Latvian Black-headed Gull

23rd February 2016 - Exeter Quay

As I keep saying (to anyone who'll listen), the great thing about gulls is that there's always some around. And even if what's on offer is just common stuff like Black-headed and Herring Gulls, there's still a chance of finding ringed birds. It does help if the ring is bright plastic with big numbers or letter but even small metal rings can sometimes be read if you can get close enough. Places like Exeter Quay, where gulls expect to be fed, is perfect.

Black-headed Gull - 23/2/2016 Exeter Quay

It took a few minutes of stalking from different angles to get the full code - LATVIA - RIGA - S 349. Details sent, awaiting reply.

Now if only it had been a small dark Lesser Black-backed...

Some gulls are bigger than others

2nd August 2015 - Topsham

Male Herring or Lesser Black-backed Gulls often look massive next to small, dainty females. I tend to forget that, like people, smaller gulls also come in different sizes. This bird looked so tiny that for a second or two I wondered if it wasn't another Bonaparte's.

Black-headed Gull - 2/8/2015 Topsham

Black-headed Gull - 2/8/2015 Topsham

 Sanity (sort of) returned with check of the deep red legs - wrong; white nape - wrong; then the reddish bill appeared - wrong. Just a runt Black-headed Gull, of course, with the added issue of optical 'size illusion'.

Colour-ringed Med Gull

6th November 2014 - Topsham

Most visits to the Rec of late have produced at least one Mediterranean Gull, occasionally up to four. Such numbers are pitiful compared to some Dorset sites less than 50 miles along the coast, or even North Devon - haven't yet figured out why they're so scarce on the Exe. I get the impression there's been a regular turn over of birds this autumn, sometimes one bird will hang around for a few weeks but, while numbers rarely get above 2 or 3, I think the total numbers involved could be a lot higher. Whatever, they're always a pleasure to see and doubly so when they sport a readable colour ring. No scope today so I had to do my best from photos.

Mediterranean Gull 2cy H9A4 6/11/2014 Topsham

Mediterranean Gull 2cy H9A4 6/11/2014 Topsham

It's a second winter (2cy) of course - just like an adult but with some black in primaries, much more obvious when flying.

Mediterranean Gull 2cy H9A4 6/11/2014 Topsham

Mediterranean Gull 2cy H9A4 6/11/2014 Topsham

The big question is; where did it come from? Recent (since 2008) Med Gull colour rings should indicate the country of origin by their colour and initial letter; so a red ring beginning H should in theory come from Hungary but await confirmation (now confirmed - see below).

This wasn't my only colour ring of the day, I took a couple of shots of Lesser Black-backed Gulls - interesting difference in grey tone between the adult and the 3cy - and only later noticed the yellow ring on the Black-headed Gull strolling past. The first one I'd ever noticed and I had no scope with me. The photo is far too poor to give any clue as to the code and I'm not even sure if I can work out the country.

Black-headed Gull (with Lesser Black-backed Gulls) - 6/11/2014 Topsham

Update 9/11/2014 - just received this information from the good people at the Hungarian Bird Ringing Centre: H9A4 was ringed as a pullus on 15th June 2013 at Bugyi near Budapest, Hungary. This is apparently its first subsequent sighting.

Mostly Juveniles

9th - 17th July 2013 - Topsham

There is, of course, a down side to the current bout of what I hear is called 'summer'. On the Exe at Topsham Recreation Ground gull numbers are highest during afternoon and evening low tides when they drop in to bathe, preen and rest. Right now this means looking west with bright sun behind the birds - deep shadows and blown out whites and generally pretty frustrating. Although I don't think I'm missing out on much, I can only assume that the really good birds - like a nice juv Caspian Gull? - are waiting for the bright overcast days when their photos will look much nicer.

Wader passage is slight, a single Green Sandpiper, a few Curlews and a handful of Common Sandpipers (one of 15 on the 17th shown above). More of interest to me right now are the juvenile gulls. The first to arrive were the Black-headed Gulls, showing a few variations on the basic pattern - dark scapulars with neat pale fringes, and a dusky head with a dark 'shawl' - most are fairly brown on the mantle but a few are almost black. The second bird appears to have already moulted a few smaller scapulars and median and lesser coverts.

Then the first of this year's Herring Gulls showed up, barely out of the nest and still growing their outer primaries. Mostly pretty straightforward with their sandy brown tones, well notched tertials and pale inner primaries.

And a few Lesser Black-backed for comparison. Generally darker and often much less brown than Herring (though the light can alter that dramatically). Classic thin tertial fringes and more solidly darker outer greater coverts easy to see on the first two, and the dark inner primaries is the clincher.

And maybe it's cheating but here's an ID feature not mentioned in the books - these youngsters are still at least partly dependent on their parents for dinner. Easy now, aren't they?

Surprising as it may seem, there are birds other than gulls, here's an egret with yellow legs. Could this really be mistaken for a Cattle Egret?

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for one of these...