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Sightings of Guernsey colour ringed Gulls can be entered here for an instant life history, or sent to pkv@cwgsy.net for a life history to be returned by e-mail to observers.

Friday, March 26, 2010

The Story of Lesser Black-backed Gull Green X:05

On 19, 24 and 26 March 2010 I saw Lesser Black-backed Gull Green X:05 at Chouet. Amazingly this gull was picked up at Malagueta Beach, Malaga, southern Spain on 09 December 2009 suffering from food poisoning. It was looked after for 16 days by local gull enthusiast Salva Garcia. He was able to ring and release this gull (Green X:05) on Christmas Eve in Malaga Port. He then saw it at the port on 04 and 05 January 2010 - with Hannu Koskinnen.

It is fabulous to see Salva's careful rehabilitation of this gull rewarded by the gull making a complete recovery enabling it to make the 1,450 km migration up to Guernsey. It is unusual for Lesser Black-backed Gulls to stop off on spring migration for several days - and so with this gull already spending a week here, it will be interesting to see if it is in fact a "Guernsey Gull"!

For Salva's intersting blog on Beached Birds in the Malaga region click here

LBBG Green X:05 when found sick at Malagueta Beach, Malaga, Spain 09/12/09 - Salva Garcia

The wonderful sight of Green X:05 at Chouet, Guernsey on 19 March 2010 - PKV

2 comments:

  1. Wayne Turner, Guernsey26 March, 2010 16:35

    Reward indeed! Well done Salva, well done Paul - a real good news story. And proof of the positive difference man's intervention can make to an individual creature!!

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  2. Really, it's wonderfull to see the gull so far! Thank you very much for your job and I hope new sightings of X:05 in Guernsey and why not..., in a nest in the future!

    Very best wishes!

    Salva

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