Weekend trip to Alderney

For Catherine's birthday we flew up to Alderney for the weekend...to enjoy some of the peace and tranquility of this most northern of the Channel Islands. On our walks we visited the Giffoine to overlook Les Etacs gannetry and Burhou (the largest colony of Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the CIs) - at 750-1,000 pairs).

Les Etacs Gannetry, Alderney - 06 March 2010 - PKV

Gannets through the telescope - 06 March 10 - PKV

Burhou, Alderney - 08 March 10 - PKV

It was really good to see 700+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls back on Burhou. However...all could only be viewed at a huge distance by telescope. The only LBBG recorded with a colour ring was White 0.V9 - seen on Crabby Bay, Alderney on 06 March 2010. This gull was ringed as a nesting adult on Burhou on 13 June 2009.

LBBG White 0.V9 Burhou 13 June 2009 - PKV

Crabby Bay, Alderney - 08 March 10 - PKV

Six Mediterranean Gulls were recorded at Crabby Bay - but none was ringed. Four Guernsey cr Herring Gulls were recorded along with one of Seb Provost's Great Black-backed Gulls from the Chausey Islands, Manche, France.

Mediterranean Gulls and Black-headed Gulls, Crabby Bay, Alderney 08 March 10