Guernsey's breeding Lesser Black-backed Gulls still arriving

Although the vast majority of Lesser Black-backed Gulls breeding in and around Guernsey are now back for the summer, a few birds are still arriving. One new arrival was noted today. 17 local LBBG rings were read today. One Belgian 2nd summer LBBG was seen, but it was too distant to read the digits on the metal ring.

LBBG White 2.U6 Chouet Landfill Beach - PKV

LBBG White 8.T5 Chouet Beach - PKV

LBBG metal Jersey E 7785 ringed as a chick on Sark in July 1999 (Jamie Hooper) - PKV

GBBG Blue 30C (Gilles Le Guillou - Seine-Maritime, France) - a well known bird in Guernsey - recorded 46 times since 18/09/08 - PKV

Gulls get down to business as the summer weather continues!

Signs of the advancing summer this morning (apart from the fabulous unbroken sunshine and warm temperatures) were an increase in mating amongst all three of the large gulls nesting in Guernsey, and a noticeable further drop off in the number of adult gulls loafing at Chouet landfill and its associated beaches. Clearly many of the mature gulls are now focussing on their 2010 breeding attempt.

GBBGs mating at Chouet landfill Beach - PKV

Only 16 ringed LBBGs were recorded (none new for the spring). Interstingly a couple of them may have left and just returned as they had not been recorded for over a month, despite my daily checks.

LBBG White 1.U1 CLB - PKV

LBBG White 3.T4 - CLB - PKV

LBBG E 5954 (originally ringed as a chick on Sark in July 1994) Chouet Beach - PKV

Last night Sophie, Catherine and I went to Pulias Headland on the north-west of Guernsey to watch the sunset - as it is meant to be redder than usual as a result of all the ash in the atmosphere. We were not convinced...but it was nevertheles a lovely sunset.

Sunset at Pulias Headland, Guernsey - 18 April 10 - PKV

Sunset at Pulias - 18 April 10 - PKV

Gorgeous weather...but a modest weekend for my gull projects

The weather today really hotted up...with clear (aircraft condensation trail-less skies) and warm sunshine. No new Lesser Black-backed Gulls were recorded. However another 11 gulls were ringed - 10 Herring Gulls and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull - White 6.U4 (which had originally been metal-ringed as a chick on Burhou, Alderney by Jamie Hooper et al in July 2003).

LBBG White 6.U4 Ty Coed - PKV

LBBG White 6.U4 on its way - who will see this bird next?! - PKV

LBBG White 0.T6 Chouet landfill - PKV

LBBG White 1.T0 Chouet landfill - PKV

LBBG White 7.T5 Chouet landfill - PKV

Displaying LBBGs Chouet landfill - PKV

GBBG Green E.71 Chouet landfill (ringed 01/07/09 Chausey Islands, France - Seb Provost- 1st seen in Guernsey on 17/09/09)

Carried away with my camera at Chouet

I do not particularly enjoy bird photography. It is, however, a very useful tool with my gull colour ringing studies. Just occasionally conditions are such that I manage to get even closer than usual to the feeding gulls at Chouet. This morning was a good example...and although I maintained my focus on recording rings I did get a bit carried away with the camera.

Another Lesser Black-backed Gull back from wintering in southern Spain was the highlight this morning.

Chouet Landfill - PKV

Lesser Black-backed Gull (not hard to see why this is my favourite larid!) - PKV

Feeding Gulls - PKV

LBBG E5537 ringed as a chick by me on Sark on 30/06/1993 - PKV

LBBG E 5537 (I usually put the rings on the right way up!) - PKV

LBBG E 5537 - a very handsome gull! - PKV

LBBG 1.T2 Chouet landfill - PKV

LBBG 1.T2 when ringed in May 09 - Catherine Veron

LBBG White 1.T9 - PKV

LBBG White 3.T7 - PKV

LBBG White 5.Z3 - PKV

LBBG White 1.Z1 - PKV

The gull migration continues

Despite the stiff, cold north-easterlies Lesser Black-backed Gulls are contiunig to arrive in Guernsey. Three colour ringed birds were recorded today for the first time this spring, including two birds which had been seen in Portugal over the autumn/winter.

LBBG Black 0.A1 Chouet landfill - PKV

LBBG White 6.T1 Chouet Landfill - PKV

LBBG White 6.T1 Pantin, A Coruna, Spain - 24/08/09 - Antonio Gutierrez

LBBG White 6.T3 Chouet landfill - PKV

LBBG White 5.Z3 Chouet Landfill PKV

LBBG Blue ACE Chouet landfill - PKV

Lihou Island's seabirds settling down to breed

At lunch time today Catherine and I walked across to Lihou island to check up on the nesting seabirds. Once again all work was done from the public paths...and so was distant from most birds. Of note the Great Cormorants and European Shags nesting on Lihoumel look to be well bolted down on their nests...which is very encouraging given news from Jersey last weekend that the colony of Cormorants on Les Minquiers reef (south of Jersey) looked to have failed at their first (early ) attempt. Ian Buxton speculates that this was because of storm wash in March.

Also on Lihou the early Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls appear to be sitting on nests, while others are clearly holding territories. The Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also loafing in the breeding areas...and there was no sign of the Snowy Owl...let us hope it stays that way for the summer!

Catherine checking gulls on Lihou 14 April 10 - PKV

Violets on Lihou -Catherine Veron

Herring Gull 4H4 on Lihou (ringed as a chick on Lihou June 2001 - Jamie Hooper) - PKV

Meanwhile a very good early morning session at Chouet Landfill and Chouet Landfill Beach resulted in 33 colour ringed LBBGs being recorded. This included two more new birds (one of which - White 8.T5) had been recorded in Asturias, Spain in September 2009 (Adolfo Villaverde).

LBBG White 8.T5 Chouet landfill - PKV

LBBG White 0.V4 Chouet landfill - PKV

White 3.T3 Chouet Landfill - PKV

LBBG White 6S7 Chouet landfill - PKV

LBBG White 2.U0 Chouet landfill Beach (CLB) - PKV

LBBG White 1.T9 CLB - PKV

LBBG White 7.T4 CLB - PKV

Herring Gull 5.XX8 CLB - PKV

Herring Gull 5.XX8 as a chick on Herm 01 July 2009 - PKV