A late arriving Lesser Black-backed Gull and a visiting Great Black-backed Gull goes to Norway!

An interesting few days produced another new Guernsey colour ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull arriving back on the island - White 6.T2. This is the first new bird seen in 10 days. It had been ringed as an adult male in early June 2009 at Chouet Landfill and was seen on 09 and 10 October 2009 at Esmelle Beach, A Coruna, Spain (Antonio Gutierrez and Paco Veiga).

After three weekends trying we finally managed to catch a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the garden at Ty Coed. It is really fantastic to be handling these birds again.

LBBG Black 0.H8 Ty Coed - PKV

LBBG Black 0.X9 Ty Coed - PKV

We also caught a few Herring Gulls, including White 5.XX7 which we had ringed as a chick on The Humps north of Herm, Guernsey on 01/07/09, and which I have seen 13 times in the north of Guernsey since.

Herring Gull White 5.XX7 - Longue Pierre - 01/07/09 - PKV

Herring Gull White 5.XX7 Ty Coed - 03 May 10 - PKV

Paul Roper of the North Thames Gull Group very kindly let me know that Great Black-backed Gull Orange GC9.T, which the Group ringed at Pitsea, Essex, England on 09/01/10, and which I had seen at Chouet, Guernsey from 17 - 27 March 2010, had been seen on 30/04/10 at Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway (Morten Helberg).

GBBG Orange GC9.T Chouet March 2010 - PKV

GBBG Orange GC9.T Vest-Agder, Norway - 30 April 10 - Morton Helberg

GBBG Orange GC9.T Vest-Agder, Norway - 30 April 10 - Morton Helberg