September - Scottish Herring Gull Recovery

30th September 

Passing Sandyford Industrial Estate I spotted a Dutch Black-headed Gull.  I took a this record shot but before I got close it flew!  Oh well, ring was readable. ECR4.  Ringed in 2015 and first sighted in Dublin in 2016.

29th September

Grangecastle Business Park for my lunchtime walk today and again Swans were the objective.  However I did spot a Herring Gull with a Red ring!  Despite the rain and the distance, 656:D was read.  Another Urban Gull from the Dáil.  The gulls from the Dáil seem to like this park!

28th September

Gull numbers are growing in Sean Walsh Park.  27H0, 2ACA and the Swedish Juvenile 6456000 are daily sightings.  However stopping at the Stadium I spotted a red ring.  This Herring Gull is an Urban Gull from the City Center and this is a first sighting.

23rd September

No colour rings at Bray today except for CR Swans.  However, I was here for Swan Rings.  As the end of the month approaches, so does the end of this years RAS.  I am below the number I expected to sighted, perhaps he hard winter has taken it's toll.  One new to add to this years survival statistics, they all count in making the statistics as accurate as possible.

Stopped at Sandymount Strand on the way home.  I got the tide wrong but I did get one Red ring.  097:D was ringed in 2017 and this was the first sighting in 2018

21st September

Today in Sean Walsh park I spotted a Metal on a Black Headed Gull.  The ring looked Swedish and I was right.  6430814 is not due back for 2 weeks and it wasn't standing in the correct location being 10 meters from where I expect it to be.  Out with the camera and 40 frames later a new Adult!  In the 5 years I have been monitoring this park I haven't recorded this one before.  Time will tell but it is probably just passing through.

Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght.  6434718 Stockholm Scheme, Sweden

Black-headed Gull 6434718 - New ring in the park!

20th September

On September 9th I recorded a Herring Gull GV65109 at Bullock Harbour in Dublin.  As it was not a Club ring I assumed it may be from further North, Maybe Isle of Man.  However it is from much further North!

Ringed in the Highlands of Scotland, Eilean da Chuain, nr Morar, Highland, UK.  This adds more data to my theory that many of the Gulls in Dublin are not from here!  

14th September

Recently in Sean Walsh Park there have been 2 - 4 med Gulls present, all un-ringed.  Today one dropped in with a White Ring.  White[3615]  I assume it is another from Belguim, I await the re-sighting report.

11th September

The cygnets are getting big enough to ring.  I had to catch this one in Sean Walsh Parknand remove the plastic bag which was wrapped around its neck.  It had been there for a couple of days before I got the opportunity to catch and remove it.

9th September

This afternoon I got out for an hours ring reading at Dun Laoghaire.  The first Ring I spotted was on the German Juvenile.  I read 5 med Gulls before moving on to Bullock Harbour

2XK5 was ringed in Dublin.  There have been no foreign sightings to establish where it is from....yet!

 Ringed in Dublin 2XA4 breeds in a French colony.

Mediterranean Gull 2XA4

I also recorded a new Belguim Med Gull White 3225 but no photo worth uploading! At Bullock Harbour only one Colour Ring was recorded - the German Med AKAJ.  I did spot a Juvenile with a metal ring!  GV65109 does not appear to be a club ring!  I wonder where it was ringed?  I have reported it and will find out during the week.

My other son had a match in Sandyford this morning.  During his warm up I went looking at the large flocks of Gulls.  Spotted a Black Headed Gull with a white ring ECR4.  Reported on line.  This is the 3rd Dublin sighting but my first.  It is also the 1st Dublin sighting of ECR4 since 2016!

Black-headed Gull White ECR4 from Holland.

8th September

The afternoon was my first I-WEBS count of the season, so no ring reading this afternoon.  However, before I started I scanned the 100+ Gulls on the Dodder Estuary and on the surrounding Roofs.  I spotted 1 of our Red Rings! 607:D was ringed on the roof of Abbey Street as a 2nd sighting onto the data base

607:D Herring Gull

Rathcoole, was the venue for my sons football match.  However, I spotted 17 Med Gulls.  Only one colour Ring.  A German Mediterranean Gull ASTL.  The park is 18km from the coast.

Mediterranean Gull Green[ASTL] from Germany

1st September

At Sandycove this evening there were 31 Med Gulls and this time plenty of Coloured Rings!  Only a couple of Sandwich terns but no rings so I concentrated on the Med Gulls.

The first CR Juvenile was one of a large group that was ringed in England on passage.  One to watch in the future as which Country it will return to. 

Yellow 2P36

White 3289 was ringed in Antwerp, this year and my 2nd sighting

Med Gull White [3289]

 2X0E was ringed in Jan 2017 as a Juvenile - Hatched in 2016

Yellow 2X0E

2X7A was ringed in 2014 as an Adult.  It has got fishing line wrapped around the tibia of it's left leg.  I had a good look and it is not caught in the ring.  This is a common problem with all Gulls.  Maybe we we will catch it later and remove the fishing line?  

Med Gull Yellow [2X7A]

2X9J is another one ringed in 2017 as an adult

My bird of the day and I didn't get a whole photo of the Juvenile!  E943488 was metal ring only.  They are much harder to read than a Black-headed Gull as they are more wary! On the right written vertically is Brussels!  Another from Belgium.

E943488

 Last was the French Green [RS96], a regular at Sandycove.  Ringed as a Pullus in 2014, I have recorded it many times.  Red [PRN6] was also present - as usual!