December 2013 - Another new Darvic and a Caspian Gull!

December 30th

Ballymount Park, Dublin 24 at lunch time today and 18 Mute Swans were out of the water so I got to check for rings.  Only one with a ring and again a old style ring with a code that was unfamiliar to me.  Again, I hope it will be an interesting report when it arrives from the BTO.

Mute Swan ring in Ballymount Park

December 29th

Bray Harbour is not somewhere I look for coloured rings as it is well watched by others, but today I was reading Swan Rings.  There were also two Black Headed Gulls with Darvic rings. J0J2 from Norway and Black [P615] White.  It was my first time seeing P615 although it is on loads of different websites - but it is my first Black Headed Gull from Lithuania.  Ringed By Frank Majoor in 2008 as an Adult bird.

Larus Ridibundus K[P615]W from Lithuania

Black Headed Gull from Norway

Eight of the Mute Swan Metal Rings read today were new to me, including the following ring.  Its number is not in a sequence I've seen before.  Hopefully it will be something exciting!

Mute Swan ring upside down!

I moved down the coast to Bullock Harbour where there were no coloured rings at all, so moved on to the Forty Foot where the Mediterranean Gulls gather.  Four with coloured ring,  including this juvenile with a ring that I hadn't seen before.

Mediterranean Gull Y[2X1J]K.  Yellow Darvic ring

I carried on to Blackrock Park where 20 Brent were grazing - no rings.  I did read the Mute swan.  I think that brings me up to 35 individuals or 16% of all Mute Swans ringed in Dublin and Wicklow!

December 26th

While out on a St Stephens day walk in Corkagh Park, Dublin 22, with my son, I spotted a Mute Swan begging for bread off some children.  Photographed the ring - another to add to my growing data base!  My son was more excited by spotting a Barnacle Goose - Locally rare.

December 23rd

Happy Christmas to me!  An early present landed in Sean Walsh Park today.  It was a Juvenile Herring Gull 0MA.  It was ringed on 07/07/2013 by me!  I have only ever placed the ring on six birds and one travels 25km to my local Park which is 11Km inland.  It is also the first Herring Gull with a coloured ring I've seen in the Park.  I had seen it at Howth Harbour on November 21st 2013, if only it had a Santa hat on, the day would have been perfect!

Herring Gull in Sean Walsh Memorial Park, Dublin 24

December 21st

Howth Harbour was today's destination with the aim of assisting in the banding of adult Great Black Backed Gulls.  No success.  However, I did some ring reading with remarkable results.  I have read almost 60 individuals from Ireland's Eye and today, 12 rings read and 3 were new to me.

Best of the day was a Juvenile Herring Gull 0LH.  This bird was ringed by me (under supervision) in July 2013 and today was my first re-sighting.

Herring Gull 0LH, Ringed July 2013, Ireland's Eye.

The next interesting record was 1VR.  I recorded this individual on the Royal College of Surgeons in Sandyford Industrial Estate in October, 15Km away and 4 Km from the coast.

Great Black Backed Gull.  Blue[1VR]White

I also recorded an Adult 2LE which is a first sighting for me.  Ringed in 2009?  No decent photo. 1VS was also new to me

I spent some time trying to read a metal ring on a Larus Argentenus 'Omissus' type (Herring Gull with yellow legs) without success.  There were two present today, one sporting a ring.  The legs don't look as yellow in the photo!

December 20th

At the Med Fest in Dun Laoghaire on the 9th of November I read the ring of another Black Headed Gull from Finland.  Again a letter arrived in the post.  This Black Headed Gull was ringed as an adult in 2009 in TURKU, TURKU - PORI, FINLAND.  Again if your Finish Geography isn't great, that's 150km west of Helsinki! Again this was the first re-sighting!

December 19th

It has been a normal week in Sean Walsh Park with the Black Headed Gulls E5VA, 27H0 and the new gull 4ET were all showing well.

Sean Walsh Park and Black Headed Gull E5VA

I got a few ring reports back.  Finland replied by letter in the post!  I checked that I had included my email address, which I had.  The Black Headed Gull in Tymon Park was ringed as a Young bind in Lohja, Uusimaa, Finland in 2009.  Mine was the first re-sighting of this metal ringed bird.  For those whose Finish Geography isn't great, that's very close to Helsinki.

December 15th

Malahide Estuary this afternoon was busy with kids feeding bread to Swans and Ducks.  No coloured rings seen so I read 10 Mute Swan metal rings.  Three of these rings were new to me.  I have shown photos of the other two types of swan Metal rings.  This is the third type.  Any ZZ rings I have read before have been 2007.

Mute Swan Ring.  Probably ringed 2007.  Awaiting report

I went on to Howth Harbour where the weather turned wet and horrible.  Only two coloured rings read, both local from Irelands Eye.  Herring Gull 2KU is now in adult winter plumage with that dirty head look.

December 12th

This week in Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght has had no surprises.  Black Headed Gulls 27H0, E5VA and the Swedish Metal Ring 6430814  have been ever present.

Black Headed Gull 27H0 from Gloustershire, still being recorded every week.

I also spend a lot of time looking at the different Gulls and their stages.  There can be a difference between different Juveniles of the same species.  This is what I believe is a 3cy Herring Gull.  But it's head is paler and eye darker than the other Herring Gulls at this stage.

Niall T Keogh has since pointed me in the right direction, it looked very like a Yellow-legged Gull (michahellis) - 2nd winter.  Further identification has lead to the consensus that it is a 2nd Winter Caspian Gull!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  If accepted by the IRBC, it would be the 13th Irish Record.

Caspian Gull - 2nd CY

December 8th

Went to Howth Harbour today.  I had hoped that the strong winds would have blown down a gull from the Isle of Man, but no Isle of Man rings today.  Six Great Black Backed Gulls with Ireland's Eye blue Darvic Rings.  Again I got one that was new to me.  I also recorded an Ireland's Eye Herring Gull that was also new to me.  Ireland's Eye, for those not local is an Island visible from Howth Harbour.

Larus Argentatus, Herring Gull. 1st Winter

Larus Marinus, Great Black Backed Gull.  Ringed 2010

Larus Marinus, Great Black Backed Gull. Ringed 2013

December 7th

In the afternoon I stopped at Tymon Park, at the west end of the Park.  Over 1,000 Black Headed Gulls.  I hadn't seen a Darvic in this part for nearly 2 years, but spotted a white ring.  Difficult to read in the long grass.  Eventually, I read the ring and it was the Danish Gull 4ET.  I had seen it this week in Sean Walsh Park.  This is the first cross over between the two parks 1KM apart.

In the morning I went to Tymon Park, Spa Well playground with my 2 boys.  When we were leaving I spotted a metal ring.  I photographed it and to my surprise it was my first Black Headed Gull from Belguim.  Bruxelles clearly visible on the ring. POST SCRIPT.  Ringed in Antwerp in 2012. 25.02.2014.

December 6th

Yesterday, was same park, same time and not even a metal ring.  Today, no metal rings but the new Black Headed Gull 4ET was present, as was the usual Dutch Black Headed Gull E5VA.

December 4th

Every lunch time I have to choose between Sean Walsh Park and any of the other surrounding parks.  I nearly always go to Sean Walsh Park, knowing the day I go elsewhere will be the day I miss something. Today I was reading metal rings, failed to completely read a Swedish Ring, then failed to completely read two Danish Metal Rings, (1 Juvenile + 1 Adult) Then a Dutch Black Headed Gull with Darvic Ring E5VA appeared briefly.  Then, a new Darvic on a Black Headed Gull! The Gull was gone in 60 seconds. Here's a photo from today in Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght, Dublin.  The rings on this Black Headed Gull are from Denmark.

December 2nd

Sean Walsh Memorial Park in Tallaght, Dublin 24 again at lunch time today.  No big surprises.  The Dutch Black Headed Gull E5VA and the Black Headed Gull from Gloucestershire 27H0 were present.  No metal rings observed or recorded today.  There are now three Common Gull in the Park.  None with rings yet.

E5VA seemed to be darker on the head today than last month.  Odd.  Summer Plumage doesn't start to appear till Feb.  It may be the final moulting has given this appearance, or just a trick of the light

E5VA appears to be getting a darker winter head pattern.  Maybe just an illusion of the light.

E5VA last month 11.11.13.     Less black on head than today

October 2013

October 20th

Early morning at Howth Harbour allowed me read 10 Rings.  Nine Blue Darvic rings from Irelands Eye and a metal ring.  The Metal ring details I will send off to BTO in London.

It is nice to photograph a gull with its wings out, this one is just landing .

Great Black Backed Gull ringed this year.

I am still seeing Great Black Backed Gulls for the first time.  This one is 4 year old and this is the first time I have seen it!

Great Black Backed Gull.  Adult, assumed ringed in 2009.

This Herring Gull is in full adult plumage, but if you look at September 1st photo of the same individual, the last of it's juvenile feathers are still visible.

Herring Gull, ringed 2010.

October 19th

A quiet week with regard to Coloured rings, but not for the lack of trying. Today I tried Bullock Harbour.  Among the Great Black Backed Gulls were 4 with Irelands Eye Blue Darvic Rings.  2KU was ringed in 2009 and I have seen it at both Howth and Bullock Harbour.  The other 3 were younger including this Great Black Backed Gull that was ringed this summer.

Great Black Backed Gull + Blue Ring + Bullock Harbour.

October 13th

Early morning to Bullock Harbour proved very fruitful.  There were 6 GBBGU and 1 HERGU with blue rings from Ireland's Eye recorded, before a domestic cat disturbed them all!

Early morning at Bullock Harbour.

A 2013 ringed Great Black Backed Gull 

Equally successful was Sandycove with two Mediterranean Gull rings read. One of which I hadn't seen this year.
On the way home the Royal College of Surgeons gave me two more rings a Great Black Backed Gull  and another Mediterranean Gull.

Blue[1VR] on the Royal College of Surgeons, Sandyford, Dublin

In Ballymount Park in the afternoon there were 18 Mute Swans.  Couldn't see a ring on any of them.

October 12th

Bray Harbour  with the boys this morning and a good scattering of Gulls.  One Norwegian Black Headed Gull.  This time, it is in a place that is well monitored by birders and even though it is a 2011 gull, there are almost 100 sightings of this individual on the Norwegian website.

Black Headed Gull from Norway. Coloured Ring J0J2

Also read some Swan Rings because they were there! One number was unusual as it didn't begin with W2.  I will have to wait and see if it is slightly older or ringed elsewhere on the coast.

October 11th

Sean Walsh Park is turning up a variety of metal rings on Black Headed Gulls. Today there were another two read.
ES45066 from Norfolk in the UK.  Was a regular in Sean Walsh Park last year as well.

 EY19505.  This is the first time I am happy with the code.  Was also there last week.  I will have to wait and see where this bird was ringed

October 10th

Apart from 27H0 every day, two metal rings, 1 from Sweden, (always so easy to read) and another BTO. In fact the BTO ring I had read in September but wasn't certain about a digit.  

Got the report back today on Black Headed Gull, Black[R47S] I had seen at the Malahide Estuary last month.  It was ringed in Calais last year and again in the exact words "Many thanks for the first sighting of Black R47S".  If you look at the photo (September 15th) it is a full adult so it must have been ringed as an adult.

New mallard in the park!, I assume a unmarked light blue ring is probably a private collection escape. 

October 7th

Only one coloured ring today, Black Headed Gull 27H0 again!  Great to have a regular.  

Received 10 reports today from BTO on metal rings I had read recently.  Because BTO only give you the ringing date, re-sightings are identical to first sighting reports as far as information goes.

SO WHAT WAS INTERESTING IN THE BTO REPORTS TODAY?

Most of the Swans at Malahide Estuary were ringed there but - 

Mute Swan W27899 was ringed in Bray Harbour in 2010 as a 2nd year female.  Bray Harbour has a large creche of immature Mute Swans.  However this Swan has moved location, as I had seen it at Malahide Estuary. 

Mute Swan X3789 was ringed in 2006 at Broad Lough, Co Wicklow by R Collins (who I haven't come accross before) as at least a 2 year old male.  It too had moved to the Malahide Estuary.  This is the Swan which had the White Darvic 5PT.  I have't heard back from CR Ringing if they know who put the Darvic Ring on. I may yet get more information on the movement of this bird.

I don't know if anyone else reads Mute Swan metal rings!  I must go to the other two creches - The Grand Canal and Ballymount Park and see if any are ringed and where they were ringed. (Fresh water v Salt water)

October 6th

Out with my boys in Bullock Harbour this morning and nothing to report. At the Forty Foot in Sandycove there were 28 Med Gulls and eventually one sat up - Green[330].

In the afternoon I went back to Bullock Harbour, but only three Irelands Eye rings.  Again what surprised me was only one was noted by my self previously - 3HC and 2 were new to me.  It never ceases to amaze me that the gulls at Bullock Harbour every day are not the same gulls, but continually change!  They were all far out so the photograph quality is not my norm!

October 3rd

Not a lot seen yet this month, but not for the want of trying.  27H0 was present every day in Sean Walsh Park but E5VA has gone missing.  I have been scanning flocks all over the area but yet to locate his new area.

September 2013 Gulls, Swans + a heron!

29th September

Really early start!  I was in Howth Harbour by 6.30 am.  Sunrise 7am.  There are moves to do a full gull count in Ireland so roost site information is being collected.  My aim was to roughly count what was roosting., but Howth Harbour is floodlit and when I arrived there were hundred of gulls circling high above the harbour and none where I thought they roosted!  By sunrise they were starting to settle on the usual buildings and many were roosting.  But they were all nervous and kept taking to the air for no apparent reason.  I will have to find if they were disturbed or if this is nornal.  Only three Irelands Eye darvics, but I was on my way home by 8am.

28th September Saturday

Early to Dublin Zoo this morning to see the new Okapi's.  At penguin feeding time, I photographed this Grey Herons BTO.  It also had a green ring which looked like it belonged to the Waldrop Ibis!

Grey Heron - Penguin enclosure!

Stopped at Huston Station, as I had heard a Dutch Black Headed Gull was see there recently. 120 Black Headed Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls - no coloured rings.  I was at Bullock Harbour in the afternoon. Two Irelands Eye Blue rings 3HC + 1VA.  Again new-old, 50-50, 3HC was new to me and 1VA seen before.  So I carried on to Booterstown strand.  No Gull rings, so read 2 Oystercatcher rings instead.

Look out for yellow oystercatcher rings!

22nd September

A trip to Bullock Harbour when the tide was high can often mean nearly all the Gulls on the water.  This was the case today, but...... I saw one flying, watched where it landed and ran around. Another Isle of Man Darvic ring.  Only one ring today but worth the trip.

Another Isle of Man Darvic.

On the way home I stopped at the Royal College of Surgeons, in Sandyford Industrial Estate - there is always a big roost on the roof.

Royal College of Surgeons, Sandyford.

There was one Black Headed Gull with White Darvic.  It turned out to be another Dutch bird ringed by Frank Majoor.  His usual instant response means I already know it was ringed in 2009 in Arnhem and it has been seen twice before.  Interestingly it was seen once in Ireland before, on Duncannon Beach in Wexford in December 2012.

Black Headed Gull + White Darvic + E3EU

21st September

My boys insisted that we went to the playground in Sean Walsh Park this morning.  I walk this park Mon - Fri and now on Saturday again.  However, the Black Headed Gull 27H0 was there and later when they were feeding ducks I photographed two more Black Headed Gull regulars.  So three black Headed Gulls - 

Norfork, Lincolnshire and Gloucestershire.

Juvenile Black Headed Gull from Lincolnshire

 I went out to Malahide Estuary to photograph the metal ring on the Swan 5PT as I couldn't find a scheme.  I successfully did that.  The metal ring was huge with code on both sides.  I also photographed six other Mute Swans and reported to BTO.  If people put rings on them, then I will send in reports on them.

Mute Swan XL BTO Ring 

I drove to Howth and read three Great Black Backed Gulls and a Herring Gull Darvic.  All 4 were from Irelands Eye.  Like so many trips to Howth 50% of rings were new to me.

Great Black Backed Gull + Juvenile + Blue Ring

The Herring Gull below, OCP becomes more interesting if you look at the photo of June 15th underneath and see the huge change in Plumage in just 3 months!

Herring Gull + Blue OCP + 21.09.2013

Herring Gull + Blue OCP + 15.06.2013

19th September

The black Headed Gull 27H0 from Cemey Wick, Gloucestershire seems to be the only Darvic around in Tallaght this week.  I have nine other locations around Tallaght which I've scanned without even a metal ring.
However today I got some BTO reports of metal rings sent in recently

BLHGU Ring started with EH11***. This bird was ringed 17 June 2004 at Dove Holes, Derbyshire.  I suppose Manchester is the nearest big town. This makes it the oldest Black Headed Gull I have recorded at 9 years old.

BLHGU Ring started with EY25***.  This bird was ringed 27 May 2013 at Baston Pits, Bourne, Linconshire.  The nearest big city would probably be Peterborough.  A Juvenile of this years breeding season.
Why do so many ringers ring upside down?  It makes so many of them difficult to read.

16th September

Common Gull 2ACV which I saw yesterday was indeed a Common Gull from Big Copeland, Co Down.  Many thanks to Shane Wolsey for his rapid response. It was ringed in May 2010.  Once again I received a "This is the first time the bird has been re-sighted since it was ringed!"  It is yet another scheme I can add to my winters in Dublin list.

The Swan White[5PT] is not Belguim.  The scheme is not listed on CR birding so any ideas welcome.

15th September

On the way home from a birding trip to Rogerstown Estuary, I stopped at Malahide Estuary for 20 minutes and what a 20 minutes.  Before I even stopped I spotted a Common Gull with a Blue CR Ring.  Camera out as fast as possible and photographed from the car.  It is one from a Northern Irish  Project and delighted to have captured a half decent photo.  More about this bird later.

It was only a few minutes when I spotted a Black Headed Gull with a Black CR Ring.  It took a few minutes to read it R47S. French I believe - More later...........

While watching the flocks of gulls, the Mute Swans chase you looking for food.  One mute swan had a CR Ring.

I haven't found a scheme yet for this mute swan, but the metal ring was a lot bigger than a normal Swan BTO Ring. According to CR Ringing it is from Belgium and have emailed them, but there has only ever been one other Mute Swan from Belgium in Ireland so highly unlikely. Any suggestions as to what scheme is welcome!!  

Normal Mute Swan BTO Ring.

14th September

There had been some rings during the week. The Black Headed Gull 27H0 appeared in Sean Walsh Park every day and occasional Black Headed Gull E5VA visited, but most of the sightings like these were re-sightings, of value to the ringing schemes but not very interesting generally.  Went ring reading at 5.30 this morning and sat at Booterstown waiting for sun rise. However the Gulls began leaving 20 minutes before dawn! I moved on to Sandycove.  Lots of med gulls (12) and again the only coloured ring was a re-sighting.  At Bullock the only interesting ring was 1NL.  I last saw this Great Black Backed Gull in Sean Walsh Park last April.

3rd September

No coloured rings seen in Sean Walsh Park Tallaght today, but Bullock Harbour in the evening produced one.  The fantastic weather means the rocks on which the gulls normally congregate on were full of people, so there were hundreds of gulls on the water.  Still the Blue ring was again new to me.

2nd September

Sean Walsh Park is beginning to become more predictable.  Reading metal rings is always difficult, but I am getting fewer 'here for one day' Black Headed Gulls.  Today the number of Black Headed Gulls was up, as probably those that had day time roosted in nearby schools and sports fields were now being displaced as schools return from Summer holidays.  Black Headed Gulls 27H0 and E5VA were there as usual.

Black Headed Gull from England

Black Headed Gull from the Netherlands.

1st September

Early morning trip to Howth Harbour, Dublin.  Nine coloured rings observed and photographed, but all were local, ringed on Irelands Eye.  Two were Herring Gulls and seven were Great Black Backed Gulls.

Herring Gull at Howth.

It always fascinates me how every time I go to Howth or Bulloch Harbour I see some birds I have not seen before, like this Herring Gull.   Today 3/9 were first time observations and only one of those was because it was ringed this year.

Great Black Backed Gull + Blue Ring

I also spent some time at Bull Island scanning the Black Tailed Godwits but with no luck.