LBBG in a Hurry to Go South!

Evidence is emerging that Lesser Black-backed Gulls tend to complete their northbound spring migrations back to Western European nesting grounds from Iberia and NW Africa both quickly and directly, whereas the reverse migration in autumn is generally more leisurely and often less direct. Of course with every good rule there are exemptions…and LBBG Black 1.X1 which breeds in the Channel Islands and winters in Iberia is such a rule breaker! It has been reported today by Pepe Vidal (along with another Guernsey colour ringed LBBG – Black 3AJ7) from Pantin Beach, Valdovino, A Coruna in NW Spain. I know this gull very well, having observed it frequently in each if the past three summers…with my last sighting at Chouet, Guernsey being only four days ago! This bird has therefore travelled a minimum distance of around 800 km in a maximum of four days (c 200 km per day)…to me this bird has been in some hurry to get south!

 LBBG Black 1.X1 Pantin, Spain 14 August 2012 (c) Pepe Vidal

LBBG Black 1.X1 at Chouet, Guernsey March 2012 

More Yellow-legged Gulls and a Dutch LBBG

Chouet landfill was as wonderful as ever on Saturday morning with an adult and a 3rd cy+ Yellow-legged Gull feeding at the tipping face. There were still good numbers of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls present, but it was noticeable how in the last week there are many many more juvenile Herring and LBBGs at the landfill - although few have colour rings. I spent quite a long time trying to read the full ring of a 2nd calendar year Lesser Black-backed Gull ringed with a metal ring from The Netherlands...but despite seeing the bird several times at close range I could not see the first digit on the ring - very frustrating (but typical of the game of trying to read metal rings in the field!). I was pleased to record a few more of my 2nd calendar year LBBGs from Burhou, that have not been seen at all since being ringed in July 2010.

On Sunday morning I took my first trip down the west coast of the autumn season - hoping to find a cr Black-headed Gull or Mediterranean Gull...but I had no luck (although there were a couple of juvenile Mediterranean Gulls around). It was good to see the flock of LBBGs building on the west coast with around 100 birds present at Vazon and Perelle.

Another Yellow-legged Gull

A short trip to the beaches this morning was rewarded with the sighting of another adult Yellow-legged Gull. Given the regularity of adults at this time of  year we must also have some juvenile birds...but I am really struggling to pick them out from the plentiful juvenile Herring Gulls!

 Adult Yellow-legged Gull Chouet Landfill Beach 10 August 2012 (c) PKV

Golden Gulls

The flock of a thousand gulls were glowing gold in the gorgeous sunrise this morning at Pembroke. Amongst the flock were several juvenile colour ringed Herring Gulls from Guernsey, Lihou, Jethou and Sark, while on Chouet Landfill Beach one of only three Lesser Black-backed Gull chicks (Black 9AN0)  ringed this year on Lihou Island was resting on the beach.

While many of the breeding adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls are still in the Islands, an increasing number are now departing on their autumn migrations. The latest report was of seven Guernsey-colour ringed LBBGs reported by José Tavares feeding on fish discards on the same beach at Torreira, Aveiro, Portugal.  Over the next few weeks many more of the Guernsey birds will be heading south for Iberia and beyond for the winter.

First French cr Great Black-backed Gull Juvenile of the Season

Today's early morning highlight was the first French-ringed juvenile Great Black-backed Gull on Pembroke Beach. This is one of 80 chicks ringed in 2012 on Chausey Islands, Manche, France as part of Sebastien Provost's research project. It was on the beach with another of my own 2012 cr juveniles Yellow 1.HH7 (from Vale, Guernsey).

GBBG Green L73 from Chausey, France (c) PKV

Sunrise at Pembroke

There were more than a thousand gulls on Pembroke Beach soon after sunrise yesterday morning. The vast majority were Herring Gulls, but with a scattering of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls. On this beach and on Chouet Landfill Beach another 100+ gull colour ring readings were taken – with the highlights both being GBBGs – my first 2012 colour-ringed chick of the year – Yellow 1.HH6 from Vale, Guernsey and Green E.71 a well-known visitor ringed as a chick on Chausey Islands, Manche, France in July 2009. This gull has been seen in Guernsey on many occasions in each subsequent year, but was last recorded in January 2012.

Recently I saw Mediterranean Gull White 3E90 (ringed in Belgium) back at its usual autumn roosting site at Bellegreve Bay (the 7^th consecutive autumn that this gull has been see in Guernsey). This year the bird was first reported by Mike Cunningham on 18 July 2012, when he took a very nice photos of the bird (below).

 Mediterranean Gull White 3E90 Grande Havre, Guernsey 18 July 2012 (c) Mike Cunningham

 Sunrise at Pembroke

 Chouet Landfill Beach

 GBBG Yellow 1.HH6 Pembroke