March 2015 - Great Black Backs are back

March 23rd

Sean Walsh Park.  The Great Black Backed 1VA was again present, but even though it had no coloured ring the bird of the day goes to the new arrival - an Iceland Gull!  Nice to have it in the park.

Iceland Gull in Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24.

March 21st

Howth was interesting as there were so few adult Great Black backed Gulls present.  I assume they were all on territories on Irelands Eye, an Island visible from the harbour.  Only 2 local rings recorded.

March 19th

Today in Sean Walsh Park I watched the large Gulls, Herring, Lesser Black Backed and Great Black Backed Gulls and was rewarded by the Great Black Backed Gull 1VA showing again!

Great Black Backed Gull + 1VA

March 18th

With the success of an Irelands Eye Great Black Backed Gull on Monday I watched all the Great Black Backed and Herring Gulls in Sean Walsh Park today as they fished for Fresh Water Mussels and brought them onto the center rock to open.  Alas, no darvics but I discovered that the fresh water mussel is apparently very rare!

Herring Gull and fresh water mussel.

March 16th

Sean Walsh Park:  I haven't posted a photo of the Black Headed Gull 27H0 for about 3 weeks.  It is still present and starting to get it's breeding plumage.  For me most noticible was the changing leg colour which has gone from orange to red.

Black Headed Gull with Darvic Ring 27H0 from England.

There was a "Herring Gull" that didn't look quite right.  It's eye was too small, it's head was too clean and the wing tips were missing the white ends I would expect.  However, as they move from 3rd winter to 4th summer they can be tricky.

However, bird of the day has to go to the Great Black Backed Gull from Irelands Eye.  1VA use to be a regular at Bullock Harbour, but I hadn't seen it since last summer.

Great Black Backed Gull 1VA showing off it's wing!

March 14th Howth

This morning was cold and 100% cloud.   There were loads of Great Black Gulls and Herring Gulls but few with coloured rings. Interesting observations:
There was Herring Gull 0JH who is usually at Bullock Harbour  (12km South) or Bray but I did see it at Howth on March 15th last year - 1 day earlier this year.  A Great Black Backed Gull [1JK] also winters at Bullock Harbour and was also back in Howth.

Herring Gull 0JH

Great Black Backed Gull 1JK

BIRD OF THE DAY.  This Great Black Backed Gull made it's first appearance in Howth since it was ringed. It was seen by a friend Sean K at Clougher Head 50Km north of Howth

Great Black Backed Gull 1JH

 Last week I read 10 rings.  This week only one of those 10 was recorded.

Herring Gull 0LJ was ringed as an adult in 2013

 On leaving I spotted a flock on Brent Geese near Sutton Cross.  So I stopped and read a few.  What would anyone else have done?

March 7th Howth AM

What a difference a week makes, last week there were relatively few Great Black Backed and only one blue Darvic from Irelands eye.  Today, in the hour I was there, I recorded 9 with Blue rings and a Herring Gull.  It was the number of adult Great Black Backs that was impressive.  The have been about 10% Adult and 90% Juvenile (1-4 years old), today it was more like 80% adults.  

I hadn't seen Great Black Backed Gull 1AM since the end of last summer.  I would love to find out where it goes for winter.

Great Black Backed Gull 1AM

Great Black Backed Gull 2KL displaying with un-ringed partner

Great Black Backed Gull 2EJ

 But no matter what else I saw today, this was going to be bird of the day.  1EM, I didn't recognise the code, as it transpired, I had never seen it before.  Ringed in 2010, I find it fascinating that they are still showing for the first time!

Great Black Backed Gull 1EM - my first sighting of it!

March 7th Bray PM

Following the oil spill (See last month) I went to Bray to see which Swans were still there and I recorded 5 of them. 2 I hadn't recorded last week, however Swan of the day is this one W27801 which I haven't seen before.  By the number, I can guess it was ringed 6 years ago, but where I don't know, I will have to wait for the report

March 7th Bullock Harbour PM

More Great Black Backed Gulls and I read 3 rings, but what was interesting was there were no adult Med Gulls.  There were 5 juveniles including the Hungarian H4L3.  Fantastic day and 25 rings read in all.

March 5th

With only two ringed Black Headed Gulls in Sean Walsh Park, I looked at Dodder Valley Park 1km away yesterday, spotted a metal and went to hopefully record it today.  I have had limited luck at this park in the past but did get a CR Mediterranean Gull a couple of years back.  Today there wasn't one metal rings but two.  I concentrated on the Swedish ring and finally managed to get it to walk away and felt sure I had photographed the ring from every angle.  The other Gull was more wary and I only got 3 digits, I didn't even get the country!!

Swedish Black Headed Gull 6426774

Ring photographed from all sides!  6426774

Metal ring on Med Gull?

March 1st 

Bray Harbour 11am.  It was cold and raining, but it got worse, by lunch time the hailstones had ceased and it was full on snowing with the temperature at 0! My mission was to see how many of the 13 Swans that were released on the 24^th of February after being de-oiled could be recorded, but on arrival the Scottish Herring Gull A:B97 was standing on the foot path

Most of the mute swans were on the water, but a few had ventured out to beg from people in cars.  I ventured out of my car and started photographing rings.  8 were ringed and 5 of those were ones from Sean Walsh Park that we had ringed in the rescue center.  There were still Swans in the Harbour that couldn’t be enticed out of the water, so I moved on to Bullock Harbour.

Mute Swan rings at Bray Harbour today

Bullock Harbour was great choice for the next stop with 3 coloured ringed Great Black Backed Gulls, all from Irelands Eye.  1JK is a Great Black Backed I haven’t recorded for several months, 1NL I hadn’t recorded since November but it is special to me, as I have seen it in Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght.  The 3^rd Great Black Backed was 1VV who is usually there.

There were 16 Mediterranean Gulls, and 3 with coloured rings.  The German and Hungarian birds are often there but 2X1A was a first for me.  However, it was ringed as an adult locally in 2015 so it’s hardly surprising I hadn't seen it before. 

I took lots of photos of this Mediterranean in Breeding Plumage but failed to read it's tibia ring! (That's a ring above what looks like the knee)

I did go to Dun Laoghaire and Sandycove.  Plenty of Meds and other gulls, but no rings.  15 rings read – great morning.  

February 2015 - CR Med in Tallaght

February 28th

I went this morning to Broadmeadows in North Dublin to read some Mute Swan Rings - nothing startling and on to Howth.  I though I would dip at Howth but spotted an Adult Great Black Backed with a Darvic from Irelands Eye (A local Island Colony).

Great Black Backed Gull 2EJ

Landed - Great Black Backed Gull 2EJ

February 26th

Still waiting for the gathering.  Still only the English 27H0 and Swedish 6430814 present in Sean Walsh Park, but the weather today had improved!

February 19th

Bullock Harbour on a quick trip produced 4 coloured ringed birds.  Two Great Black Backed Gulls, both ringed on Irelands Eye.  1VV was ringed in 2013 and 2LH was ringed in 2009.  Both are regulars at Bullock Harbour.  The two Mediterranean Gulls were the Juvenile Hungarian and the German AKAJ again both regulars at this location.

Great Black Backed Gull. 2009

February 16th

In Sean Walsh Park, the first Adult Lesser Black Backed Gull turned up. The only ringed Black Headed Gull was the usual Swedish 6430814.

Lesser Black Backed Gull in Tallaght, Dublin

February 15th

Bray Harbour with my young boys, means my focus is slightly different.  But as there were no Coloured rings to try and photograph, they fed the Swans and I photographed their rings - 7 mute swans had rings.  But Bray Harbour  it is a great place to Gull watch and indeed bird watch and I picked out this rarer gull, a Ring Billed Gull from America.

February 14th

Howth again was disappointing with only one ring, so I stopped and read some Brent Geese on a rugby pitch in Sutton.

The highlight of the day was ringing 7 Mute Swans with the Midlands Ringing Group.  Following the oil spill on February 6th, they were all in a rescue center and due for release next week.  Thirteen Mute Swans in all were ringed.  As some one who records mute swans in Sean Walsh Park there were two noticible absentees.  W26144 and "Two toes" ( a mute Swan with damaged webbing) who were normally in the Park, weren't among the ones there, neither are they in the Park.  I will have to track them down!!

Shed full of Swans all with new BTO rings.

February 12th

Still no rings sighted in Sean Walsh Park.  This is the longest period with nothing showing!  Oh well, I just watch nature unfurl.

Heron in Sean Walsh Park

February 8th

Birds can turn up anywhere and this morning at Tallaght Community School I spotted a white Darvic in the distance.  It was on a Mediterranean Gull!  35L6!  A new one for me, but seen on Booterstown Strand by Sean a few times.  I look forward to the report.

February 7th

Howth:  Last Saturday I recorded no rings at Howth, today was a slight improvement with 3.  One Great Black Backed and 2 Herring Gulls all with local Blue rings

February 6th

Disaster:  There was an oil spill in Sean Walsh Park.  It must have happened last night as the Gulls all escaped as they roost else where, the ducks roost on the Island, but the poor swans!  They were black with oil.  A big thank you to all who helped catch the Swans, they are now in a Rescue Center.

February 3rd

There have been no rings seen in the last few weeks in Sean Walsh Park.  With large sections of the ponds frozen today I scanned a lot of legs! The Black Headed Gull 27H0, who suddenly stopped from being a daily sighting in late December, was spotted standing on the ice.

There have been a few Mediterranean Gulls using the Park but no rings yet.

So I have had to be content with watching the Kingfishers!

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