Colour Rings

There hasn't been much to report recently.  Waders have been almost non-existent apart from a lingering Common Sand, a flock of 3 moulting adult Dunlin on the 26th and the occasional Oystercatcher.  Wildfowl have started to move through sporadically - 7 Pochard appeared briefly on the 26th and 4 Shoveler on the 27th, though these didn't stick around for long.  Yellow-legged Gulls seem to have dropped off in number, with often only 1 or 2 birds present and I've only been seeing adult or 3rd summer birds.  My first Common Gull of the season appeared on the 24th, an adult, and there have been up to 2 birds present on and off since.  Juvenile LBB Gulls and the odd juvenile Herring Gull have started building up in number, maybe local breeders.  The Common Terns have now fledged, though I've not counted exactly how many, but there must be 6 or more sitting on the spit and flying around

There have been quite a few colour-ringed birds which passes the time trying to read them.  All Black-headed Gulls and LBB Gulls, but also an Oystercatcher on the 31st, which was obviously a new bird that day and a new species for me wearing colour rings.  These are details of the recent ringed birds:

18th July: BHG (juv) black R63U - ringed at Oye Plage, Le Platier, Pas-de-Calais, France on 5th June 2012

26th July: BHG (2cy) black R34A - ringed at Oye Plage, Le Platier, Pas-de-Calais, France on 7th June 2011

31st July: Oystercatcher white + white//limelime - ringed on 31st December 2007 at Hamble Point, Southampton Water, Hampshire as an adult

1st August: LBBG (ad) blue D.FAC - ringed as a juvenile female at Europoort, Netherlands on 18th June 1993.  Regular breeder at Zeebrugge, Belguim, only recorded away from this site twice - in Mayenne, France 8th Feb 2008 and at LMGP today.

1st August: LBBG (ad) orange AN3T - http://www.ntgg.org.uk/cgi-bin/map.cgi?p=recmap&t=r&r=FA39778

In addition to these, a BHG with white T64H looks to be a Polish ringed bird - details awaited and a LBBG with white WO (red) above the left knee and black above the right knee is probably a dutch ringed bird - details awaited.

Recent YL Gull

The CR Oyc

LBBG white WO (red)