Mute Swans - Adult Survival 2026

 04/04/2026

Ballymount Park. 03/04/2026

The Mute Swan Annual Survival project 2026 has started.  Officially, the methodology is called a RAS, (Re-trapping Adults for Survival), but it is more like Swan Bingo!  Last year there were 239 Swans recorded in the project boundaries, 104 new Swans ringed and probably another 50 Swans, some were outside the project boundaries but might be recorded this year.   So looking for about 370 mute swans.  The first week is easy, large herds of young Swans at Swords and Bray, small herds at a few parks.  After that it starts getting hard, maybe 50 pairs nesting or holding territory.  

The 2025 Project birds.  As they are recorded in 2026, marked in Yellow

Unexpected sightings are swans not recoded within the boundary last year.

Each Swan in Dublin is individually identifiable by the colour ring.

2026 Great Black-backed Gull Season starts

15/03/2026 

 March is a fantastic time of year for birds, particularly exciting for all the IMRG Gull projects. The Black-headed Gull numbers continue to decline as they depart for their breeding grounds, Herring Gull adults increase as they return ready for nesting. The Great Black-backed Gulls is always my primary focus for producing annual Survival survival stats by way of BTO RAS. My first trip to Howth Harbour for the 2026 season and only 5 rings read and of those, 2 were last years Juveniles. Another was an adult only ringed last year but two old blue ringed adults recorded. My aim is always to record as many as physically possible.  In 2025, exactly 100 colour ringed GB were recorded within my Dublin project boundaries.  (Many more were recorded outside the project boundaries)  All GB's recorded had wintered in Dublin.  So I'm still waiting for those which wintered many miles from Dublin to return.  The furthest wintering spot for these magnificent Gulls is Northern Spain.  1000KM+ although most stay within 200km

Below 1PH, ringed 2012 and 3CN ringed 2013.

Below 5K4:D.  Adult only ringed in 2025 and has wintered locally at Broadmeadows Estuary, Swords

Below are Second Calendar Year 1M1:D + 0M2:D