Gulls, Gulls, Gulls

 

The Little Gull seems to have gone, after at least 8 days.

The Mediterranean Gull seems to be being seen a bit more often, best bet is the filter beds off Coppermill Lane but in truth it can get anywhere.

And Sundays ringed Herring Gull.....

I Got this reply from Richard Thompson:

"Many Thanks for the sighting of one of my birds. If you don't already know I manage the RSPCA wildlife centre in Fairlight and we release back to the wild previously sick, injured and orphan wildlife, many of which are gulls

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Rspca-Mallydams-Wood-50th-Anniversary/118870988183041

http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/wildlife/centres/mallydams/wildlife

I have released over 3,000 gulls in the last 12 years, most are Herring gulls (Larus argentatus,) but I also ring Lesser Black-backed (Larus fuscus) and Great Black-backed Gulls (Larus marinus). All birds are released from Pett Level, East Sussex 50:55N. 00:42E. I also ring wild birds and many are gull chicks.

White darvic ring A7JR, (metal ring no. GR14048) was ringed as a juvenile on 21^st October 2010.

This bird has been seen twice before, once at Pitsea on 29^thOctober 2011 and once at Rainham on 12^th November 2011.

Many thanks again for reporting this bird to me."

As for the Common Gull, Paul Hawkins kindly did some digging for me and came up with this:

"This is one of Sönke Martens birds. Red ring with white code (Axxx) with Helgoland-metal ring on other leg.

note 1 : used letter is "A" at beginning.
note 2 : examples for used codes are A102, A467, AC99, AE54, A99X, A55N, AN67, A5A4 etc"

Interesting that we are getting Gulls from Pitsea and Rainham, not to mention Helgoland, it really does raise the possibility of almost any Gull species being seen at Walthamstow!

PW