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.