Friday, 24 February 2023

Gann - Little Gulls

Two different adult Little Gull this lunchtime, one on the lagoon opposite Crabhall Barn before flying off westwards over the fields, and then a different bird about 45 minutes later up the river above the coast path crossing with plenty of other gulls bathing and preening.  When you see a Little Gull stood next to a Black-headed Gull, you realise just how small they are, and how short and spindly their legs are!

Around 25 Mediterranean Gull yesterday and today, with 3 (white) colour rings read.  Yesterday's 3HX5 was new to me but turns out to be a familiar bird in these parts: see Bob Haycock's post HERE.  It was also seen in France in June 2022 so the sequence from the various sightings goes Belgium > UK > Germany > UK > France > UK.  It was a 3CY when ringed in 2019 so is now a 7CY so surely must be breeding somewhere...

Today's 2 ringed birds were familiar (37L4 - originally ringed in Denmark as a nestling/pullus in 2014 so now a 10CY, having visited Sweden, Germany and the UK at least) and unfamiliar (39NK, details awaited).