Meandering Med Gulls

Its been a little while since our bird filled week has finished and I am just about recovered! I have not had any free time since to go birding or ringing locally but have started receiving details of some of the colour ringed birds that we encountered.

For me one of the most interesting species that I encounter that are regularly colour ringed is the Mediterranean Gull. They seem to wonder quite a lot in their first couple of years and often end up in some far flung places before settling into a regular routine. I was delighted to get results back for two birds that we spotted on the Hayle Estuary.

The first was an adult French ringed bird wearing a Green ring coded: REX2. It was ringed as a Pullus on the 29th of June, 2014 at Barbatre, Vendee, France and stayed here until at least the 17th of July, 2014. It was not recorded again until the 27th of February, 2016 this time at Alges, Portugal! Its final sighting was by Bob and I on the Hayle Estuary, Cornwall on the 9th of October, 2016. 

A well travelled Gull! 

The second was another old friend and from a little further a field! It was another adult bird and was sporting a Red ring coded: HJR4. 

It was ringed as a pullus on the 5th of June, 2011 at Szeged, Csongrád, Hungary. From here it travelled east and 4 months later on the 17th of October, 2011 it was spotted on Omaha Beach, France. In 2012 it was still in France and located at Carantec, France on the 23rd and 24th of January. It then made its way north and was found on Braunton River, Devon, UK on the 23rd of August, 2012. There was then a period of 12 months absence before it was located on Hayle Estuary, Cornwall on the 9th of October, 2013. It has only been recorded on Hayle since and turned up in September, 2014 and October 2015. Bob and I encountered this bird again on the 9th of October, 2016.  

It makes me tired just thinking about the distance this bird has travelled! 

I love these birds and will continue to look for ringed individuals for the rest of my days! I have learnt so much out about their travels and behaviour in just a few short years by submitting this information.