Another Wonderful Day!

Evidence that many of our Lesser Black-backed Gulls are on the move came from Antonio Gutierrez in NW Spain, where yesterday on one beach (Esmelle), were five "Guernsey Gulls"!

I took the opportunity this morning to spend 90 minutes in Chouet landfill recording c 150 colour ringed gulls. There were still 500+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls present, along with two or perhaps three adult Yellow-legged Gulls (one of which was White 1CA9 ringed in May 2011 at Chouet landfill and recorded several times this summer).

Yellow-legged Gull at Chouet (including White 1CA9 above)

There were many opportunities for photographing the cr gulls this morning!

And just to prove that occasionally I photograph my Herring Gulls!

And finally...on Pembroke Beach this morning another French-ringed GBBG (Chausey Islands - Seb Provost - Green L41) and GBBG Yellow 0.PP0 from my own scheme and LBBG juvenile 2AN4 (Sark)

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.