January 2013 - My first Brent geese + a Godwit

January 2013

My first Brent Goose ring report, and why!

January Started with a constant look out for yellow 217G, the Lough Mask Darvic, that had turned up after Christmas.  Only one metal ring in all of Tymon Park on a Black Headed Gull EW53681, but I had read and reported the ring previously.  Although I always report, all I would get back is an identical report as the first time.

Black Headed Gull, Lough Mask Ring EW53681

Sean Walsh Park is always more successful, with EV5A being seen on maybe 50% of the trips around lake 3.  I try to do all 5 lakes each week

Black Headed Gull E5VA, January 2013

There were thousands of Gulls everywhere around but no coloured rings.  On January 4th, I was on the coast and stopped in Bullock Harbour.  There wasn't much around.  I photograped a Herring Gull GC96386, it turned out to be another Ireland Eye bird ringed by Chris Honan.  The ring was the right way up!

Herring Gull GC96386 1CY

Godwit with coloured rings
Click on the photo to enlarge it!

On a club trip (South Dublin Branch of Birdwatch Ireland) I photographed a Godwit with Coloured Rings, which turned out to be the same one I saw in December.  It was accidental!  I had been playing the Godwit Game with my boys - Photographs of flocks of Roosting Godwits and you have to find the coloured rings!  (google it!)  So I was photographing the flocks to keep my 5 & 6 year old boys occupied. I didn't realise I had got one shot with coloured rings.!



There was still so little around. I tried different parks occassionally without any luck. The Swedish Gull 6430814 which had gone 'missing' from the park came back. The Swedish give a full life history report the same as you expect from a Darvic ring report.  Extract below to show what it looks like.

Stockholm

Sex/status:

Age: Nestling

Date: 2010-06-06

Place: SWEDEN, SKÅNE, ARRIE, KRUSEBERG

Coordinates: 55º 31´N 13º 07´E

Date: 2013-01-14 Time passed: 2 years 223 days

Place: IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK

Coordinates: 53º 17´N 06º 22´W [1281 km / 267° W]

Finding details: "Haven´t seen this individual since 21.11.2012! Location checked twice weekly."

Species: Black-headed Gull

Age:

Also observed: 2013-01-17, 2013-01-30, 2013-02-25, 2013-03-11

————————————————————————————————————————————————

Ring: 6430814 2013-03-21
Ref.
2012-01-17 53º 17´N 06º 22´W IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK [1281 km / 267°] [2012 / 0674 .01]
Controlled - ring-number read in the field.
2012-01-30 53º 17´N 06º 22´W IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK [1281 km / 267°] [2012 / 0674 .02]
Controlled - ring-number read in the field.
2012-02-02 53º 17´N 06º 22´W IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK [1281 km / 267°] [2012 / 0674 .03]
Controlled - ring-number read in the field.
2012-02-14 53º 17´N 06º 22´W IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK [1281 km / 267°] [2012 / 0674 .04]
Controlled - ring-number read in the field.
2012-02-17 53º 17´N 06º 22´W IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK [1281 km / 267°] [2012 / 0674 .05]
Controlled - ring-number read in the field.
2012-11-14 53º 17´N 06º 22´W IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK [1281 km / 267°] [2012 / 2387 .01]
" ... this is the second gull to return this winter ... (A Dutch Black headed gull, E5VA left in march and
came back in October.)"
2012-11-15 53º 17´N 06º 22´W IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK [1281 km / 267°] [2012 / 2387 .02]
Controlled - ring-number read in the field.
2012-11-20 53º 17´N 06º 22´W IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK [1281 km / 267°] [2012 / 2387 .03]
Controlled - ring-number read in the field.
* 2013-01-14 53º 17´N 06º 22´W IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK [1281 km / 267°] [2013 / 0172 .01]
"Haven´t seen this individual since 21.11.2012! Location checked twice weekly."
* 2013-01-17 53º 17´N 06º 22´W IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK [1281 km / 267°] [2013 / 0172 .02]
Controlled - ring-number read in the field.
* 2013-01-30 53º 17´N 06º 22´W IRELAND, DUBLIN, TALLAGHT, SEAN WALSH PARK [1281 km / 267°] [2013 / 0172 .03]
Controlled - ring-number read in the field.

However, since 6430814 was ringed in 2010, I have been the only person to read and report it!

Brent Goose BBBB

On the 20th of January while out scanning Godwits I noticed the Brent were carrying coloured rings. Although I read some of them, I made an error on day one by not recording which ring was which leg!  I read up on how to record the rings and went back the following week end but made only one successful reading. (long grass and the Brent have short legs).  It was a start, the feed back from the co-ordinator of the project was positive, and there was little else around.  I would try again

Gulls in Tymon Park

By watching geese I wasn't neglecting scanning flocks of gulls.  This photograph was taked in Tymon Park on the 26th of January.  460 Black Headed Gulls in the park and only 1 I noted had a metal ring.  I also failed to read it.

Ring reading is frustrating, especially when there are none to read!