The gulls are getting very busy!

LBBG juvenile Black 4.L1 Chouet - PKV

Suddenly it has got very busy! There has been a marked exodus of many adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls from Guernsey - and now they are beginning to turn up in north-west Spain. Antonio Gutierrez reported two adults from Esmelle Beach and Frouxeira lagoon, A Coruna, Spain today, while Paco Veiga had another on Esmelle. Manuel Enrique Carballal del Valle has also reported two from Maresma de Carregal, Corrubedo, Galicia, Spain, while Juan Cabeza has seen another at Boca do Río , Porto do Son , A Coruña, Spain. Also today Xabi Varela has sent in a report of a LBBG at Baldaio Lagoon, A Coruna, Spain. Finally John Sanders has recorded another adult at the landfill in Gloucester, England.

LBBG White 5.T5 at Esmelle, Spain - Antonio Gutierrez

LBBG White 5.T5 at Quarteira, Algarve, Portugal - October 2009 - Michael Davis

In addition there have been a very nice series of reports of Herrng Gulls, with one e-mail from Frédéric Vaidie giving details of six Guernsey-ringed Herring Gulls at Lingreville, Manche, France, while François Leclerc reported one of our Lesser Black-backed Gulls from Lion-sur-Mer, Calvados, France, followed very soon afterwards by Herring Gull White 1.AV5.

Perhaps the biggest surprise with the Herring Guls was the sighting of White 6.AL9 at Gloucester landfill, England by John Sanders on 11/08/10. This bird was ringed as a chick on Jethou on 22/06/10.

Herring Gull White 6.AX9 - Gloucester Landfill - John Sanders

Meanwhile at Chouet Landfill today there were still 39 cr Lesser Black-backed Gulls, amongst 300+ birds present. One of these birds - Red 9TF - had been ringed as a chick by Brain Bailey at Flat Holm, Wales in July 2005, and has since been recorded wintering in Spain. It was back breeding on Flat Holm this summer.

LBBG Red 9TF - Chouet Landfill - PKV