How are We Doing at Ring Sighting Compared with Last Year?...

           IRISH BRENT GOOSE RESEARCH GROUP RING RESIGHTINGS  2014 / 2015

             DATE :-   05.10.14                                      

THIS REPORT INCLUDES ALL RESIGHTINGS THIS SEASON (AFTER 01 JULY 2014), WHICH HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED THROUGH THIS GROUP, OF LIGHT-BELLIED BRENT GEESE WITH COLOURED RINGS. THE FIGURES IN BRACKETS SHOW THE POSITION AT THE SAME DATE LAST WINTER.

            NUMBER OF (a) RESIGHTINGS :-        662 (639)   (b) INDIVIDUAL BIRDS :-      413 (407)

               

CANADA     DOWN   DUBLIN   GALLOWAY GREENLAND HIGHLAND ICELAND     KERRY L’DERRY MEATH MERSEYSIDE NORWAY SCOTTISH ISLANDS   SLIGO

- AXEL HEIBERG ISLAND - BATHURST ISLAND - CORNWALLIS ISLAND - BELFAST LOUGH - STRANGFORD LOUGH - DUBLIN BAY - MALAHIDE ESTUARY - LOCH RYAN - GREENLAND NORTHWEST - CLASHNESSIE BAY - ALFTANES - ICELAND NORTHWEST - SELTJARNARNES - CASTLEMAINE HARBOUR - LOUGH FOYLE - LAYTOWN BEACH - DEE ESTUARY - SANDSØYA ISLAND - ISLAY - SKYE - SLIGO BAY

31 (-) 2 (-) 2 (-) 1 (-) 567 (578) 10 (2) 1 (1) - (1) - (1) - (1) - (24) - (1) - (2) 3 (1) 33 (27) 1 (-) 1 (-) 1 (-) 1 (-) 6 (-) 2 (-)

22 (-) 2 (-) 2 (-) 1 (-) 348 (362) 9 (2) 1 (1) - (1) - (1) - (1) - (24) - (1) - (2) 3 (1) 23 (27) 1 (-) 1 (-) 1 (-) 1 (-) 6 (-) 2 (-)

Well, as can be seen from this extract from the latest Overall Summary, the position this winter so far is remarkably similar to the same time last year!!
The numbers recorded at North Bull have been bolstered today by a sharp increase in rings read there, thanks to Cian & Rachel Merne, and to Pat Watson. Their ring codes show that, (at the moment only using the data collected at Strangford Lough by myself - Alex Portig and others have been constant-effort ring-reading there too, but have yet to send on their records), half of these birds can be shown to have passed through Strangford Lough on their way to Dublin. Given the difficulty of early ring-reading at the former of the massive numbers there, it is considered likely that the vast majority will actually have done so.
Elsewhere, it appears to be another "Skye year", with Martin Benson recording another couple of marked birds landing there briefly yesterday. Tonight, from Sligo, Martin Enright reports that numbers there appear to be falling, with a count of just 30, with no rings. The brood sizes in that flock, however, of 3, 1 and 1, are more optimistic for the breeding season than could be predicted from the larger total numbers at Strangford Lough.