The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Just received details on the colour ringed Common Gull in the album from Kalev Rattiste in Estonia -- details below -- have there been previous Estonian ringed Common Gulls in Lincs? From a quick look at the Migration atlas maps there are a few recoveries from that country in Britain

Larus canus, white PMMA ring P7V8 (ID= 3656)

• ringed 27.05.2008 with aluminium ring Estonia Matsalu U 275439 (on left tibia) as a chick in Kakrarahu colony (nest no. 190), Matsalu Nature Reserve, Estonia (58°46’ N 23°26’ E).
• metal ring of a breeding male read 19.05.2010 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 616.
• caught 11.06.2011 as a breeding male in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 631. White PMMA ring P7V8 added on right tarsus. Blood sample taken.
• observed 05.02.2012 feeding on fish waste in an open container at Grimsby Fish Docks, North Lincolnshire, England (53°34’54.5110’’N 0°03’49.70’’E) by Graham Catley. A photo taken.

Graham

The following colour ringed Common Gull was seen by Dean Nicholson in Nov last year on the former site of Lincoln Castings (an area we now call Fischer’s Waste Ground) in North Hykeham. As can be seen it was originally ringed as a chick in Estonia way back in 1991.

Grahame

Larus canus, white PVC ring PY10 (previously PC35, id = 0730)

• ringed 28.05.1991 as a chick with the aluminium ring Estonia Matsalu U250639 (on left tibia) in Hoorahu colony (nest no. 19), Matsalu Nature Reserve, Estonia (58°47’N 23°27’E)
• observed 30.05.1996 as a breeding male in Hoorahu colony, nest no. 17.
• caught 01.06.1997 in Kakrarahu colony (nest no. 210), Matsalu Nature Reserve, Estonia (58°46’N 23°26’E). White PVC ring PC35 added to right tarsus. Aluminium ring replaced by steel ring Estonia Matsalu ET 00219 (on right tibia).
• observed 00.05.1998 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 191.
• observed 00.05.1999 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 176.
• observed 00.05.2000 in Kakrarahu colony, nests no. 128 and 478.
• observed 00.05.2001 in Kakrarahu colony, nests no. 151 and 219.
• observed 00.05.2002 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 319.
• observed 00.05.2003 in Kakrarahu colony, nests no. 277 and 469.
• observed 00.05.2004 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 408.
• observed 00.05.2005 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 448.
• caught 28.05.2006 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 114. Old PVC ring replaced by PY10 (on right tarsus).
• observed 00.05.2007 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 426.
• observed 00.05.2008 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 280.
• observed 00.05.2009 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 166.
• observed 00.05.2010 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 187.
• observed 00.05.2011 in Kakrarahu colony, nest no. 303.
• observed 16.11.2011 among other gulls loafing on a landfill site at North Hykeham, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK (53°11’34.55’’N 0°36’9.82’’W) by Dean Nicholson.

Great stuff Grahame / Dean and two birds from the same breeding colony in Lincs --

Hi Graham,

I've also caught Common Gulls ringed in Estonia. First foreign-ringed Common Gull in my parents garden in Boston in 1979 was from Estonia - ringed as a chick in the nearby Paljaru Reserve in 1975 (58.48'N 23.27'E). I think we also had one on the Slippery Gowt Tip subsequently. Most of my recoveries of both Black-headed and Common Gulls ringed in winter in Lincs have been from around the Baltic, including a few from the east side (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland) but mostly from southern Sweden. Common Gulls probably slightly more western origin including Norway.

Alan

I saw at least 2 colour ringed herring and 1 common last sunday but the birds were to wary and i could not get closer than 350m so unable to get data, but have recorded Estonian and Finish ringed Black headed many years ago with Edmund. interesting and illustrates the value of colur ringing John.