Lesser Black-backed Gull White 3.Z5 back (again!) from England

LBBG White 3.Z5 back at Chouet Landfill - 09 August 2010 - PKV

The highlight of an early morning session at Chouet Landfill was the return of LBBG White 3.Z5. Since arriving at Chouet on 22 March 2010 (from its unknown wintering grounds) , this gull has made two return trips to the landfills around Gloucester, England (John Sanders). It was originally ringed in our garden here on Guernsey in May 2009.

Great Black-backed Gulls growing up

I particularly enjoy at this time of year looking for "my" colour ringed juvenile gulls on the beaches around Guernsey. In the past 10 days or so half a dozen of the 55 juvenile cr Great Black-backed Gulls have appeared, and it is interesting to look back at how they have grown since ringing. Already they are becoming the "bosses" on the beach...rushing to anything that looks like food, and driving the other smaller gulls away. Some of these birds are likley to remain on Guernsey into the winter, while others will no doubt wander around the western approaches to the English Channel before returning when a little older (that's the theory anyway!).

GBBG Yellow 0.AA0 Jethou - 09 June 10 - PKV

GBBG Yellow 0.AA0 Chouet - 07 August 10 - PKV

GBBG Yellow 0.HH3 Jethou 22 June 10 - PKV

GBBG Yellow 0.HH3 Chouet 07/08/10 - PKV

GBBG Yellow 0.JJ7 Herm 29/06/10 - PKV

GBBG Yellow 0.JJ7 Pembroke - 05/08/10 - PKV

1st Summer Norwegian Great Black-backed Gull at Chouet

Great Black-backed Gull Black J1063 - Chouet - PKV

The highlight of another superb early morning session at Chouet today was the sighting of Great Black-backed Gull Black J1063 - a 1st summer bird , which had been ringed as a chick at Bergestholmen, Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway on 23/06/09 (Finn Jorgensen).

Two of the regular French-ringed Great Black-backed Gulls were also on view (Blue 47D and Green E.71), along with three of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls ringed by the Severn Estuary Gull Group at the landfills around Gloucester, England. It is believed that all three of these birds (Blue ACE, Blue CHN and White 1DH) have bred in the Channel Islands this year.

Another excellent sighting was Lesser Black-backed Gull Black 4.L7, which had been ringed as a chick on Sark in July 2010.

More of the same plus a Yellow-legged Gull

LBBG Black 4.K5 - juvenile ringed on Sark - Chouet - PKV

LBBG Black 4.J1 - juvenile ringed on Sark - Pembroke - PKV

More of the same is how it feels at the moment - but no less exciting for it. Today at Chouet and Pembroke 31 colour ringed Lesser Black-backed Gulls, which included three juveniles from Sark on Pembroke Beach. Four cr juvenile Herring Gulls were seen amongst more than 150 juveniles.

For the past week or so there have often been two Yellow-legged Gulls at Chouet. One of these is a full adult, while the other is almost in adult plumage. Only the former bird was seen this morning.

Adult Yellow-legged Gull Chouet - PKV

Juvenile gulls from Sark and Alderney, and a 1st summer GBBG from France

LBBG Black 4.K5 Pembroke - PKV

Today at Pembroke another juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull from Sark appeared on the beach, along with a juvenile Herring Gull from Burhou, Alderney - giving further evidence of the dispersal of some of the young Bailiwick of Guernsey gulls which is now taking place.

At Chouet Landfill Beach Great Black-backed Gull Black 61E re-appeared, having last been seen in Guernsey in October 2009. This bird had been ringed as a chick at Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France  in June 2009 (Gilles Le Guillou).

GBBG Black 61E 05/08/10 Chouet - PKV

GBBG Black 61E Vazon Bay, Guernsey 17/10/09 - PKV

Young gulls increase on Guernsey's beaches

GBBG juvenile Yellow 0.JJ7 - Pembroke Beach - PKV

It is wonderful to go out each morning before work and to see the juvenile gulls increasing on Guernsey's north coast beaches.  It is a little disappointing how few of the Herring Gulls are colour ringed. Next summer I will have to work a lot harder! However...amongst the gulls I can usually find one or two of "my" young gulls. In the past few weeks I've seen 13 of the 114 Herring Gull chicks colour ringed this season, and within the last couple of days the first half a dozen of the 55 cr Great Black-backed Gull juveniles have started to appear.

Juvenile LBBG Black 4.F1 Chouet landfill Beach - PKV

Lesser Black-backed Gull juveniles are also now fairly numerous, but it is hard to find my colour ringed birds. I suspect many from the colonies on Sark and Alderney don't visit Guernsey at all.

A couple of days ago (on 01/08/10) on Pembroke Beach, Guersney I saw Herring Gull White 4.XX5. We ringed this bird at Chouet Landfill in June 2009, but I last saw it at Le Petit Hameau on the eastern side of the Cherbourg Peninsula, France when Catherine and I were on holiday in October 2009. It was very nice to see this gull back in Guernsey!

Herring Gull White 4.XX5 at Le Petit Hameau, France - October 2009 - PKV

First autumn sightings in Iberia of Lesser Black-backed Gulls breeding in Guernsey in 2010

Exciting news today came from Manuel Figueiras who reported two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls from Lariño, Carnota, A Coruña, NW Spain. Black 1.R0 had been ringed in May 2010 in our garden at Ty Coed, Guernsey, and had then been seen at its breeding colony in Sark in June, Black 2.F8 was ringed at Chouet landfill on 27 May 2010, and then seen on L'Ancresse Common, Guernsey on 15 July 2010.

Black 1.R0 on 03/06/10 at Chouet landfill Beach - PKV

Chouet Landfill Beach was surprisingly full of gulls this morning (given that the landfill is closed on Sundays).

Chouet landfill Beach - PKV

On L'Ancresse Common a small flock of Lesser Black-backed Gulls included Blue JLL, which had been ringed in May 2010 (as a 2nd summer) at Gloucester Landfill, England by the Severn Estuary Gull Group.

Another good session at Chouet

A couple of hours at Chouet landfill this morning was very rewarding with 240 cr reads - all local birds except two French-ringed Great Black-backed Gulls, which are well known at the site (Green E.71 and Blue 47D). A couple of new juvenile Herring Gulls included birds ringed on Breniere, Sark (7.AC4) and Lihou, Guernsey (6.AV9).

Herring Gulls on the move

Herring Gull White 2.AF7 Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, England - 28/07/10 - Len Ingram

It is quite noticeable now that Herring Gulls from Guernsey are becoming more mobile - with almost 10 reports in the past week or so from Jersey, Channel Islands, and in the last few days four more distant sightings. Len Ingram took the above very nice photo of White 2.AF7 at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, England, while there have also been reports of gulls ringed in May 2010 in Guernsey from Heauville, Manche, France (Eric Robbe), Barfleur Port, Manche, France (Samuel Crestey) and  Omaha Beach, Vierville-sur-Mer, Calvados, France.

More ring reads at Chouet Landfill

Chouet Landfill - 29 July 10 - PKV

Viewing conditions at Chouet landfill were again excellent this morning, and an hour before work was very productive. Herring Gulls dominated on the tipping face, while the Lesser Black-backed Gulls nipped in quickly for thier feeds and then settled on quiet areas on the landfill (as it was near high tide). 128 ring reads were taken - including two partial reads of British metal-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gulls (both birds can be narrowed to within 100 birds).

Black 2.C3 showed characteristics in the hand when ringed of being a hybrid Lesser Black-backed x Herring Gull - so it will be interesting to see how its plumage develops over time! - PKV

LBBG Black 4.C1 ringed on nesting grounds on Burhou on 13 June 10 - PKV

Another fine morning at Chouet

LBBG White 7.T2 - Chouet Landfill - PKV

A couple of hours before work at Chouet Landfill yesterday once again proved most productive with another 140 gull colour ring reads.  Just over 100 of these were Herring Gulls, with 33 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and the rest Great Black-backed Gulls. Apart from one of the English-ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull (Blue CHN), which nests in Guernsey and one Jersey-ringed Herring Gull (Green BTJ) all the birds were of local origin. There were a few more juvenile gulls on Chouet Landfill Beach in particular, but no new colour-ringed birds of the year were recorded today.