B6WR (born pre 2013) was originally ringed in Seltjarnarnes/Golfvöllur in southwest Iceland on the 18th of May 2014 (the same as 2TWR in last post) and has been recorded 13 times since. This is the third consecutive winter the bird has been sighted at Lough Foyle and it returned to its ringing site in May 2015.
B6WR/ C3WR |
C3WR (born pre 2013) was originally ringed in Seltjarnarnes/Golfvöllur in southwest Iceland on the 18th of May 2014 (associated with B6WR above) and has been recorded 16 times since. Its re-sightings are almost identical to B6WR above.
3XBB (born pre 2011 - male) was ringed at St. Benildus College, Sandyford, Dublin on the 07th of February 2012 and has been recorded 16 times since. The bird was recorded at Myroe two winters ago and has been sighted multiple times in SW Iceland during May in 2012 & 2016.
3XBB |
AZWB (born 2007) was ringed at Enniscrone, Co. Sligo on the 14th of February 2008 and has been recorded 20 times since, 12 of those from around Lough Foyle and returned to Sligo over three winters.
AZWB |
NVBY (born pre 2014) was originally ringed at Alftanes, South-west Iceland on the 12th of May 2015 and has been re-sighted seven times. It was recorded back in SW Iceland the following May and five of it's records are from Lough Foyle.
NVBY |
2DBB (born 2011) was ringed at St. Benildus College, Sandyford, Dublin on the 07th of February 2012, caught with 3XBB above. It has been sighted more often with 44 records, 30 of those in Dublin Bay.
2DBB |
XUBY (born 2007) was originally ringed at Axel Heiberg Island, Canada on the 02nd of August 2007 and has been re-sighted a massive 120 times! The vast majority of the sightings come from Strangford Lough, Dublin Bay and few sites in between. It has been recorded in Iceland over 8 years and this is the first sighting for Lough Foyle.
XUBY |
XLRY (born pre 2005) was ringed at Alftanes, South-west Iceland on the 15th of May 2005 and has been recorded 64 times since ringing. It's records are split between SW Iceland and Lough Foyle with only two others from Tramore, County Cork in 2009 and 2012.
XLRY |
SKWR (born pre 2008 - female) was ringed around Alftanes, South-west Iceland on the 10th of May 2010 and has been recorded 55 times. It has been recorded at Lough Foyle 15 times, four times in Iceland over three winters with the remaining records in Strangford Lough.
SKWR |
6KRR (born pre 2012) was ringed at Baldoyle, County Dublin on the 8th of March 2013 and has been recorded 67 times. This bird is a Dub at heart recorded 58 times in the broad area with a further nine records from Strangford Lough.
6KRR |
4IWW (born pre 2007 - male) was ringed at Enniscrone, Co. Sligo on the 14th of February 2008, on the same day as AZWB above and has been recorded 28 times since. It spent the first couple of winters after ringing around Killala Bay in Co. Sligo but has since been recorded more commonly between Lough Foyle and Strangford Lough since with two records in western Iceland.
4IWW |
H2BY (born pre 2015) was ringed in the Alftanes area of South-west Iceland on the 19th of May 2015 and has been recorded five times since, all from Lough Foyle last winter.
H2BY |
It is clear to see from these select records that the Irish Brent Project continues to be very successful and has taken a tremendous effort by the team, particularly the recorders around Dublin, Strangford Lough and in Iceland who dedicate a lot of time for the species.
On our own ringing front it has again been a quite one. John and I did make an attempt to catch some Twite at a site along Lough Foyle where I have observed a flock of 35-40 in the last few months. It is an interesting spot as it appears to be the midden head for the owner of an aviary so a continuous pile of mixed seed, millet, sawdust and droppings. Whatever it actually is it can attract 100's of birds with flocks of Linnet, Twite, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Tree Sparrows and few other species.
The morning we attempted a catch the Twite failed to show up and the breeze did the nets no favours and we ended up 6/7 Linnets, 2 Robins and a Chaffinch. We hope to give it another shot before the Portstewart Strand season kicks off once more, perhaps we'll dust of the whoosh net!