August - October 2012 

E5VA is back!

More uneventful months.  The Black Headed Gulls arrived back slowly, but despite regularly scanning the growing flocks- no rings to report.  Standard bird watching resumed

Little Grebe and Chick in Sean Walsh Park

Black Headed Gull - Latvia S04 on Tibia Ring

S04

 On August 31st, at Bulloock Harbour I photographed two firsts.  My First Black Headed Gull from Latvia and my first Tibia Ringed Gull.  (The ring has been placed above the knee).  However the code was short Latvia SO4.  Although reported, I have heard nothing back.

Tibia Ring

Things were looking up and the numbers of Black Headed Gulls in the park was increasing week by week but not even a metal ring!  31st of August a Juvenile BHG ES45066 turned up.  This BHG was to stay in Sean Walsh Park all winter during which time I read the ring successfully 7 times.
This bird was ringed by R J Gribble as age nestling, sex unknown on 12-Jun-2012 at Pockthorpe, Norfolk

Cormorant  + Poo - Sean Walsh Park 09/09/2012

Finally 22nd October 2012 I got my first Darvic of the winter in Sean Walsh Park.  But it was a big surprise................

Black Headed Gull W[E5VA]

.......... it was E5VA.  It had left Sean Walsh Park on March 2nd and first seen in the breeding ground in Holland on June 6th by Benny Middendorp.  It was last seen in Holland on August 8th and was back with me!  The Dutch people such as Frank Majoors and Maarten van Kleinwee had emailed me reports and photos throughout the summer, so it was great to see it again.  It was now in Adult plumage.

W[E5VA] 30/10/2012

By the end of October it was still only 1 Darvic Ring in Sean Walsh Park, but at least there was one to see at lunch time.  At this stage there were over 200 Black Headed Gulls present.

Graham