NLRG was formed in 1957 to help in the study of birds in the Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society area. There are currently 12 active ringers. Species currently being studied include: Pied Flycatcher, Bearded Tit, Sand Martin, Twite, Goosander, Oystercatcher and Grey Wagtail. Migration has been studied for 28 years at Heysham. We welcome anyone who wants to observe, help or perhaps wish to become a ringer. Photo: A Heysham-ringed Twite on the Mull of Kintyre (thanks to Eddie Maguire)

Friday, 28 August 2009

Interesting Lesser Black-backed Gulls

There has been a little bit of Mute Swan-like ring-reading 'fatigue' with the Lesser Black-backed Gulls which have been ringed at Tarnbrook, Walney and the Ribble over the last few years.

Please, however, continue to report them e.g. they are developing interesting life histories in relation to winter travels to Iberia and north Africa.

There are also some other very interesting ringed Lesser Black-backed Gulls birds around. Mark Breaks recently unearthed an Icelandic-ringed bird at Stock Reservoir and Steven Grimshaw recently read the following :

Ringed: Orfordness, Suffolk as pullus on 12/7/03
Seen: Laayoune Plage, Western Sahara 19/1/04
Seen: Great Harwood, Blackburn 19/7/09

This is the first Lancashire sighting of any of the 4,000 ringed at Orfordness over the last 13 years. Note that it stayed in Africa during its first winter as is not unexpected, but perhaps not usually this far to the south. Why is this relevant to 'our area'? Note the Blackburn date (and age of the bird) and can we assume it has changed breeding sites to Tarnbrook?

Pete

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