May 31st
Bullock Harbour today turned up 4 Great Black Backed Gulls with Irelands Eye coloured leg rings. Although three are frequent visitors to Bullock Harbour, 1VM was yet another one that was new to me!
May 24th
A quick trip to the Malahide Estuary in Swords today to see which Mute Swans were around. There were over 70 at the location but only 2 rings read as Canoeist disturbed them. However, one of the Swans ZY4381 was one, that although I had read before was at a new location. Ringed in December 2012 in St Stephens Green, Dublin, I have recorded it on the Grand Canal in January 2014. They do move around quite a bit!
May 23rd
I still check the parks of Tallaght daily but the only ring in the Black Headed Gull 27HO in Sean Walsh Park! I am still hoping that among the large numbers of Lesser Black Backed Gulls (24 in Sean Walsh Park today) that a coloured ring will turn up.
May 18th
Dawn Chorus finished at 6am, so I went to Bullock Harbour on the way home. There were two Blue Darvics noted, a Juvenile Great Black Backed Gull and an Adult Herring Gull 0JH. I have seen this individual at Multiple sites including Bray and inland at Sandyford Industrial Estate. When I saw it in March at Howth I thought great, a 4th year back at its natal site, it will start breeding. But observing it at 6am 10Km away isn't looking promising.
May 15th
I had a short trip to Howth Harbour this morning to continue my ring recording of the Gulls from Ireland's' Eye and anything else with a ring. I was rewarded with 17 coloured rings all from Ireland's' Eye. What was most interesting was that 3 of the Gulls which were probably ringed in 2009 were new to me! Where have they been up to now and what made them come to scavenge from the fish factories today. They weren't there the other 15 trips I made this year! I am almost at 400 ring sightings of 100+ individuals from Ireland's Eye and I am still observing birds ringed in 2009 for the first time!
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| Great Black Backed Gull 2EJ. 2009. A regular at Howth |
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| Herring Gull. Adult 2009 or 2010. Another first for me! |
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| Great Black Backed Gull. 2013. Only my second sighting. |
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| Great Black Backed Gull. 2AH 2009 and another first for me! |
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| Great Black Backed Gull. A regular at Howth |
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| Great Black Backed Gull 2CL. Ringed 2009 and yet another first for me! |
May 12th
Today there were 3 Black Headed Gulls in Sean Walsh Park. Stumpy,- a black headed gull with no legs who never left, and two additional 1CY birds. One of them had a Darvic ring. It was 27H0! It isn't even 6 weeks since it was last seen and now it's back to winter here!
May 10th
I was in Howth this afternoon but all elements were against any good rings. The tide was low, the wind was strong, it was afternoon. Sure enough, nothing much around. The Herring Gull 2KP usually hangs round the chip shops and begs from Tourists. Sure enough he was there! Some individuals are predictable!
May 5th
Bullock Harbour was again disappointing with only one Coloured Ring, so I went elsewhere to read waders instead. I found a large flock of 364 Oystercatchers on Sandymount Strand. I only managed to read 9 individuals as they stand on one leg when at rest, or in 2" of water!
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| Oystercatchers on Sandymount Strand |
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| Kittiwake at Bullock Harbour |
May 3rd
Bullock Harbour in South Dublin was disappointing this morning in relation to the number of Coloured rings. Those present were all regulars and no foreign rings read today. Not a single ring recorded at Bray Harbour! Even the 10 Mute Swans out scavenging for Bread failed to produce a single metal ring. Oh well, nice morning.
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| Great Black Backed Gull at Bullock Harbour. |
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| Lesser Black Backed Gull at Bray this morning. |
May 1st
I spent a half hour at Howth this morning before work and there were hundreds of Gulls to keep me entertained, again no foreign rings. I read 17 darvic rings from Irelands' eye - 3 Herring Gulls and 14 Great Black Backed Gulls. Although all were birds I have previously observed, some I hadn't seen for a while.
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| Great Black Backed Gull 2KL dining on Salmon |
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| Great Black Backed Gull 1AP - 1st sighting of 2014 |
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| Great Black Backed Gull 1UK |
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| Great Black Backed Gull 3CL |
Abstract photo of the day goes to 2CN. It got moved at the last second, but the incoming Gulls wing shape was excellent, so I included it!
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| GBBGU 2CN |
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