Lots of Gulls at Chouet

A really fabulous couple of hours after dawn at Pembroke and Chouet Landfill were very well rewarded with more than 200 colour ring reads. One of the Sark-ringed LBBG chicks was on Pembroke (the first of the year), while Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present in large numbers (c 700) at Chouet landfill. This total included an astounding number of unringed birds, surely indicating that there were a fair few migrants amongst them (but no foreign colour rings). There were also two Yellow-legged Gulls in the Landfill - one adult and one 3rd calendar year bird.

Gulls At Home and on the Move!

This is always such an exciting time of year. After all the ringing work over the spring and summer, it is now time to enjoy watching the gulls again. Chouet landfill this morning was outstanding...such close encounters with thousands of birds. In particular I am enjoying the Lesser Black-backed Gulls before they migrate away again for the autumn./winter. Some of the birds have already left. In recent days I've had reports of ten of our colour ringed LBBGs on the beaches of NW Spain!

23 Year Old LBBG and another Yellow-legged Gull

The twin highlights of a quick visit to Pembroke and Chouet Landfill Beaches this morning were a Lesser Black-backed Gull in its 24th year (ringed by me as a chick on Burhou in July 1989) and an adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Guernsey LBBGs Reach Iberia Already!

I've just received an e-mail from Antonio Gutierrez with news that the first two adult LBBGs known to be in Guernsey this summer have reached the beaches of NW Spain! Black 5AL0 and Black 0AK2 (both ringed at Chouet landfill in May 2012) were on Esmelle Beach, A Coruna (in fact they are probably still on the beach as I type this entry!).

LBBG Black 5AL0 Chouet Landfill Beach 09 June 2012 - PKV