Med Gull Bonaza

A stop off at Ferrybridge, Weymouth this morning at high tide was interesting in terms of the numbers of Mediterranean Gulls.  There were 40-50 resting on a gravel bar with another 250 or so on the water!  This is the biggest flock I have ever seen.  Quite a few of the Med Gulls have been colour ringed.  I saw two at Lodmoor the previous day and two different birds this morning. Of the four bird, two appear to be Irish, one from Germany and one from Belguim or Holland. Details awaited.

Mediterranean Gulls - 40+ on or around the gravel bat and another 250 or so on the Fleet to the right.

Mediterranean Gull - Yellow 2C41  This was ringed in Langstone Harbour in June 2017.  It spent the winter of 2017/18 in Portugal.  It then returned to Langstone Harbour in Apr 2019.  This is the first sighting since then..

Mediterranean Gull - White 3RA5  A bird from Belguim(see details below)

White "3RA5" was fitted with a metal ring in Antwerp, Belguim in May 2009 as a chick.

It was controlled at Radipole Lake; Weymouth in January 2011.

Three more controls in Antwerp in March 2018.

It was controlled in Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium (near Ghent) in May 2019 when it was colour ringed.

So the bird is now over ten years old.