More Lesser Black-backed Gulls back from Iberia

Another enjoyable session at Chouet landfill on Saturday 20th March saw another four Guernsey cr Lesser Black-backed Gulls return home from wintering abroad. White 9.Z3 had originally been ringed as a nestling in July 1993 in one of the Sark colonies and we added the cr at its natal colony in May 2009. It was then seen in Guernsey nine times over the summer up to 23/08/09 before being seen in September/October at Quarteira, Algarve, Portugal (Michael Davis).

LBBG White 9.Z3 Chouet landfill 20 March 2010 - PKV

Also back was White 0.T0 (ringed as an adult female at Chouet landfill on 06/06/09) and then seen at Matosinhos, Portugal in September (Malcolm Millais) and then Pinto and Colmenar Viejo landfills, Madrid, Spain from 28/11/09 too 13/12/09 (Madrid Gull Team).

White 0.U3 (again ringed at Chouet landfill in June 2009) was seen at San Vicente de la Barquera Marsh, Cantabria, Spain (Javier Gil Vaquero) on 28/11/09 and then Zarautz, Gipuzkoa, Spain on 02 and 23 December 2009 (Rafael Garaita).

Finally White 7S7 (ringed in our garden as an adult male on 08 June 2008) and which had been recorded at Matosinhos, Douro Litoral, Portugal on 29/10/09 was also seen back at Chouet on Saturday.

Gulls at Chouet Beach 20 March 2010 - PKV

LBBG White 2.T9 Chouet landfill - 20 March 2010 - PKV

LBBG White 7S2 Chouet landfill 20 March 2010 - PKV

Although Chouet landfill is closed on Sundays I did see one new LBBG arrival back there on Sunday. This was White 5.T9 (ringed at Chouet Landfill as an adult female on 04/06/09) and seen at Pinto and Colmenar Viejo landfills, Madrid, Spain in December/January (Madrid Gull Team) before beign seen at Guidel Plages, Morbihan, France on 03/02/10 (Benjamin Griard).