Caspian Gull - as well as the fun in identifying individuals, more fun can be had when one wears a colour-ring. The photos below are of 2nd calendar year with yellow colour-ring P:YA9 present on the Thames shore near Rainham Marshes RSPB, London on Saturday 11 February 2023. The origins of a ringed bird can point to its identity in terms of potential hybridisation when mixed species colonies are found.
From local feedback received, and from a look on the internet, all pointed to it being ringed in Poland. With thanks for the help in tracing its origins and also for a quick turnaround from submitting the colour-ring details to receiving its life history. It was ringed in a Caspian Gull Colony (Pullus) at Jeziórko, Grębów, Poland in June 2022. Between ringing and the sighting reported above it was seen in Belgium (Ostend, November 2022), and then in the UK (Cambridgeshire, December 2022 and at Abberton Reservoir, Essex in January 2023).
As well as this Caspian Gull sporting a yellow colour-ring, it was distinctive as the left-hand side of the face appeared to be stained or showing an injury. This can be seen in some of the above photos and also in the video footage taken - please click here.
At low tide the Thames shore can hold many gulls in terms of numbers and variety as they move between the river and the landfill. This visit saw the numbers dominated by Black-headed Gulls leading to several colour-ringed adults being picked out. Locally ringed (Pitsea, Essex) birds with their yellow rings included 2HA2, 2TLB and 2SRT, and life histories reveal over the years they winter on or around this area and further east along the Thames Estuary. White EA2A has origins in the Netherlands. With thanks to all for feeding back on their life histories.
A sleeping adult Mediterranean Gull tried to hide amongst the Black-headed Gulls but its black head, as opposed to the chocolate-brown of the misnamed Black-headed Gulls, gave it away.
Not all about the gulls, this scalloped marked winter Ruff gave good views probing the muddy shore.
More average photos uploaded at 'Latest UK Bird Photos'. Please enjoy.
