Lough Beg Bird ReserveRinging Summary
Bird Ringing at Lough Beg, Cork Harbour
The earliest efforts to ring birds at Lough Beg were made in July 1976 and activities have continued since then with more than 2000 birds of 34 species ringed. Ringing effort in some years has been inconsistent and sporadic as it relies on amateur effort which must fit in with work and domestic schedules and is further restricted by both tide and weather conditions. In recent years ringing effort and frequency has increased and, for the purpose of this brief report, ringing data for 2009-2013 are included.
| Lough Beg Ringing Totals | |||||||||||
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | TOTALS | ||||||
| Mute Swan | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Little Egret | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Moorhen | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||
| Oystercatcher | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Knot | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||
| Curlew Sandpiper | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Dunlin | 14 | 3 | 4 | 21 | |||||||
| Ruff | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Snipe | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Black-tailed Godwit | 7 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 22 | ||||||
| Whimbrel | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||
| Curlew | 26 | 30 | 1 | 34 | 91 | ||||||
| Redshank | 93 | 15 | 8 | 71 | 187 | ||||||
| Greenshank | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||
| Snipe | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Black-headed Gull | 9 | 9 | |||||||||
| Sandwich Tern | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
| Common Tern | 12 | 12 | |||||||||
| Kingfisher | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
| Sand Martin | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 9 | ||||||
| Swallow | 190 | 51 | 5 | 219 | 50 | 515 | |||||
| Wren | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||
| Dunnock | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
| Sedge Warbler | 8 | 27 | 35 | ||||||||
| Reed Warbler | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Chiffchaff | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Reed Bunting | 3 | 9 | 12 | ||||||||
| Blackbird | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||
| Song Thrush | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||
| Redwing | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| Annual Totals: | 338 | 122 | 21 | 236 | 243 | 960 | |||||
Activities can be subdivided into four categories:
- Wader (shorebird) ringing at the Lough Beg lagoon high tide roost. Curlew and Redshank are currently the most frequently ringed species although, in past years, numbers of Oystercatcher and Dunlin were much higher. Increased growth of Club Rush on the lagoon shoreline has made the habitat less attractive for these and other species that require bare muddy areas for roosting
- Reed bed ringing in May-September, catching at dawn and dusk when birds are most active. Migrating Sedge warblers are the primary target although many resident species are also ringed. The area’s first record of Reed Warbler was a welcome surprise in August 2012.
- Swallow roost ringing in July-September. Pre-roosting flocks of up to 2000 Swallows are sometimes present in the area before sunset and many will roost in the reed bed at the centre of the Reserve
- Tern ringing on Lough Beg tideline in August-September. There is a large congregation of gulls and terns in the outer Lough Beg estuary at dusk and, at low tide, it is possible to catch some of these. This was first trialled in 2013 with small catches of Sandwich and Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls, among which was a surprising number of birds ringed elsewhere.
Recoveries
There has been a number of interesting recoveries of birds ringed or trapped at Lough Beg and these are listed in the standard format detailing ring number, age code, date and place of ringing on the first line followed by recovery method, date, location, distance and direction travelled on the second line.
The following age codes are used:
Pullus = nestling
3 = first year
3J = first year, still in juvenile plumage
4 = second year or more
5 = second year, i.e. hatched in the previous calendar year.
6 = third year or more
7 = third year, i.e. hatched two calendar years ago
8 = fourth year or more
Sex of a bird, when known, is listed M or F
Eurasian Teal
EH77160 4F 07/08/88 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Dead 17/11/88 Chateauneuf, Vendee, France (715 km, SE, 102 days)
Oystercatcher
FV32603 5 22/07/76 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Dead 22/05/79 Pirnmill, Isle of Arran, Strathclyde, North Ayrshire, GB & NI (468 km, NNE, 2 yrs. 304 days)
FV32623 5 22/07/76 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Dead 27/02/78 Roche’s Point, Cork (14 km, SSE, 1 yr. 220 days)
Curlew Sandpiper
NOO.DA15845 3 04/09/88 Male, Fraena, More og Romsdal, Norway
3 Recaptured 17/09/88 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (1539 km, SW, 13 days)
Dunlin
NB05715 4 11/08/85 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Recaptured 14/05/87 Biggar, Walnay Is., Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, GB & NI (423 km, NE, 1 yr. 276days)
Black-tailed Godwit – Black-tailed Godwits that winter in Ireland are part of the Icelandic population and any birds trapped in Cork are marked with a unique combination of colour rings which enables them to be identified in the field without the need to be re-trapped. This has led to many re-sightings of individuals and highlights aspects of their life history, migration routes and timing and both wintering and breeding areas.
For further information see Project Jadrakan at http://www.uea.ac.uk/~b026515
DK21140 4 29/08/09 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
4 Sighted 03/11/10 Dunkettle, Cork City (10 km., NNW, 1 yr. 66 days)
EK20791 6 03/04/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
4 Sighted 13/04/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (10 days)
DR64380 3F 23/09/09 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Sighted 20/11/11 Slatty’s Bridge, Cork Harbour, (10km, N, 2 yrs. 58 days)
Sighted 22/11/11 Carrigaline, Cork Harbour, (3.5km, SSW, 2 yrs. 60 days)
Sighted 18/04/12 Glounthaune, Cork Harbour, (11km, N, 2 yrs. 207 days)
EJ04330 4 10/09/09 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Sighted 22/08/10 Lady’s Island Lake, Co. Wexford, (139km, E, 333 days)
Sighted 18/09/10 Whitegate, Cork (6km, E, 360days)
Sighted 24/03/11 North Bull Island, Dublin, (226km, NE, 1 yr. 182 days)
EK20754 3 10/09/09 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Sighted 26/04/13 Harper’s Island, Cork Harbour (10km, N, 3 yrs. 228 days)
EJ04329 3 10/09/09 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Sighted 07/04/11 North Bull Island, Dublin, (226km, NE, 1 yr. 209 days)
DK21140 4F 29/08/09 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Sighted 06/09/09 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Sighted 27/04/11 Tjarnhólar, Árnessýsla, Iceland (1531km, NW, 1 yr. 241 days)
Sighted 07/07/10 Swords Estuary, Co. Dublin, Ireland (235km, NE, 312 days)
Sighted 03/11/10 Dunkettle, Cork Harbour, S Ireland (11km, NNW, 1 yr. 66 days) Sighted 19/11/10 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Sighted 02/04/11 Douglas Estuary, Cork Harbour (10km, NNW, 1 yr. 216 days)
DK21180 4M 18/07/10 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Sighted 18/09/10 Whitegate, Co Cork, (6km, E 62 days)
Sighted 07/04/11 North Bull Island, Dublin, (226km, NE 263 days)
Sighted 08/09/13 Whitegate, Co Cork, (6km E 3 yrs. 52 days)
DK21200 4M 02/10/11 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Sighted 18/10/11 Carrigaline, Co. Cork, (3.5km, SSW 16 days)
Sighted 20/11/11 Slatty’s Bridge, Cork Harbour (10km, N, 49 days)
Sighted 25/06/12 Whitegate, Co Cork, (6km E 267days)
Sighted 28/08/12 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (331 days)
Sighted 31/08/12 Whitegate, Co Cork, (6km E 334 days)
Sighted 07/08/13 Whitegate, Co Cork, (6km E 1 yr. 310 days)
Sighted 20/09/13 Whitegate, Co Cork. (6km E 1 yr. 354 days)
EK20788 4F 02/10/11 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Sighted 07/04/12 Harpers Island, Cork harbour (10km, N, 188 days)
Sighted 18/04/12 Glounthaune, Cork Harbour, (11km, N, 199 days)
Bar-tailed Godwit
DS87418 3 17/09/88 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Recaptured 14/03/93 Ilha de Enu, Guinea Bissau (4550 km, S, 4 yrs. 178 days)
Whimbrel – Significant numbers of Whimbrel pass through Cork Harbour on migration but only a small number have been trapped.
EH77150 3 24/07/85 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Dead 14/03/86 Catio, Guinea Bissau (4553 km, S, 233 days)
Curlew – A number of interesting international movements and also a few records indicating a fidelity to Cork Harbour
FA21715 4 17/09/88 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Dead 03/05/94 Ruottala, Alatornio, Lappi, Finland (2425 km, NE, 5 yrs. 28 days)
FA21722 4 17/09/88 , Cork
Dead 02/07/89 Porth, Rhondu, Rhondda, Wales, GB & NI (340 km, E, 288 days)
FR66422 4 11/08/85 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Dying 07/01/92 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (1 km, E, 6 yrs. 149 days)
FS94215 4 24/07/77 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Re-ringed FA21760 4 Recaptured 31/08/91 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (14 yrs. 38 days)
FV32615 4 22/07/76 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Dead 18/04/78 Kilbirnie Hills, Strathclyde, North Ayrshire, GB & NI
(499 km, NNE, 1yr 270 days)
FV32648 4 27/07/77 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Dead 30/10/78 Cork Harbour (lower) (7 km, SSE, 1 yr. 95 days)
FV32663 4 27/07/77 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Dead 16/08/81 Bodidris, Llandegla, Clwyd, Denbighshire, GB & NI (375km, ENE, 4yrs. 20days)
FV91094 4 24/07/85 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
4 Recaptured 19/05/95 Lunedale, Durham, GB & NI (512 km, NE, 9 yrs.’ 299 days)
SFH.CT032359 1 16/06/80 near Sipoo, Uusimaa, Finland
4 Recaptured 24/07/85 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (2275 km, WSW, 5 yrs. 38days)
Redshank – A number of recaptures demonstrating strong site fidelity. At more than 15 years, DK05520 was a long-lived bird that most likely wintered annually in Cork Harbour
DK05505 4 04/09/87 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
6 Recaptured 04/01/91 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (3 yrs.’ 122 days)
DK05520 4 07/08/88 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Dead 15/02/03 Crosshaven, Cork (3 km, SE, 14 yrs.’ 192 days)
DK21137 4 13/08/09 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
4 Recaptured 10/09/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (4 yrs.’ 28 days)
DK21146 4 10/09/09 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
4 Recaptured 10/09/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (4 yrs.’ 0 days)
DK2115 4 08/10/09 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
6 Recaptured 04/04/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (3 yrs.’ 178 days)
DN92905 1 02/06/87 Ley Farm, Innerleithen, Scottish Borders, GB & NI
3 Recaptured 20/07/87 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (551 km, SW, 48 days)
DR86127 4 20/07/87 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
4 Recaptured 14/09/91 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (4 yrs.’ 56 days)
DR86135 4 20/07/87 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
4 Recaptured 17/09/88 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (1 yr. 59 days)
Black-headed Gull
EW54825 1 05/05/11 Baston Fen, Lincolnshire, GB & NI
6 Recaptured 18/09/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (554 km, W, 2 yrs.’ 136 days)
Sandwich Tern – These appear to be the first recaptures of ringed Sandwich Terns in Co. Cork (although there have been some recoveries of dead birds) and suggest that Cork Harbour may be an important staging post for birds migrating from the Wexford colony. Although in its twelfth year, DD14199 is still a long way from the maximum recorded age of a little over 30 years!
DD14199 1 25/06/02 Lady’s Island Lake, Wexford
8 Recaptured 19/08/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (140 km, WSW, 11 yrs.’ 55 days)
DD56211 1 16/06/08 Lady’s Island Lake, Wexford
6 Recaptured 18/09/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (140 km, WSW, 5 yrs.’ 94 days)
DD56407 1 01/06/10 Lady’s Island Lake, Wexford
8 Recaptured 19/08/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (140 km, WSW, 3 yrs.’ 79 days)
Common Tern – Nestling Common Terns have been ringed annually at the various Cork Harbour sub-colonies since 1983 and only in 2013 has it been possible to trap adult birds. Many of the birds listed here are “local” birds which have survived to breeding age. The maximum age recorded for Common Tern is 33 years and some of these birds will hopefully reappear in future reports. Both ST02091 (Dublin) and 4564978 (Stockholm) were possibly passage birds on migration stopover and indicate the origins of some of the birds using Lough Beg.
SR10510 1 04/07/06 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
4F Recaptured 27/06/13 Ringaskiddy, Cork (2 km, N, 6 yrs.’ 358 days)
SR10522 1 04/07/06 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
4 Recaptured 27/06/13 Ringaskiddy, Cork (2 km, N, 6 yrs.’ 358 days)
SR10567 1 08/07/11 Belvelly, Cork Harbour
6 Recaptured 19/08/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (7 km, S, 2 yrs.’ 42 days)
SR10778 4 26/07/12 Ringaskiddy, Cork
7 Recaptured 19/08/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (2 km, S, 1 yr. 24 days)
SR10784 1 27/06/13 Ringaskiddy, Cork
3 Recaptured 19/08/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (2 km, S, 53 days)
SR10791 1 27/06/13 Ringaskiddy, Cork
3 Recaptured 19/08/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (2 km, S, 53 days)
SR10794 1 27/06/13 Ringaskiddy, Cork
3 Recaptured 19/08/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (2 km, S, 53 days)
SR10903 1 08/07/13 Belvelly, Cork Harbour
3 Recaptured 19/08/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (7 km, S, 42 days)
ST02091 1 05/08/10 Dublin Port
8 Recaptured 19/08/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (222 km, SW, 3 yrs.’ 14 days)
SV64130 1 03/08/03 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
4 Recaptured 10/07/12 Ringaskiddy, Cork (2 km, N, 8 yrs.’ 342 days)
SVS.4564978 1 04/06/11 Glanas, Takern, Ostergotland, Sweden
5 Recaptured 19/08/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (1639 km, WSW, 2 yrs.’ 76 days)
SX85956 3 08/07/00 Belvelly, Cork Harbour
8 Recaptured 19/08/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork (7 km, S, 13 yrs.’ 42 days)
Sedge Warbler – Many Irish Sedge Warblers stop on the south coast of England on their autumn migration and this first recapture from the total of 35 ringed at Lough Beg is a welcome surprise
L739386 3 10/09/13 Lough Beg, Ringaskiddy, Cork
Recaptured 21/09/13 South Milton Ley, Devon. (358km, ESE, 11 days)
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Joe Foley, Stephen Mohally and Danny Hayes for advice and assistance with water level adjustments which provide roosting areas for the birds (and without which access for ringing activities would be impossible) and also for provision and maintenance of lighting at the bird hide.