From Peter Stewart of The Severn Estuary Gull Group,
(part of a reply to Sam)
I received 58 sightings of our gulls yesterday. Most of our birds are currently being seen down in Spain and Portugal at the present where there are numerous active groups and individuals. There is a party of birders currently in Morocco looking for colour rings and hope to have sightings of our birds down there. I have received 9360 sightings of our gulls so far this year and this should jump up to around 11,000 by the years end. These will be made up of local sightings, and at tips where we have ringed. I have one watcher who spends every day visiting up to three sites in Gloucestershire and he records at least 120 colour rings each day. Also another individual who send in some 30 – 45 sightings daily from a Gloucester landfill site. I used to spend many hours on landfill sites doing the same thing but cannot find the time. Quite a lot of activity goes on behinds the scenes but it would not work if it were not individuals who bother to report colour rings. And long may it continue.
Best wishes,
Peter
