January 17 Gulls

A few shots from the last few weeks, mostly gulls unsurprisingly given the time of year.

Norwegian ringed Black-headed Gull, Loughrea, 1st January 2017. Ringed in Oslo on 22nd July 2013. Seen several times during each summer near ringing site but not outside of  Norway or during the winter months.

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull, Loughrea, 1st January 2017. Ringed on 29th May 2011. First re-sighting of the bird.

Third-calendar Lesser Black-backed Gull at Waterside, 8th January 2017. Nearly as rare as Ring-billed Gull here during the winter.

Third-calendar Lesser Black-backed Gull at Waterside, 8th January 2017. 

Third-calendar Lesser Black-backed Gull at Nimmo's Pier, 8th January 2017. 

Fourth-winter argentatus Herring Gull, Waterside, 8th January 2017. 

Fourth-winter argentaus Herring Gull, Waterside, 8th January 2017. 

Ring-billed Gull, Waterside, 8th January 2017. Very dull bare part coloration. Not one of the regulars in the city area. One of four individuals recorded so far this winter.

Adult leucistic Black-headed Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 8th January 2017. Long returning bird.

Adult leucistic Black-headed Gull, Nimmo's Pier, 8th January 2017. Long returning bird.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 10th January 2017.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 10th January 2017.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 10th January 2017.

First-winter Iceland Gull, Rossaveel, 10th January 2017.

Little Egret, Sruthán Pier, 10th January 2017.

Nimmo's 23rd Nov 15

I was in Galway today and had a look at Nimmo's Pier for the first time this winter. I saw this first-winter Iceland Gull on the slipway with a fish hook impaled in the inside of the upper mandible with about a foot of fishing line still tied on. The bird was in obvious discomfort and it's likely that it will probably starve to death as a result of not being able to properly feed. It's when you see small stuff like this you realise what an utter virus the human race is to this planet. The bird was still well capable of flying so trying to catch it would prove nigh on impossible. Ringers have tried using clap nets to trap gulls for ringing here before but they've proved useless as the gulls are incredibly wary of anything out of the ordinary even a spot like this where they are habituated to people.
I also had a Norwegian colour ringed Black-headed Gull. It was ringed in Oslo on 10th April 2011. It has visited Nimmo's Pier on several occasions and has also returned to its original ringing site. Details below. One second-winter Ring-billed Gull also but no sign of any of the usual returning adults. The beach and rocks were devoid of any gulls or terns.

Date	Location	Coordinates	Observer	Days/Distance
10.04 2011	Treschows Bro, Oslo, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°56'29"N 010°45'56"E	Mjelde, John Martin	-
06.11 2011	New Rd., Galway City, Galway, Ireland (EIRE)	53°16'00"N 009°05'00"W	O` Donaill, Aonghus	210/1417
28.11 2011	Nimmos Pier, Galway, Ireland (EIRE)	53°16'02"N 009°03'12"W	Davis, Michael	232/1415
11.02 2012	Nimmos Pier, Galway, Ireland (EIRE)	53°16'02"N 009°03'12"W	Cuffe, Tom	307/1415
15.04 2012	Treschows Bro, Oslo, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°56'29"N 010°45'56"E	Lome, Carsten Mjelde, John Martin	371/0
08.06 2012	Middelalderparken, Oslo, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°54'14"N 010°45'42"E	Lome, Carsten	425/4
06.04 2013	Bjørvika, Oslo, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°54'28"N 010°45'02"E	Mjelde, John Martin Molværsmyr, Sindre	727/4
13.04 2013	Treschows Bro, Oslo, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°56'29"N 010°45'56"E	Molværsmyr, Sindre	734/0
21.04 2013	Solvikbukta, Bærum, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°53'33"N 010°33'06"E	Helberg, Morten Lome, Carsten Lorentzen, Nils Helge Mjelde, John Martin	742/13
14.04 2014	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Evenrud, Jon	1100/22
27.04 2014	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Helberg, Morten Nilsson, Anna	1113/22
25.05 2014	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Evenrud, Jon	1141/22
12.06 2014	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Helberg, Morten	1159/22
05.04 2015	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Evenrud, Jon	1456/22
20.04 2015	Tuskjær, Ås, Akershus & Oslo, Norway	59°44'38"N 010°43'26"E	Helberg, Morten	1471/22
23.11 2015	Nimmo's Pier, Galway, Galway, Ireland (EIRE)	53°16'40"N 009°03'17"W	Breen, Dermot	1688/1414

First-winter Iceland Gull with fishing line.

First-winter Iceland Gull with fishing hook and line.

 

First-winter Iceland Gull with fishing hook and line.

First-winter Iceland Gull with fishing hook and line.

 

Second-winter Ring-billed Gull

Norwegian ringed JHP9 adult Black-headed Gull.

First calendar Shag with two adult Cormorants.

 

Random Winter Birds

Hooded Crow chasing Raven, just shows the size difference between the two!



Lesser Redpoll, Loughrea



Norwegian ringed Black-headed Gull, Loughrea. 



Chough, Aughrusbeg



Mallard, Renvyle

Male Pintail with Mallard pair, Murlach.



Male Pintail with male Mallard at Murlach, only the second Pintail I've seen on mainland Connemara,



Whooper Swan family, Murlach.

Young Whooper Swan, Murlach.

 

Redshank, Renvyle

 

Random late winter pics

A few shots from the last fortnight or so. Highlight of today was undoubtably coming across the pair of White-tailed Eagles. Great to see that the female has survived the winter. She hadn't been seen in a few months but no doubt was probably in the area all along. We knew the male - Star was still about thanks to his satellite transmitter but even he was proving difficult to see in the field. We know that Star at least has now been resident here for about a year now with the female present around a similar period.

Female four year old White-tailed Eagle, undisclosed site.

Greenland White-fronted Geese, lower Lough Corrib.

Greenland White-fronted Geese, lower Lough Corrib.

Pair of Shelduck, Kilcaimin.

Male Eurasian Wigeon, Nimmo's Pier.

Male Eurasian Wigeon, Nimmo's Pier.

European Shag, Ballyconneely.

American Coot with Eurasian Teal, Murlach.

Grey Heron, Ballyconneely.

Eurasian Oystercatcher with mussel, Nimmo's Pier.

Eurasian Oystercatcher, Nimmo's Pier.

Dunlin, Nimmo's Pier.

Redshank, Nimm's Pier.

Bar-tailed Godwit, Nimmo's Pier.

Lough Mask colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls, Nimmo's Pier.

German colour-ringed Mediterranean Gull, Ballyconneely.

Ring-billed Gull, Nimmo's Pier.

Ring-billed Gull, Nimmo's Pier.

Winter plumaged Sandwich Tern, Nimmo's Pier, 3rd March 2013.

Winter and summer plumaged Sandwich Terns, Nimmo's Pier, 3rd March 2013.

Sandwich Terns, Nimmo's Pier, 3rd March 2013.