Herring Gull in NW Iberia

It’s always special when I get a report of one of our Herring Gulls from Iberia. White 5CK9 clearly likes the north-west of the Peninsula. Ringed as a 3^rd year+ female at Chouet Landfill in May 2011, this gull was seen in Sark the following summer. However, since then it has only been reported from Iberia in winter. The first observation was at Boca do Rio, A Coruna, Spain on 09 February 2013 (Juan Cabeza), with a further report at Aguda, Portugal on 24 January 2014 (Helder Vieira). The latest report came in on 24 November from Corrubedo, Ribeira, A Coruna, Spain (Ramsés Pérez).

Such long distance migrant Herring Gulls are very much in the minority of the Channel Islands’ birds.

Herring Gull W5CK9 in NW Spain (c) Ramsés Pérez