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Sunday, February 21, 2010

One More Lesser Black-backed Gull Home

With Chouet Landfill closed on Sundays, it is much harder to find good numbers of gulls. The best gathering early today was on Chouet Beach where 400+ gulls were bathing and resting. This flock included 82 Lesser Black-backed Gulls - but only one was colour ringed. This was White 8.Z3 - an adult male ringed on 20 May 2009 on one of the Sark colonies. I recorded it seven times over the summer at Chouet and adjacent L'Ancresse Common - up to 14 August 2009. It then disappeared for unknown wintering grounds.


Gulls on Chouet Beach 21 February 2010 - PKV

There were also several hundred Herring Gulls, and a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls, on Pembroke Bay, where the light was very beautiful before the first of the morning's heavy showers.


Herring Gulls on Pembroke Bay shortly after dawn - 21 February 2010 - PKV

Amongst the 20 colour ringed Herring Gulls observed this morning was White 0P0. This gull was ringed by Jamie Hooper as a chick at Pleinmont Cliffs, Guernsey in June 2005. It is an unusual Herring Gull because it migrated as far as NW Spain in its early years - being seen at Ares Beach, A Coruna on 18/01/07 (Antonio Gutierrez). Until today, I had only seen this gull in Guernsey over the period 14/03/09 - 18/04/09. 

Herring Gull White 0P0 Chouet Landfill Beach - 21 February 2010 - PKV



Herring Gull White 0P0 at Ares Beach, A Coruna, Spain 18 January 2007 - Antonio Gutierrez
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4 comments:

  1. Antonio Gutierrez Pita21 February, 2010 17:31

    Great News about WHITE 0P0. It´s a handsome adult now....
    I´m very happy.... Thanks a lot Paul.
    All the best

    ReplyDelete
  2. Guernsey Gulls21 February, 2010 17:49

    Hi Antonio

    I was very happy too to see this gull again. I had wondered where it went after the spring of 2009. I am slowly learning that Herring Gull movements in Guernsey are much more complex than I originally thought...with birds taking quite different strategies. I would really like to find the nesting site of 0P0...but I don't even know where to start looking...it could well be outside the Channel Islands! Hopefully we'll see as the spring and summer unfolds. Today I saw my first male Herring Gull beginning to start courting...so summer is on the way!!

    Best Wishes

    Paul

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous22 February, 2010 14:54

    Hi Paul,

    White 0P0 was observed in Avilés estuary (43.35N 05.55W) on 19.03.08. I´m pleased this gull is very well.

    Best wishes
    César Álvarez

    ReplyDelete
  4. Guernsey Gulls22 February, 2010 19:54

    Hi César

    Very many thanks for this further news of Herring Gull White 0P0. It is much appreciated. I have updated the blog...and my records.

    Best Wishes

    Paul

    ReplyDelete

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