Monday 29 April 2013

November 2012 - My first Norwegian Black Headed Gull

November 2012 

Black Headed Gulls

A blog about reading coloured rings on Gulls from my base in Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland.

Black Headed Gull W[E5VA] 02/11/2012
Still by November only E5VA was the only coloured ring in Sean Walsh Park.  I had started expanding the areas covered from Sean Walsh Park and Tymon Park to include Corkagh Park, Bushy Park, Marley Park and anywhere large flock of gulls gathered.
Mute Swan W27809
On November 3rd I got attacked by a mute swan who couldn't understand that I had bread, but it wasn't for him.  I moved on when suddenly I heard this swans wings incoming.  It landed and inbetween hissing and pecking I photographed the metal ring.
This bird was ringed by O J Merne as age 2nd year , sex unknown on 16-May-2009 at Bray, Wicklow
Darvic J1N4 Black Headed Gull From Norway.
November 10th at Bushy Park, turned up three Scandinavia metal rings and a Darvic - my first Norwegian Black Headed Gull.  They have a fantastic website where you register and input all the details and they just verify it.  They also send you a notification each time it is seen again (If you want).  So this BHG had arrived in Ireland in August, seen again on the coast and this was it's third sighting in Dublin.  Uploading a photo assists verification.  http://www.ringmerking.no  Norwegian rings all seem to start with J.
Black Headed Gull Sweden 6430814

How I read metal rings!  Lots of photos of legs!
I try to avoid writing about metal rings, however on November 14th I read the metal ring on this Black Headed Gull.  Prior to the summer I had read its ring several times.  I started seeing this gull every week.  Now I had two Gulls - One Dutch and one Swedish who have returned to the Park following the breeding season and were remaining in the park
Sean Walsh Park - Lake 5 - 127 Black Headed Gulls in Photo.
Sean Walsh Park had over 600 Black Headed Gulls, but still only one Coloured Ring and 2 metal rings present.  The Gull from Norfolk can be discounted as it was first year, but the other two gulls were here last year also.  I need more data!

Graham



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