Thursday 30 August 2012

North Sea Ferries

The travels of the two Black headed Gulls from the previous post are quite similar with thanks to Morten and Kjeld for the amazing quick response. Both birds were ringed as adults (3yr+) T73 in April 2011 just south of Copenhagen and J9CE in April 2012 just north of Stavanger. The former spent late summer (moult?) at St Marys Island with trips to Holywell Pond returning to Denmark for breeding (?) in March and it looks like the Dutch bird is doing the same although my only other gull sighting J72J was ringed near Trondheim in April 2005 moving to Amble later that year where it stayed till at least 2010. Probably too fat with Fish and Chips!
I doubt they took the direct route like DFDS but with no sightings in the interim I would imagine they wander around the North Sea coastlines. It will be interesting to see if I can find one of the birds locally late in the year or whether by then they have moved down our east coast prior to returning to their breeding grounds up the west coast of Europe in the new year.
Just hoping their feathers are in better condition than this Sand Martin yesterday at Hauxley. All that popping in and out of burrows plays havoc with yer barbs you know.

1 comment:

  1. Nicely written Peter, it took me months to get info for T73, it really adds interest to birding looking out for colour rings and its something anyone can do !!!
    Brian

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