2FJN , was also ringed at the Marina on the 3rd December 2023 as an unsexed adult.  Random summer visits during the breeding season in 2024 and this summer, firmly establishes this gull as being a year round resident.  Again, it is 1 year, 7 months and 11 days since being ringed.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FJN   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (14 Jul 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 3rd December 2023, at Antrim Marina)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Wednesday 16th July 2025

On Wednesday 16th July 2025, Suzanne visited the tidal Whiteabbey Lagoon on the edge of Belfast Lough, where she spotted another returning Black-headed Gull.  (White) 2BVL, was ringed as chick, on the 8th June 2020, at the Broad Law colony situated on the Moorfoot Hills in the Borders Region of Scotland.

Two previous sightings of this gull at Whitehouse Lagoon occurred in December 2020 (myself) and in September 2023 (Suzanne).  Having been in touch with Tom Dougall, these three sightings are the only one's to date.  The duration since being ringed, is 5 years, 1 month and 8 days, and Whitehouse Lagoon lies 220 kms / 136 miles (WSW) from Broad Law.

Tom stated, that no further chicks have been ringed over the last two summers.  If memory serves me right, I think the breeding site no longer exists. 

My thanks goes to Suzanne once again for the sighting reports along with her photos.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  2BVL  -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (16 Jul 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 8th June 2020, at Broad Law, Moorfoot Hill, Borders Region, Scotland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Thursday 17th July 2025

David Nixon has been in touch concerning a Great Black-backed Gull that he recorded on the high tide roost at the South Inner Bay, Dundrum, Co. Down.   7J7:D , was ringed as a chick, on the 9th July 2023, on Ireland's Eye Island in County Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

One previous re-sighting was made by Declan Clarke, on the 31st December 2023, at Ardglass Harbour in County Down.

The distance from Ireland's Eye Island to the South Inner Bay at Dundrum, is 98 kms / 60 miles (N), and the duration since being ringed, is 2 years and 8 days.

My thanks goes to David for the sighting along with the photo.

Great Black-backed Gull  -   7J7:D   -  Dundrum South Inner Bay, Dundrum, Co. Down  (17 Jul 2025)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 9th July 2023, on Ireland's Eye Island, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

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