Wednesday 7 November 2012

Colour-ringed Yellow-legged Gull

4th November - had another opportunity to visit the roost.  Unlike the previous Sunday, there were quite a few LWHG coming in, maybe 500 plus birds.  On the near spit, my attention was drawn to a 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull that was sporting a mid green colour ring on its left leg and a metal ring above the knee on the right.  I was able to decipher that there were 4 digits in the code, the second being an A and the last probably an H, though the first could have been R, K or even X and not much on the third.  At this point it tucked this leg under its belly and remained resolutely standing on one leg for the next 45 minutes! Unbelievably, when it wanted to move it hopped and when it flew a short distance it kept the left leg tucked up, dangled the right and landed on this single leg!  Eventually, a Peregrine came over and flushed everything and this bird disappeared, so I'm hoping it makes a reappearance.  It is possibly from a Dutch scheme.

Not a great angle

Better - shame it's blurred!
A Little Egret came in to roost, as one had done the previous week.  Otherwise, no other scarcities noted.

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