Antrim Marina - Sunday 9th February 2025...

Antrim Marina - Sunday 9th February 2025

I arrived at Antrim Marina at 10am this morning and though I did not know it at the time, this was going to be the worst visit of the winter in regards as to the number of birds present.  The cloud cover was 50/50 with the sun peeking out whenever possible.  The temperature gauge in my car read 7ºC, though a fairly strong easterly wind made it feel very nippy.

Black-headed Gull numbers were low with just 30 birds present, and numbers remained more or less static throughout the morning.  On the lookout for 33 colour-rings, by the time of my departure around 2pm, just 11 were read, leaving me with a whopping 22 absentees.

The metal-ring of the Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335  was read before the first of my birds.  From the outset, several people arrived to feed the ducks and swans with bread and pellets with the gulls making sure that they grabbed their fair share.  It got to a stage where lots of uneaten bread was scattered around the jetties and on the slipway, and many full slices floated away towards Lough Neagh with both ducks and swans paying no interest.  Just after 1pm through to my departure, all of the gulls flew off.

Of the 11 colour-rings that were read,  2CTA  was the only bird of real interest.  Although most of the others are year round residents, I still believe that -  2CTA  is a foreign bird that returns each winter to the Marina.  I hope that some day, this bird will be recorded on it's travels, and better still, spotted at a breeding colony.  It is now 6 years, 1 month and 30 days since -  2CTA  was caught and ringed here.

Black-headed Gull  -   2CTA   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (09 Feb 2025)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Winter Bird, on the 10th December 2018, at Antrim Marina)

Little is known about the gulls ringed -  2FJ*  or  2FK* , as these have been caught and ringed more recently, so it will take some time yet to build up profiles regarding their residential status.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 9th February 2025

2FKA	2FFA	2CSK	2FJT	2BRA	2CTA
2FFX	2FJN	2FJA	2CJT	2FJL

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today

2AAB	2AAN	2ABN	2ACV	2AFD	2BRD	2CSR	2FDL
2FFH	2FFT	2FHC	2FHV	2FIF	2FIJ	2FIL	2FIX
2FJF	2FJH	2FJK	2FJP	2FJV	2FJX

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

21 Mute Swans were present on my arrival, these being made up of 19 adults and two third year birds.  On several occasions, all of the swans were on the shore, and the only ring among these was the now regularly recorded -  X4707 .  One other swan was spotted at the breakwater, but it never came in.

The resident pair of Herring Gulls were present until just after 1pm, and their youngster from last summer arrived at 10:37.  All of the gulls flew away after 1pm, but shortly before my 2pm departure, another juvenile Herring Gull arrived.  I quickly realised that it was the same 'brute' of a bird that first appeared last week.  Very comfortable being around people, this youngster is huge.  I then noticed that between the shoulders, adult feathers showing meant this bird was actually a third year bird, and would have hatched in 2023.  It was still the only gull present when I departed.

2 adult Common Gulls were also present on my arrival, and a third adult arrived at 11:18.  Further counts over the morning left me with just the three birds.  I think some of the Common Gulls wintering around Lough Neagh, may now be on the move back towards their breeding sites.  I know from observations made by Ric Else on Rathlin Island, Common Gulls begin to arrive back onto the island in large numbers from February onwards.

A high count of around 30 Mallards was made on my arrival, and a short time later, after having had several feeds of bread from passers-by, numbers decreased to 13 birds.  By the time of my departure just 8 Mallards remained.  Most, if not all legs were checked for rings.

A Great Crested Grebe spent an hour fishing on the river along the length of the Marina and I eventually lost sight of this bird as it slowly moved upriver.

Great Crested Grebe  -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, County Antrim  (09 Feb 2025)

With so much uneaten bread lying around, a pair of Hooded Crows and two pairs of Jackdaws made repeated visits collecting beak fulls which were most likely being hoarded somewhere.  The noisy juvenile Jackdaw also made repeated visits. 

The usual pair of Pied Wagtails enjoyed a feast of bread crumbs.

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