January 2015 - Med Gull from Hungary!

January 27th

This Great Black Backed Gull turned up at Bulloch Harbour this evening.  Ringed in 2010, I have never seen it before.  It was seen in January 2011, 4 years ago.  Where has it been hiding?  More excitingly, has it come back to breed?  It this the start of the 5 year olds coming back to their natal site to breed?  Will it turn up at Howth?  

Great Black Backed Gull, Blue[1EJ]White

January 26th

A very quick 10 minutes at Bulloch Harbour and nice to see Herring Gull 0JH in Breeding Plumage.  Hopefully it will breed this year.  I have also put a photo from 15 November 2014 below, to show how it looked over the Winter.

0JH today 26 January 2015

0JH on November 15th 2014

Unusually, plenty of Mediterranean Gulls at Bulloch Harbour about and three coloured rings.  French Mediterranean Gull 330 is more commonly found up the road at Sandycove.  Very odd that it's bill stripe is missing.  It is not a feature I have noticed much before.

The German Med AKAJ is my most recorded Med at Bulloch Harbour

Among the Herring Gulls and Great Black backed Gulls sat a Glaucous Gull - Larus Hyperboreus

The Hungarian Juvenile H4L3 also turned up a Bulloch Harbour, thats a first

January 25th

While out reading Brent again, one stood out.  My first Dark bellied Brant.  But as it wasn't ringed, not overly exciting!

Dark Bellied Brent

January 24th

A whole week and no rings in Sean Walsh Park apart from 1 metal read.  Today I had the boys in the car but had heard of a large flock of Brent in Drimnagh - not too far from Tallaght.  We drove down for a recce.  Maybe up to 500 Brent on a Green.  Hadn't time to even get out of the car, but parked and photographed some ringed birds.  The trick is to get a sequence of photos to get both leg rings recorded.

Brent PHWR. (Right Code, Left Code, Right Colour, Left Colour)

 Brent 32WB (Metal under 3) (Right Code, Left Code, Right Colour, Left Colour)

We went past Tallaght Community School on the way home and spotted 217G from Lough Mask in Mayo.  This is it's favorite roosting place.

Black Headed Gull Y[217G]K

January 18th

Ballymount Park is not a park I usually do, but occasionally I check out the Mute Swans and check the Black Headed Gulls for rings.  Yesterday at Dublin Zoo I was surprised to see no Pochard ducks. There are always Pochard wintering in Ballymount so I thought I'd see how many.  There were no Pochard and today there were only 9 Mute Swans, there are usually over 20. 

Mute Swan ZY4380 which was ringed in St Stephens Green was present as usual.  Alot of "Pink tip" noted on the swans.  This is a condition caused by eating mouldy Bread.  There were 8 Common Gulls, alas none ringed.

January 17th

Bray Harbour this afternoon was both successful, exciting and still slightly disappointing.  A white Darvic Ringed Black Headed Gull flew past me as I arrived but I never saw again.  I did see lots of Coloured Rings.  I spent so much time looking for the elusive BHG that I hardly read any Mute Swan Rings.  It was cold and the temperature, although +2 felt more like -2.

Black Headed Gull Y[2X2J]K

The Black Headed Gull Y[2X2J] that was ringed in Sandycove, Dublin was ever present this afternoon.

Black Headed Gull from Lithuania 

There was a Juvenile Black Headed Gull from Lithuania.  Metal ring reading below.

The Scottish Herring Gull was also present.

Herring Gull from Scotland

But bird of the day goes to the Black Headed Gull in this poor photo which is cropped severely, which shows another Lithuanian Black Headed Gull K[P615]. It was ringed as an adult by Frank Majoor in 2010 and has been a regular in Bray since then.  This is my first sighting of it this winter.  I never saw it again all afternoon!

Black Headed Gull from Lithuania.

January 14th

The Danish Black Headed Gull has appeared to have changed its survival strategy and is becoming a regular in Sean Walsh Park

January 11th - Hungarian Mediterranean Gull

Yesterday, at Bulloch Harbour and Dun Laoghaire there was nothing of excitement in the way of coloured rings again, but a new day with new optimism started at Bray Harbour.  When I arrived there were good numbers of Herring Gull and Black Headed Gulls.  Alas, again no rings and no Ring Billed Gull.  But I did read 7 Mute Swan Rings and one of them was new to me!

I moved up the coast to Sandycove but there were only 2 Med Gulls, but I spotted a Red Darvic on the Juvenile standing in seaweed.  Camera quickly out for a photo, but only 2 digits visible as it's leg was in seaweed.  Threw some bread out to tempt it and managed the full code when he settled on the breakwater for a moment.  It is from Hungary.  That's about 1900km away!

New Mute Swan in Bray

January 8th

A strange start to the year, with many trips dipping - just no rings around.  Today, delighted that 27H0 turned up as it has been missing for the last 2 weeks.

January 3rd

Sean Walsh Park this morning produced no Coloured or metal rings.  Had to make do with watching the Caspian Gull!

January 2nd

Today I ended up at the East Link Toll Bridge in Dublin and walked to the back of the Aviva Stadium.  I spotted a Great Black Backed Gull with an Ireland's Eye ring.  I never saw it in 2014 at all, but had recorded it at Howth in 2013.

Great Black Backed Gull 3EP.  Ringed 2013

January 1st

First Darvic of the season goes to a Black Headed Gull from the Irish Project over at Lough Mask, Co Mayo.

Black Headed Gull from Lough Mask