New Isle of Man darvic Aug 2015

August 30th

Bullock Harbour and Sandycove produced a few rings, but the tide was too low for decent photos.

Mediterranean Gull at Bullock Harbour

Herring Gull 0JH.  Darvic is very worn.

 However, bird of the day had no coloured ring.  This Swedish Black Headed Gull was ringed in 2005.  For the last 5 years it's metal ring has been read at the exact same location- Bullock Harbour. Great to see it back for another winter.

August 29th

At Sandycove this afternoon there were 3 CR Med Gulls.  Green[RS96] from France, Red[H4L3] from Hungary and a locally ringed Yellow[2XK2]. But only 2 dozen Mediterranean Gulls present, so I quickly moved on to Bullock Harbour.

Mediterranean Gull with French CR Ring.

Bullock Harbour was equally rewarding with the Polish Mediterranean Gull, Red[PRN6] appearing briefly.

Mediterranean Gull with Polish CR Ring

Of the 2 Dublin ringed Great Black backed Gulls Blue[1JJ] was the most interesting observation.  I had last seen this bird in May 2015 in my local Park in Tallaght.  It just shows the the Gulls inland  are not necessarily all urban birds.

Great Black Backed Gull

But today, though I observed bird rings from France, Poland, Hungary and bird of the day was this GBBGU with an Isle of Man ring.

Juvenile Great Black Backed Gull with Orange Darvic from Isle of Man.

August 26th

The Black Headed Gull 27H0 is still reliable with 50% of visits rewarded with a sighting.

August 24th

E5VA Returns

The Black Headed Gull E5VA returned to Sean Walsh Park in Tallaght.  This Dutch Black Headed Gull I first recorded in January 2012, the month I started ring reading.  This is the 4th .season it has returned and it shows how faithful it is to it's wintering site.

Black Headed Gull + Metal Ring and CR Ring

Last year it was less frequently recorded, It will be interesting to see how often it uses the Park this year.

Mute Swan Census - Phase 2

Phase 2  UPDATED 14/09//2015

14th September 2015

Received yet another report of Mute Swans with Cygnets in Russborough House in Blessington.  Confirmed breeding pair no. 42!  Thank you Vincent - yet again.

5th September

It is proving slow work getting around to sites and then trying to relocate Swans and Cygnets.  Parks are easy but waterways, Canals and Rivers are proving difficult.  Completed the Peples Garden in the Phoenix Park today.  3 Cygnets first noted 25th May and still 3 Cygnets.

Re finding Families is proving to be harder than expected.  Couldn't find yet another family this morning.  The other odd thing that is happening is the number of nests we missed.  Had a report that a friend Canoeing down the Liffey came across a Family of Swans near Celbridge.  So there is another pair and nest we appear to have missed.

Studying Mute Swans is learning curve for me.  I have noted that the reason I am trying to gain Cygnet numbers in week 12 is that after week 12 Cygnets can leave their parents.  Today I went to Bluebell.  It is 12 weeks since I first recorded Cygnets, but 13 weeks ago I recorded Swan on nest, so I can't be sure if they are 12 or 13 weeks.  Today there were only 2 cygnets and no adults.  Have the family split already?  I will keep searching the canal for the missing swans.  As they are un-ringed it will be difficult to relocate them.

Cygnets at Corkagh Park at 12 weeks.  Stretching of wings first observed at 3 lolcation all at 12 weeks.

Phase 1, the nesting census has shown that the number of successful breeding pairs has increased over the last 25 years.  Attention is now being focused on phase 2 cygnet survival.  At 12 weeks old the first Cygnets have been known to move away from the parents.  So August will be an important month in gathering cygnet numbers in order to calculate survival rate.  Already the first broods have reached the 12 week mark and in the 1st 4 nests we are getting about 75% survival.  But data drives statistics and would love to get a complete picture.

Location Sub Location 1st Date of Cygnets No of Cygnets Date of Resighting No of Cygnets 12 weeks = 84 days 1 Naas Pond 1 Naas Nr Town 04/05/2015 8 07/07/2015 7 64 2 Charlesland  Golf Club 07/05/2015 6 12/08/2015 6 97ü 3 Tymon Park Lime Kiln Big L 07/05/2015 7 06/08/2015 4 91ü 4 UCD Belfield O'Reilly Lake 11/05/2015 4 09/08/2015 4 90ü 5 Tymon Park Tymon North 12/05/2015 3 02/08/2015 3 82ü 6 Ballycragh Firhouse 14/05/2015 7 05/08/2015 4 83ü 7 Ploopluck Bridge Naas 14/05/2015 9 Missing 8 Corkagh Park Fiseries Lake 16/05/2015 6 09/08/2015 4 85ü 9 Ashtown Royal Canal 20/05/2015 3 25/07/2015 3 66 10 War Memorial Island Bridge 20/05/2015 7 20/05/2015 7 0 11 Tymon Park Lime Kiln Mid 21/05/2015 4 22/08/2015 3 93ü 12 Blanchardstwon IT 23/05/2015 3 29/08/2015 2 98ü 13 St Stephens Green 20/05/2015 4 25/07/2015 3 66 14 Ard Clough Grand canal 24/05/2015 9 22/08/2015 4 90ü 15 Peoples Garden Phoenix Park 25/05/2015 3 05/09/2015 3 103ü 16 Tymon Park Spa Well 25/05/2015 5 26/08/2015 5 93ü 17 Clongriffen Park Fr Collins 06/05/2015 6 08/09/2015 6 125ü 18 Athgarvan Bridge Liffey 26/05/2015 6 20/06/2015 4 25 19 Naas Pond 3 Naas 26/05/2015 8 07/07/2015 3 42 20 Luttrelstown  Golf Course 26/05/2015 2 26/05/2015 2 0 21 Hermatige Golf Club 20/05/2015 4 28/05/2015 0 22 Kilcoole 30/05/2015 3 04/08/2015 1 66 23 Inchicore Bluebell 01/06/2015 7 23/08/2015 2?? 83ü 24 Broadmeadows Estuary 02/06/2015 2 25/07/2015 1 53 25 Marley Park Lower Lake 06/06/2015 2 03/07/2015 2 27 26 Skerries Mill 04/06/2015 8 25/07/2015 8 51 27 Kilcoole Golf Club 08/06/2015 3 11/08/2015 0 28 Druids Glen  Golf Club 09/06/2015 3 11/08/2015 1 63 29 Druids Glen  Golf Club 09/06/2015 5 11/08/2015 4 63 30 Druids Heath Golf Club 10/06/2015 4 10/06/2015 0 31 Lake side Newbridge 05/06/2015 5 07/07/2015 4 32 32 Castleknock Stn Royal Canal 20/06/2015 5 20/06/2015 5 0 33 Broombridge Royal Canal 20/06/2015 3 01/09/2015 3 73 34 Tolka Valley Park Finglas 20/06/2015 1 06/09/2015 1 78ü 35 City West Business Park 20/06/2015 7 09/09/2015 5 81ü 36 Blackrock Park Booterstown 20/06/2015 5 06/08/2015 5 47 37 Basin Grand Canal 21/06/2015 2 13/08/2015 1 53 38 Blessington Demanse 24/06/2015 4 27/06/2015 4 3 39 Star Dust Memorial Coolock 24/07/2015¬ 5 08/08/2015 5 15 40 Tolka River Drumcondra 03/07/2015¬ 3 24/07/2015 1 21 41 Tolka River Fairview 03/07/2015¬ 7 24/07/2015 7 21 42 Russborough Blessington 01/09/2015¬ 5 01/09/2015 5 0  Total Number of Cygnets 203 141

Sharp eyed followers of the blog will notice I have added 3 broods to the data base whose nests were never discovered.  At the Star Dust Memorial Park in Coolock, and on the Tolka River at Drumcondra and Fairview swans turned up with cygnets!  I'm not missing any pairs so these are being treated as missed successful nests.
¬These dates are not approximate hatching dates, but first reported dates, therefore 12 weeks will not be needed.

Swan and 3 Cygnets at Tymon, Lime Kiln Mid lake today

Tymon Lime Kiln Mid lake.  Hatched 21 May as 4 Cygnets.  Since June 14th the count has remained 3 Cygnets.


Please keep the sightings coming in.  I will be emailing all observers to date to request a last look. The interim reports of cygnet numbers have been very interesting with the most vulnerable period being week 1+2 and then survival remaining high..  I could have guessed this but without the interim observations, we couldn't never have been sure.

August 1st Med Gulls breaks rules

August 21st

Holiday over and back to ring reading.  In Sean Walsh Park still the only coloured ring is the Black Headed Gull, 27H0.

August 20th

Sandycove turned up two med Med Gulls, but they were both recently ringed! The regular Great Black backed 1VV was at Bullock Harbour.

August 5th

The one that keeps getting away.  I have been playing with a metal ringed Black Headed Gull in Sean Walsh Park or rather it has been playing me.  Landing allowing 1 photo and taking off again.  It is now a week and I think it is EY65133 but have to make sure there aren't two birds.  Although in adult Plumage it has the orange legs of a 2nd cy / 3rd cy bird.  It is not a ring I've seen before.

August 4th

While looking for Mediterranean Gulls Roosting on the Northside of Dublin I spied a yellow Darvic among the Black Headed Gulls.  It was 9.30 and dark but I took out my camera and hand held at 1/30sec and 1600iso I pushed my luck for 40m away.  But having lightened the images TP86 is visible. Another Polish Black Headed Gull using Dublin Bay.

August 3rd. Med gull breaks the rules

Mediterranean Gulls winter as a juvenile in a location.  They may change their wintering location during the 1st and 2nd year, then they stick to what they know.  Today I spotted an adult med PRN6 from Poland. I don't think it has been seen in Ireland before.  Very unusual to be first seen here as an adult.  Three possibilities.
1. It was ringed last year as an adult so it has been coming here for years we just didn't know it.
2. It found the weather in Portugal too hot and came for the rain!
3. It got lost and will move on quickly!
The data has been input into the Polish website and I will get a full report tomorrow.

05/08/2015. Got my answer tonight. 

PRN6  was ringed in 2015 as an adult!  It didn't come for the weather, it wasn't lost  It may have been coming here for a few years as one of the many un-ringed.

Mediterranean Gull  - Poland

The couple of hours this morning were very rewarding.  9 Coloured ringed med Gulls in total.  Including the following individuals.

Green [AKAJ] been coming to Dublin since 2012

2X7A Adult Mediterranean Gull

Adult Mediterranean Gull 2XA4

 At Bullock Harbour the Herring Gull 0JH turned up.

August 1st

The long staying Herring Gull from Scotland was still at Bray Harbour this afternoon.  Otherwise it was quiet, I read 5 mute swans while there.  The only interesting Mute was ringed in 2006 as an adult.  It hadn't made an appearance since last August.

Herring Gull from Scotland

I stopped at Poppintree Park but no coloured rings.  I did however, spot a Black Headed Gull with a metal ring.  It was from Holland.and this was my bird of the day.

Black Headed Gull with metal ring

The Ring -ARNHEM-HOLLAND 3675.873

Howth was spectacular this morning with 100's of Herring and Great Black Backed Gulls.  However there were very few Coloured rings to be seen.  I only recorded 7 rings.

Great Black Backed Gull 1TN on take off

2009 GBBGU 2JJ at Howth