Antrim Marina - Tuesday 18th August 2026...

Antrim Marina - Tuesday 18th August 2026

Today I arrived at Antrim Marina at 11am.  There was a light wind, cloudy, and the temperature gauge in my car read 18ºC.  As I pulled up to the ANPR Barrier, I could not believe my eyes.  Even at a distance, I noted that the river which flows past the Marina and into Lough Neagh, had a thick 'green carpet' of Algae.  It was awful looking as I parked up at my usual spot.

The state of it was similar to the year before last, though in the summer last year, it was not quite as bad.  Due to having plates on my car which reads 'Environmental Study Vehicle' (the Councils idea for giving me access to the front car park), I had several people stopping by thinking I was monitoring the Algae - which was not the case.  I had to explain that I was studying the gulls, hence the councils requirement.

Many left amazed about the movements of the gulls and the use of the colour-coded rings.

View of the Small Sandy Beach with Gulls Resting on the Long Wooden Jetty

View of the River Which Flows Past the Marina

During today's visit, I recorded three returning gulls.  One was one of the Black-headed Gulls from my Wintering Population Study, also a returning metal-rung Common Gull and the third was what I thought was a new sighting altogether.

This Black-headed Gull had a Black coloured ring which read -  2355 .  It seemed quite at home and I easily took several photos and even managed to capture it's metal-ring number as well -  EM56667 .  On returning home, I checked the colour-ring code on my Main Ring Reading Spreadsheet, and discovered I had recorded the very same gull during one of my random summer visits made on the 7th May 2026.  I then entered it's metal-ring number on to the BTO's DemOn Database and discovered there had been no further sightings since May.  It looks likely that this gull has remained in the Antrim area all this time.  If so, there is a good chance for more sightings over the coming weeks.

 2355 , was ringed as a chick, on the 14th June 2025, at the Shotton Steelwork's in Flintshire, Wales.  The distance to Antrim Marina, is 266 kms / 165 miles (NW).  The duration since being ringed is now 1 year, 2 months and 4 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2355   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (18 Aug 2026)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 14th June 2025, at Shotton Steelworks, Shotton, Flintshire, Wales)

Last week, I added two more colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls to this winters list, taking the overall total to 12.  The two additions were -  2FJT  and  2FIL .  I wanted to obtain updated photos for both birds, but a multitude of children kept chasing after the gulls scaring the off.  Both of these were present today.  I got a photo of -  2FIL , but the colour-ring of -  2FJT  was covered by a thick layer of Algae.  In fact, the Algae presented a challenge trying to read the rings of several gulls, and I need to check all legs in the case a metal-rung visitor would turn up.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIL   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (18 Aug 2026)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 31st October 2022, at Antrim Marina)

The number of Black-headed Gulls present on my arrival was around the 80 mark and that total remained more or less the same right throughout my three hour visit.  As previously mentioned, this winters list of colour-rings sat at 12 after last weeks two additions.  All 12 of those gulls were recorded today, so for a change, I had no absentees.

At 11:58, I had another addition -  2ABN .   2ABN , belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study (2012 till 2018) and was ringed at Antrim Marina as an adult female on the 23rd January 2013.  This gull is a winter visitor to the Marina, but it's exact breeding site is still unknown.  Two sightings away from the Marina have both been at the same site in March 2022 and May 2025.  The site is Peatlands Park in County Armagh, 35 kms / 21 miles (SW) from the Marina.  The May sighting would be in the breeding season, but I know of no breeding colonies in that area.  Previously with the March sighting, I thought it could be nesting further to the South-West perhaps as far as the Fermanagh Lakelands or beyond.  The duration since being ringed, is now 13 years, 6 months and 26 days.

Another of Adam's Black-headed Gull's -  2ACP , has recently returned to it's wintering site and Suzanne Belshaw informed me of it's return (9th August 2026).  Suzanne asked the question - was  2ACP  the second oldest surviving gull from Adam's project?  I said it would be unless -  2ABN  returns to Antrim Marina.   2ACP  was ringed on the 9th February 2013, as an unsexed adult at the Sprucefield Shopping Centre in County Down where it is a frequent winter visitor.  Sometimes this gull pops over the county border into County Antrim where Suzanne would spot it close to her home in Lisburn.   2AAN , recorded today at the Marina remains the oldest at 13 years, 7 months and 28 days since being ringed.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ABN   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (18 Aug 2026)

(Ringed as an Adult Female, on the 23rd January 2013, at Antrim Marina)

With today's return of -  2ABN , the overall total of colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls rises to 13 birds.  Between a quarter to a third of Black-headed Gulls were juveniles, which is very good compared to the last couple of years.  There is a lot of competition among these juveniles when people arrive with food.  As the weeks pass, no doubt a few foreign juveniles will add to these numbers.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Tuesday 18th August 2026

2FFT	2BRA	2FIF	2FIL	2FKA	2AAN	2FJT
2CSK	2FJA	2CJT	2CSR	2FHV	2ABN

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

No Mute Swans were present on my arrival, and a pair arrived from upriver at 11:42.  I took a photo of them soon after they hauled ashore at the slipway.  They spent a good hour cleaning a lot of the Algae off their feathers before lying down for a long snooze.

View of the pair of Mute Swans just after their arrival

The return of a metal-rung Common Gull was a very pleasing site.  I had just finished a conversation with a passer-by, when I lifted my binoculars to scan the long wooded jetty and spotted the metal ring.  Grabbing my camera, I took several photo of the gull and the ring. 

The small female looked like the Scottish-rung -  EY64036 , and looking at the photos, the ring was confirmed.   EY64036 , was ringed as a chick, on the 20th June 2013, at Hunterston in North Ayrshire, Scotland.  It first appeared at Antrim Marina as a juvenile on the 9th February 2014 and has returned every winter since.  Being metal-rung, it would be very unlikely that it will ever be recorded during the breeding season.  The distance from North Ayrshire to the Marina, is 141 kms / 87 miles (SW).  The duration since being ringed, is now 13 years, 1 month and 29 days.  Welcome Back - Glad to see You!!! 

When I arrived, just on Common Gull was present and it remained throughout the visit.  A very confiding bird, it would land on the roof of my car beside me.  It gets it's treat of a few bits of bread.  The Scottish female was recorded at 12:40, and these were the only two recorded today.  I'm hoping the metal-rung Common Gull from Finland arrives back at some point.  If it does, it will be over 31 years since it was ringed.

Common Gull  -   EY64036   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (18 Aug 2026)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 20th June 2013, at Hunterston, North Ayrshire, Scotland)

The resident male Herring Gull and his youngster were also present throughout.  As usual, he walked up to the door of my car and took bread from my hand.  Soon afterwards, even the youngster was bold enough to get hand fed.  Also present, was a second calendar year Herring Gull which I reckon was last year's chick.  At 11:49, a 3rd calendar year Herring Gull appeared.  Could this the youngster of the resident male from 2024?  A second un-related juvenile arrived at 11:55.  A trifle wary, the shyness quickly wore off when bread was being thrown out.

One adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, possibly the same bird, made repeated visits.

Around 60 Mallards were present throughout, every one of them were spread out around the jetties.  At no time, did any go into the water.  Looks like they're not loving the Algae either.

I heard a Kingfisher at 11:18.  Surprised that it even here at all, as it could not possible see through the Algae to see any fish.

Three Jackdaws and a single Hooded Crow were the only other species noted today.

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

Antrim Marina - Tuesday 11th August 2026...

Antrim Marina - Tuesday 11th August 2026

After posting my last blog article, I received an email from my former ringing trainer - Sandy McWilliams.  I first met up with Sandy back in the 80's when I started to rings birds.  After reading my comments about the non-existence of Mallard chicks, Sandy offered up the probable cause.  A couple of months back, he spotted a Mink running along the opposite riverbank a short distance upriver from the Marina.  It had a dead male Blackbird in it's mouth.

If there are a couple of Mink families, they may well be predating the eggs and chicks of the Mallards.  It may also explain why the resident pair of Mute Swans have no cygnets.  I photographed a Mink here back in September 2014.  I had spotted it swimming across the river and into the boulders beside where the Gateway Centre is now built.  Waiting with camera in hand, it eventually poked its head out.  My thanks to Sandy for his comments. 

Mink  -  Antrim Marina  -  September 2014

Today (Tuesday 11th August 2026), I undertook my second weekly visit to Antrim Marina where I am studying a wintering population of Black-headed Gulls, some of which, have been colour-ringed during previous winters.  My arrival today was slightly later than I had planned, as back at home, I had to wait for Lorraine to return to the house after popping into town (Ballymena).  As mentioned before, Lorraine owns a cat that now needs keeping an eye on For health reasons.

After another visit to vet of late, the cat 'Rusty' was diagnosed as having 'Arthritis'.  We were concerned about the state of it's fur at the rear of it's back, which looked very 'shabby' and had lost it's 'sheen'.  It appears, due to the 'Arthritis', the cat can no longer reach around to clean itself.  The area effected was shaved off and mild painkillers were prescribed to ward off any pain.  The vet estimated that 'Rusty' is aged around 13 to 14 years - no wonder I had suggested it had the 'feline' equivalent of senile dementia.

Passing through the ANPR barrier, as I drove across the car park to my normal parking spot beside the short concrete jetty, the first thing that I noticed barring the pair of Mute Swans, was the return of the Blue/Green Algae.  Although not quite as bad as two years ago, it is of concern as it is killing the wildlife underneath the surface.

The Blue/Green Algae is Back Again  - Note the Green Line of Sludge at the Waters Edge 

On parking at 12:15, I made a note of the birds present and then set to work checking the legs of the Black-headed Gulls for coloured-rings belonging to my study or from other projects.  I also check for gulls ringed with metal-rings only.

Around 70 Black-headed Gulls were present, and once again, there were also a good number of juveniles.  Numbers held up well, and perhaps reached the 90 point.  I remained until 3:30, and just 9 colour-rings were read.  Last week (week 1), I read 10 colour-rings altogether, but today, 3 of those gulls were absent, but a further two were added to this winter's list, which takes the overall total to 12.

 2FJT , was the first to be added at 12:34.  I consider -  2FJT  to be a non-resident, though Suzanne Belshaw had already recorded it's return on the 14th July 2026.  I was ringed at the Marina in December 2023 as an unsexed adult.

 2FIL , was the second to be added to this winter's list, and was the last to be spotted at 3:18pm.   2FIL , is a year round resident at the Marina.  It was ringed here as a 2nd winter bird (hatched in 2021) on the 31st October 2022.

Due to the very good weather conditions the area around the Marina was hectic.  Many families with kids passed through and the younger kids constantly chased the gulls.  I wanted to take photos of -  2FJT  and  2FIL , but was unable to do so.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Tuesday 11th August 2026

2FJA	2CSK	2FHV	2FJT	2FKA	2CJT	2AAN	2FFT	2FIL

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

2BRA	2CSR	2FIF

There was also a bit of drama just before I departed.  A young boy, possibly 8 to 10 years of age, had walked into the river down the slipway.  As people tried to persuade him to come back in, he just stood there covered right up to his neck - one slip and would be gone.  Myself and a young lady walked up to the picnic tables and asked if anyone was missing a young boy - a definite no.

I also checked the visitor centre inside the 'Gateway Centre'.  Returning to the slipway, a parent had arrived and managed to coax the young boy out.  They walked out of the car park, and their car must have been parked somewhere around the 'Play Park'.  The way the young lad looked, I think he could have 'mental problems', so this was a lucky escape.

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

Just the two Mute Swans today, the female of the pair is an immature.  Most of the time, they rested on the slipway.

Mallards numbers were fairly good with around 60 to 70 birds present through most of my visit today.  After several feeds of bread and pellets from passers by, the total dropped slightly.  With most legs checked for rings, it has been a long time since I have recorded a ringed Mallard here.

No sooner had I parked my car beside the small concrete jetty, the resident male Herring Gull wasted no time walking up to the car.  With bread in hand, he readily pulled off chunks.  His youngster also came up to the car, and after watching his father, he took bread from my hand.

A second calendar year Herring Gull arrived at 12:30, and I'm fairly sure, he was the youngster of the resident Herring Gull from last year.  The female arrived at 12:37 and quickly joined up to the male.  A further two juveniles Herring Gulls arrived at 13:10 and 13:25 and quickly took advantage of the bread being thrown out.

Only one Common Gull today.  This adult was present throughout my visit and on two occasions happily stood on the roof of my car.  An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull made a brief stop at 15:02.

Two Jackdaws and a single Hooded Crow were the only other species noted today.

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

Antrim Marina - Tuesday 4th August 2026...

Antrim Marina - Tuesday 4th August 2026

Today marked my first weekly visit to Antrim Marina to record the colour ringed Black-headed Gulls which were all caught and ringed on site with the earliest having been ringed back in 2012.  My aim each winter beginning in the first week of August to the final week of March, is to undertake at least one weekly visit not only to read colour rings, but if possible catch new gulls to add to my project.

This is a study of the wintering population and during the spring and summer, the gulls head off to their breeding sites.  Some of the gulls are year round residents breeding in the Antrim area, whereas, other have been reported in Iceland, Scandinavia and in north and central Europe, also closer to home in England, Scotland and at sites here in Northern Ireland.  Once their breeding season is over whether having been successful or not, they begin to return to Antrim Marina.

Before I discuss today's findings, I need to update all on some events over the summer.

A major problem came to light back in late April.  It involved the 'Torpedo Platform' situated a short distance away from Antrim Marina.  The 'Torpedo Platform' was used in World War Two to test torpedo's and the now derelict and overgrown platform serves as a breeding site for gulls and terns.  A 'Live' camera on the platform saw a healthy population of Black-headed Gulls selecting nest-sites, but in late April, they suddenly abandoned the platform.  Where the colony relocated too is as yet unknown.  Around the same time, the Common Terns were arriving back from Africa.  They did attempt to nest on the platform, but without the protection of the Black-headed Gull colony, their eggs were being predated by the gulls.  Watching the 'Live' camera, I even saw immature Black-headed Gulls raiding the tern nests.

During my two random summer visits to Antrim Marina, I scoped the 'Torpedo Platform', and only a handful of terns remained.  Looks like most of them ended up abandoning the platform too.  During May, the 'Live' camera was closed down - obviously hiding the carnage taking place.

I informed the Lough Neagh Partnership at an early stage to highlight the problem on the platform.  It is the Partnership who installed the live camera, and they never got back to me, to give me their thoughts.

As mentioned, I only made two random summer visits to Antrim Marina.  Normally, I would undertake a few more, the idea, is to record the resident colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.  My second visit in June, was so bad, I did not have the heart to undertake further visits - birdlife around the Marina was almost non existent.

During the summer, away from the Marina, only two of my gulls were reported -  2FHV  in Iceland, and three sightings of -  2FIX  in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Suzanne Belshaw stopped by the Marina on the 14th July.  Suzanne recorded 5 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls.   2AAN  is regarded as a breeding bird in the Larne area (likely Blue Circle Island), but did spend one summer at the Marina.   2CJT  and  2CSR  are year round residents,  whilst  2FJA  and  2FJT  are considered as being winter visitors to the Marina and their actual breeding sites are as yet unknown.  The return date for these two are the earliest recorded so far.  Suzanne also sent photos for all five gulls, and I thank her for reporting these, along with the photos.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina by Suzanne Belshaw on the 14th July 2026

2AAN	2CJT	2CSR	2FJA	2FJT

I arrived at Antrim Marina just before 11:30 this morning, and 'Wow', I was in for a big surprise.  On arrival it was cloudy but calm and the temperature gauge in my car read 19ºC.  Over the next three hours of my visit, the skies opened up, leaving us with a very hot day.

Arriving not knowing what to expect, there were Black-headed Gulls all round the place.  A rough estimate gave 70 to 80 gulls, but was really interesting, was the number of juveniles.  My first visit last autumn gave a disappointing total of just 4 juveniles, which suggested the gulls had had a very poor breeding season.  

This time, the number of juveniles was pushing towards half of the gulls present.  Over my three hour visit, numbers remained more or less static, but on leaving the Marina just after 2:30pm, at least another 30 to 40 gulls were present around the nearby 'Play Park'.  Quite a few gulls were also standing around the busy picnic tables obviously waiting for titbits.  I noticed some had colour-rings, but with children about, using binoculars or my camera was out of the question.

Just 10 colour-rings were recorded today.  The first was -  2FIF , a resident which was also recorded during my random summer visits.  The second, was a nice one to see -  2FKA .  This was my last Black-headed Gull to be ringed here at the Marina.  I caught it on the 1st December 2024, as a juvenile/1st winter bird.  It was away all summer last year, and the same during this past summer.  It is now 1 year, 8 months and 3 days since it was ringed.  I'm now wondering if this one is a foreign bird.  It will reach maturity next year, so fingers crossed that it will be spotted in a breeding colony.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FKA   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (04 Aug 2026)

(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Winter Bird, on the 1st December 2024, at Antrim Marina)

 2CJT  and  2CSR  are year round residents and were mentioned above, along with non-resident - 2FJA .  When -  2FJA  arrived at 11:48, it started squealing at me "where have you been"?  I grabbed some bread and hand fed him on the fence in front of where I park the car.   2FJA  was ringed as an unsexed 2nd Winter bird back in December 2022.

The next one -  2AAN  was also mentioned above.  It was ringed here on the 21st December 2012 as an adult female, and was among the earliest Black-headed Gulls to be ringed that belonged to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study.   2AAN , is now the oldest surviving gull from that study, and as of today, it is now 13 years, 7 months and 14 days since being ringed.

 2BRA , is another year round resident at the Marina, and was ringed as an adult female in February 2015.

The next gull had me racing to grab my camera.   2FHV  had safely returned from Iceland.  Just the one sighting the past summer, having been photographed at Akureyri in northern Iceland on the 13th April 2026.  The finder, Hrafn Svavarsson, stated that the nearest breeding colony was at Krossanesborgir, just under two kilometres to the north.   2FHV , was ringed as an unsexed adult at the Marina in November 2021.  Over the years since being ringed, I now have seven sighting from the same area of Iceland.  Looking at the photo, has he just arrived back!!

Black-headed Gull  -   2FHV   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (04 Aug 2026)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 8th November 2021, at Antrim Marina)

 2FFT , puzzled me somewhat.  Ringed in December 2020, I had always assumed it was a winter visitor and possibly a foreign breeder.  The early sighting on the 6th June 2026, had me wondering - had it failed early during it's breeding attempt.

My tenth and final colour-ring sighting was that of another year round resident -  2CSK , ringed as an unsexed adult in December 2017.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Tuesday 4th August 2026

2FIF	2FKA	2CJT	2CSR	2FJA	2AAN	2BRA	2FHV	2FFT	2CSK

All in all, I was very pleased with today's visit.  Plenty of birds around for a change, and the number of juvenile Black-headed Gulls was totally unexpected.  Wherever the Black-headed Gulls bred at after abandoning the 'Torpedo Platform', they must have been fairly successful - bearing in mind, the cases of 'Bird Flu' in colonies over the last couple of years.  When Danny from Lough Neagh Rescue arrived, even he made comment on the numbers of juveniles around. 

Other Birds Recorded at Antrim Marina

As is the norm when I arrive, the Mute Swans are always fairly obvious.  Expecting to see some cygnets, there was none.  Four Mute Swans were lying down on the slipway, and my heart sank when I saw the metal ring of -  X4707 .  Although ringed as a male in April 2024, this bird is a female and had six chicks last year.  At no stage did I figure out if the other three swans included her partner.  No cygnets - what's happened?

Half way through my visit, a couple stopped by Danny and myself.  Asked if I was the guy 'banding' the birds, we got onto the subject of the ringed Mute Swan.  They had seen her on her nest upriver from the Marina and at that stage she was on eggs.  Did they hatch?  Perhaps that story can be answered by passers by in the coming weeks.

A pair of Mute Swans arrived from upriver at 12:36, the female being immature looking at the colour of her beak.

Ring of Mute Swan  -   X4707   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (04 Aug 2026)

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

No sooner had I parked my car, the resident male Herring Gull walked right up to me quickly followed by his youngster.  Here is another gull that remembers me.  Opening the car door, he walked right up and took lots of bread from my hand.

Two immature Herring Gulls were also present throughout my visit.  One appears to be last years youngster, the other from the preceding year, both belonging to the resident pair.

The Resident Male Herring Gull along with his Chick  -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (04 Aug 2026)

A single adult Common Gull was also present as I parked up.  A further two adults arrived at 11:42 and 12:26, with all three lined up together on the small concrete jetty at one stage.

A single sub-adult Lesser Black-backed Gull made a brief visit at 13:04.

Around 40 Mallards were present, and that total remained more or less throughout the visit.  No chicks were seen during my May and June visits, and still no chicks today.  Danny from Lough Neagh Rescue said he had not seen any chicks at all this summer.  If they are breeding locally something is going on at their nests.

A few Sand Martins were flying around high in the sky, but they did not seem to be using the Swift cavities situated high up on the walls of the Gateway Centre. 

3 Jackdaws and two Hooded Crows were the only other species noted today.

This was a fairly satisfactory first visit and I hope the gull numbers hold up.  Over the next few weeks, there should be a few other returnees.  Last winter, several of my colour-ringed gulls suddenly disappeared over a space of a few weeks and I reckoned they had perished.  We had three severe storms last winter.  During the summer I tried to correlate the loss of those gulls with the storms, but could not find a direct link.

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

Antrim Marina - Saturday 6th June 2026...

Antrim Marina - Saturday 6th June 2026

Today, I made my second random summer visit to Antrim Marna to record the resident colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls, these having been ringed onsite during past winters.  I had planned to make the second visit sooner, but never got round to it for various reasons.

Before I go into the details of the visit, I must make mention of the 'Torpedo Platform', and two sightings of my gulls away from the Marina.

In my previous post, I reported that the whole colony of Black-headed Gulls had suddenly abandoned their breeding attempts on the 'Platform', and where they relocated to was and still is unknown.  With the Common Terns returning from Africa, I was concerned about their nesting attempts on the 'Platform' as the presence of Black-headed Gulls helps to give them some security by chasing off predators.

Through my blog, I added a link to the 'Live Camera' on the platform.  The Common Terns could clearly be seen on nest sites, though these could not be seen due to the tall grass.  The camera went off air after the 24th May, which came as no surprise.  In the days before, I witnessed Black-headed Gulls predating on the eggs of the Common Terns while I was watching certain clips.  This makes for poor viewing - no wonder the camera was shut down.

Earlier, I had informed the Lough Neagh Partnership about the situation on the 'Platform'.  Members of the Partnership monitor the wildlife on Lough Neagh, but nobody has got in touch with me giving their assessment of the situation.  Along with the recent problems with the 'Blue-Green Algae', the wildlife situation on Lough Neagh is looking bleak.

Since I ended my weekly winter visits to Antrim Marina at the end of March, I had received just a single sighting of my Black-headed Gulls away from the Marina, this being -  2FHV  in northern Iceland.  Yesterday (5th June), two further sightings arrived with me.  Both sightings had done the 'rounds' - (bouncing around through other project leads), before being redirected to myself.

The first bird was spotted on the 24th April 2026.   2FIX  was seen on the breeding scrape by an Angus Murray at the RSPB's Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve in Renfrewshire, Scotland.  Having submitted the sighting to the BTO, the official distance from the Marina, is 157 kms / 97 miles (NE).

This sighting of -  2FIX  was only it's third since being ringed at the Marina.  Ringed as an unsexed adult on the 19th December 2022, the first re-sighting was made by Suzanne Belshaw on the 2nd January 2023, and the second sighting was made by myself on the 3rd February 2025, with both sightings having been made at the Marina.

It now looks like -  2FIX  is using the Marina as a 'staging post' on route to and from it's breeding site.  If the gull is breeding in Scotland, drawing a line from Lochwinnoch through Antrim Marina, suggests that it is wintering in the south-west of Northern Ireland or possibly further away into the Republic of Ireland.  As usual, further sightings are needed to cement the movements for this gull.  At the time of it's sighting in April, it was 3 years, 4 months and 5 days since being ringed.

The second Black-headed Gull that was reported was -  2CJT .  It was spotted on the 2nd June 2026, at Antrim's Junction One Shopping Centre.   2CJT  is a year round resident in the Antrim area and therefore breeds locally.  Caught and ringed at the Marina, as a juvenile / 1st winter bird on the 4th December 2016, this was it's 325th sighting since being ringed, with all sightings bar one having been made at the Marina.  

The exception was made on the 25th February 2021, when Gavin Baptie photographed the gull at Castle Semple Loch at Lochwinnock in Renfrewshire, Scotland.  I reckoned that -  2CJT  had got dragged away in a flock of gulls towards Scotland and perhaps further north-east into Scandinavia.  It was recorded back at the Marina by the 12th April 2021.  With this latest sighting, it is now 9 years, 5 months and 29 days since being ringed.

______________________________________________________________

For my second random summer visit to the Marina, I arrived at 1pm, staying until 4pm.  It was cloudy but calm, though there was several showers of light drizzle.  The temperature gauge in my car read 15ºC.

On arrival, only 18 Black-headed Gulls were present.  Further counts were made during my visit, and the highest total was 31 birds by 3pm.  This is the worst ever count for this time of the summer and clearly reflects the situation on the nearby 'Torpedo Platform'.

On my first random summer visit, just five colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls were recorded.  Today, I recorded six colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls, four of which were recorded last time -  2FIF ,  2CSK ,  2FIL  and  2FFA .  the missing bird was -  2CJT  mentioned above.  The two additions this time, was -  2BRA  which is a well known year round resident, and the surprise sighting of -  2FFT .

 2BRA , belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Black-headed Gull Study, and was caught and ringed at the Marina by Adam, as an adult female on the 1st February 2015.  I was present that day, having met up with Adam that day.  Today's sighting of -  2BRA  was it's 346th since being ringed, with all sightings having been made at the Marina.  The duration since being ringed, is now 11 years, 4 months and 5 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BRA   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (06 Jun 2026)

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

As mentioned, the sighting of -  2FFT  came as a surprise.  I knew straight away that this gull was not a resident at the Marina, and it's re-sighting history would suggest that it could be a foreign breeder, returning each winter.   2FFT , was ringed at the Marina as an unsexed adult, on the 21st December 2020.

Since being ringed in 2020, it has never been recorded in the months of March, April, May, June and July, until now.  The latest spring sighting was made on the 7th February 2022, and the earliest autumn sighting was made on the 3rd August 2025 - hence my surprise to record it today.  It is possible, that it's breeding attempt failed, this being the reason for the early return?  Yesterday, I saw an adult Black-headed Gull at home in Ballymena.  Black-headed Gulls do not breed in Ballymena, and normally the first gulls usually turn up in July.

It will be interesting to see if -  2FFT  is recorded in future random  summer visits.  The duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 5 months and 16 days. 

Black-headed Gull  -   2FFT   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (06 Jun 2026)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 21st December 2020, at Antrim Marina)

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

In general, the lack of birds around the Marina is shocking - graveyards are busier.  Three Mute Swans were present on my arrival.  One was a full adult, the second, a sub-adult and the third was a cygnet which hatchet out last summer.  I could not tell if the cygnet belonged to the resident pair, or was the youngster that appeared during the winter after one of our major storms.  It could have been a different youngster altogether.  Shortly before I departed, another adult swam in from Lough Neagh.  No sign of the resident pair, but the probably have a nest further up river.  The female of the pair is ringed with a metal-ring.

A high count of the Mallards totalled 27 birds.  Not a single brood of ducklings have been recorded yet, which tells me that they too are having a poor breeding season.

Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls made repeated visits, though I do not think these were a pair.  The resident male Herring Gull made his appearance known to me.  When he arrived, he landed beside my car to let me know he was there.  He received his reward with a few beak-fulls of bread.

A pair of Hooded Crows also made repeated visits.  The male was really fierce, chasing gulls at high speed to force them to drop their feeds of bread.  Four Jackdaws also made repeated visits.  No doubt, all are feeding youngsters.

A male Chaffinch made a brief visit.  A couple of Sand Martins were feeding on flies high up in the sky, but it still does not look as if they are using the Swift nest-holes high up in the walls of the Gateway Centre. 

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

A Disaster On Lough Neagh...

Antrim Marina - Thursday 7th May 2026

Today, I undertook my first random summer visit to Antrim Marina to record colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls which are year round residents to the site.  Having finished my weekly winter visits at the end of March, I skip the month of April completely, as most gulls would be busy courting and building nests.  The most likely breeding site for the gulls at the Marina, is the former 'Torpedo Platform' situated nearby on Lough Neagh.

Before I go into detail about today's sightings, I must give an update about events on the 'Platform'.  During April, I had been following the events on the 'Platform' via a 'Live Feed' - provided by CarnyxWild via the Lough Neagh Partnership.  Everything appeared to be ticking over nicely through to the 20th April and over the following days the Black-headed Gulls abandoned the platform.  Possibly 100+ pairs of gulls had disappeared.  Since then, the Common Terns have arrived back from Africa, and it now looks likely that they too are not going to nest on the 'Platform'.  I had made a suggestion that this may happen via email correspondence.  The presence of Black-headed Gulls gives the Terns added security when predators are about.

The cause of the abandonment is not clear.  I informed the Lough Neagh Partnership about the situation, but they have yet to get back to me with their thoughts.  Below are the video links for the 20th April 2026 and today's link 11th May 2026 :-

20th April 2026

11th May 2026

On my arrival at the Marina today, the first thing that I did, was to scope and film the platform from a distance.  There was absolutely nothing on the 'Platform' that I could see that would deter gulls and terns from nesting.  Even on the raised area behind the 'Live' camera, there would normally be a number of Cormorants present, but again - nothing.  There is a pair of Great Black-backed Gulls on the raised area, but surely their presence is not the problem, though they can cause havoc amongst the nesting birds.  The question now, is where a whole colony of breeding gulls has relocated too?

I had visions of them nesting on the rooftop of 'The Gateway Centre' at the Marina.  Parking beside the 'Small Concrete Jetty', it soon became clear that no gulls were nesting on the roof.  Arriving at 1pm, I made a three hour visit - recording five of the colour-ringed resident Black-headed Gulls.  One other Black-headed Gull became the 'Star Bird' during the visit.

I noticed a second calendar year bird on the top rail on the concrete Jetty with a Black Darvic.  Camera out, I captured the code -  2355  and tried to capture the details on the metal ring - bit it flew off towards the Lough.  However, a short time later, it returned and I completed the metal number -  EM56667 .  On returning home, I searched for the owner and sent an email to Peter Coffey.

The next day, a reply came back from Peter.   2355  had been ringed as a chick, on the 14th June 2025, on ponds beside the Shotton Steelworks in Flintshire, Wales.  This was a first re-sighting, occurring 10 months and 23 days since being ringed.  The distance from Shotton to Antrim Marina, is 266 kms / 165 miles (NW).

Peter went on to say the breeding colony at Shotton was hit badly with 'Bird Flu' in 2023 and again in 2025.  On each occasion, their 'Ringing Team' were split into two groups - one collecting dead gulls, the other to ring chicks.  Despite the 2025 outbreak, a good number of chicks did fledge and one was even recorded on Rathlin Island, just off the north coast of Co. Antrim.  My thanks goes to Peter for his prompt reply, adding the ringing details and other information about the colony.

2nd Calendar Year Black-headed Gull  -   2355   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2026)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 14th June 2025, at Shotton Island, Flintshire, Wales)

I was not sure what to expect on reaching the Marina today.  Just 23 Black-headed Gulls were present on my arrival, nearly half were second calendar year non breeders.  Over the course of my three hour visit, numbers never surpassed the 40 mark, though it was clear that some gulls were clearly coming and going.

The five colour-ringed resident Black-headed Gulls recorded today were :-

 2CJT  - Ringed as a 1st Winter Bird on the 4th December 2016 - now 9 years, 5 months and 3 days.

 2CSK  - Ringed as an Unsexed Adult on the 17th December 2017 - now 8 years, 4 months and 20 days.

 2FFA  - Ringed as an Unsexed Adult on the 23rd November 2020 - now 5 years, 5 months and 14 days.

 2FIF  - Ringed as an Unsexed Adult on the 29th November 2021 - now 4 years, 5 months and 8 days.

 2FIL  - Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Winter Bird on the 31st October 2022 - now 3 years, 6 months and 6 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2CJT   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2026)

Black-headed Gull  -   2CSK   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2026)

Black-headed Gull  -   2FFA   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2026)

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIF   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2026)

Black-headed Gull  -   2FIL   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (07 May 2026)

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

Three adult Mute Swans along with two youngsters from last year were present.  The two youngsters are the same two that were present during my final weekly winter visits to the Marina at the end of March.  The younger of the two, is a bird which arrived on it's own just after one of our severe storms, the older, belongs to the resident breeding pair and is the last of six from last summer.  No sign of the breeding pair, so the may have a new nest further upriver.  The female is ringed with a metal ring, and I may try to locate the nest on my next visit.

Mallard numbers hovered around the 20 mark, with most being males.  No broods of ducklings around, but with the current situation around Lough Neagh, this comes as no surprise.  No sign of 'Mayflies', an important food source for duck chicks.

A pair of Common Gulls were present throughout the visit, with a third adult arriving just before I departed.  Keeping my fingers crossed for a colour-ringed Common Gull ringed as a chick on the Copeland Islands in 2013.  This one has been recorded here in previous summers.

Two second year Herring Gulls made a brief visit, one of which, I'm fairly sure belongs to the resident pair.  It's father also made a brief visit later on.

A pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls made several short visits, and a 2nd calendar year Lesser Black-backed rested on a lamppost for around 20 minutes.

One surprise - there appears to be no nesting Sand Martins.  In the past, they have used the Swift holes provided close to the rooftop of they 'Gateway Centre'.

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

BHG - Blue 2FHV Back Home in Iceland...

Black-headed Gull -  2FHV  Back in Iceland

Around supper time on Monday 13th April 2026, I received an email from Iceland.  The email was from Hrafn Svavarsson who was reporting the return of two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls at a pond in the town of Akureyri in the north of the country.  Both gulls were no strangers to Hrafn, as he recorded both gulls at the same pond on the 14th April 2025, just one day short of one year ago.  The gulls concerned, were -  2FHV  from Antrim Marina where I am studying a wintering population of Black-headed Gulls, and -  2AFF  from Dublin.  Details for -  2AFF  can be found below.

 2FHV , was ringed at Antrim Marina as an unsexed adult on the 8th November 2021 and it's final sighting during the 2021/2022 winter at the Marina was recorded on the 24th February 2022.  The next two sightings occurred on the 26th June and 8th July 2022, made by Ólafur Larsen, who reported -  2FHV  in Akureyri -  2FHV  returned to Antrim Marina on the 8th August 2022.

Return dates at Antrim Marina over the next three winters, were recorded on the 31st July 2023, 26th August 2024 and on the 3rd August 2025.  During this winter, I made a comment where I stated that I really needed further sightings of -  2FHV  in Iceland and shortly afterwards four belated sightings arrived via the Ringing Department of the Natural Science Institute of Iceland (apologies due to being understaffed).

The Institute had contacted Jan Rod in Dublin concerning the sightings of two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls that were recorded in Akureyri  on the 14th April 2025 ( 2AFF  and  2FHV ).  Knowing -  2FHV  belonged to me, Jan sent me a copy of the email.  The email address of the finder was included, so I contacted Hrafn Svavarsson, providing the birds ringing history.  I also copied in the Science Institute, who got back to me with three other sightings I knew nothing about.  These included a third 2024 sighting (24th July), and two sightings in 2024 (11th & 25th June), all having been reported in Akureyri.  My ex-ringing trainer had been informed of the 2024 sightings, but these must have been overlooked as I was not contacted about them.

Hrafn stated that both gulls were recorded at the same pond as in 2025, and at the time of his latest visit, 150 to 170 Black-headed Gulls were present.  For all of the size of the pond, this must have been quite a sight.

Black-headed Gull  -   2FHV   -  Akureyri, Eyjafjordur, Iceland  (13 Apr 2026)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 8th November 2021, at Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim)

(Photo Courtesy of Hrafn Svavarsson)

Hrafn sent me a link from Google Maps which provided me with the exact location of the pond in Akureyri where -  2FHV  was spotted.  Via the link, I went into Street-View and took a Screenshot of the area concerned.

Screenshot from Google Maps Showing the Pond in Akureyri Where the Black-headed Gulls Gather

The distance from Antrim Marina to Akureyri is 1,378 kms / 856 miles (NNW), and the duration since -  2FHV  was ringed, is now 4 years, 4 months and 5 days.

My sincere thanks goes to Hrafn, not only for reporting the sighting, but also allowing me create this blogpost along with his photo of -  2FHV .

Antrim Marina, County Antrim to Akureyri, Iceland

(Courtesy of Google Maps)

Along with the sighting of my Black-headed Gull -  2FHV , a second colour-ringed Black-headed Gull was also present.  This one -  2AFF  belongs to the Irish Midlands Ringing Group.   2AFF  was ringed as an adult male, on the 9th December 2024, at Father Collins Park on the eastern edge of the City of Dublin.

This is now the second sighting of -  2AFF  at Akureyri, as Hrafn spotted the gull at the same pond on the 14th April 2025, with -  2FHV  also present at that time.

My thanks goes to Jan Rod from the Irish Midlands Ringing Group for supplying the ringing details for -  2AFF .

Black-headed Gull  -   2AFF   -  Akureyri, Eyjafjordur, Iceland  (13 Apr 2026)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 9th December 2024, Father Collins Park, Dublin City, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Hrafn Svavarsson)

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