It was a bit windy over on the Kilpaison/Rhoscrowther side, but we noted c.100 curlews and 80+ oystercatchers at roost at Sawdern Point on the rising tide. So we opted to look at the more sheltered village/harbour side and a very exposed West Angle. There were a couple of Sanderlings on the beach and three Mediterranean Gulls at West Angle, but not much else other than dogs/dog walkers.
In the harbour and at the south-eastern side of the bay we reckoned that there were at least 20-25 Med Gulls present with Black-headed Gulls, including 2 colour-ringed Med Gulls near the harbour. These included White 3J23 (left leg) which, from past Blog postings, was seen at the Gann on 1st Feb 2020, in Angle Bay on 2nd July 2015, in Angle Harbour on19th and 27th July 2012 and at the Gann in October 2007. It was ringed in May 2005 at Verrebroek, Belgium, so is now in its 16th year!
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| White 3J23 at the top |
The other ringed one (also a white ring, on its right leg) had the lower part of its right tarsus partly hidden by a boulder. All that we could see through a telescope and from a distant photo view was ?2PJ. However, having now checked previous Blog postings, we are able to confirm that it is 32PJ which we have seen before in Angle Bay on 15th August this year. We have still to confirm where it was ringed in Belgium/Netherlands.
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| 32PJ - preening, before it and the other gulls flew over to the east side of the bay. |
Other birds in the Bay/Harbour area included 19 Mute Swans, c.15 Ringed Plovers, c.30 Dunlin, 5 Redshanks, 5 Little Egrets, 4 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Pale Bellied Brent Goose, c. 400-440 Wigeon and 10 Pintails (immatures/females). A small number of Swallows were passing over the bay in a southerly direction and a couple of Stock Doves were noted near the village.