April 2016 - Coloured Rings.

30th April

It has been very quiet on the Gull Ring front with my time and effort spent on Mute Swans.  However, when reading Swans I always scan the Gulls.  I was rewarded with a Great Black Back Gull with a Darvic at Broadmeadows.  Better still this 2013 GBBGU was a first re-sighting!

Great Black Backed Gull + Blue 3AJ

12th April

Although most of my time is taken up with Swans, I still scan the flocks of Gulls in the parks.  Today there were three of interest.  Firstly an adult Herring Gull with a Metal Ring.BTO ending 323 before it flew off.  I will hopefully get another oppertunity to read the full code.  Then an Iceland Gull appeared.  While I walked around to photograph it a Juvenile with an Orange Darvic appeared.  My bird of the day.

Juvenile Herring Gull with Isle of Man ring

Iceland Gull in Sean Walsh park

4th April

The small Gulls such as the Black Headed Gulls gone to their breeding grounds all over europe.  I was delighted to hear from Maarten van Kleinwee that the Black Headed Gull E5VA is safely breeding again in Holland.  He sent me a photograph and a short video of it on her nest!  Excellent.

Black Headed Gull E5VA Photograph by Maarten van Kleinwee

The large gulls have returned.  The lesser Black Backed gulls have wintered mainly in Portugal and north Africa.  Wonderful to see the adults with their bright yellow legs. The Adult large gulls are probably breeders but there are now good numbers of Juvenile Herring Gulls too. These are a mixture of Irish and ones from further north like Scotland.  So still worth looking for coloured rings (but the return is less).  However, Great Black Backed Gull 1JJ and un-ringed partner have been observed using Sean Walsh Park to preen.  Ringed on Irelands Eye. Could Great Black backed gulls be nesting locally?

3rd April

I was passing the Bull Island today and stopped for 5 minutes.  There was a flock of Brent and a quick scan from the bridge and 2 had coloured rings.

Brebnt Goose 3BRR

Brent Goose UVBY.  Note Metal over Blue

 In the afternoon I visited the Grand Canal to read the project Mute Swans

2nd April 

At Bray Harbour I went looking for our Project Swans.  I was also interested to see if I could see the new Scottish Colour Ringed Herring Gull.

Herring Gull from Scotland in Bray Harbour.  Photo by Kevin Dodd

No luck with that but I did see a metal ringed Juvenile.  It took a while to get the number but success in the end. Most of the metal and Colour Ringed Herring Gulls I see at Bray are from Scotland.  I will have to wait and see where this one is from.

I did manage to record 3 of our Project Swans.  Bringing my total on only the 2nd day of the RAS project to 17 out of 150 re-sighted!

Mute Swan CABN at Bray Harbour

At Bullock Harbour there was just the one coloured ring.  1VV was ringed in 2013 on Ireland Eye, an Island that is just behind Howth Head which is visible on a good day.  Today wasn't a good day - misty and wet!

Great Black Backed Gull 1VV at Bullock Harbour.