Monday 30 December 2019

Great Black Backed Gull P:87B last sighted 6th November on the Axe Estuary Devon, has moved West to return to Dawlish Warren on the Exe Estuary.

Seen there by Lee Collins who has sent in an end of year round up of sightings.

Seen 22nd, 27th November, 10th, 23rd, & 24th December at Dawlish.

Wednesday 18 December 2019

A Great Black Backed Gull ringed as a Pulli back in June this year has produced its first sighting thanks to Lee Collins.

P:18C seen on the 10th December at Dawlish Warren, Devon by Lee.

Always a good feeling when the first sightings come in, another piece of information has arrived.

Sunday 15 December 2019

Great Black Backed Gull P:82B has returned once more to Little Marlow Gravel Pit in Buckinghamshire, seen on the 8th December by Adam Basset.

Since ringing in June 2015 this is the third winter period that this Gull has been seen at this site.
Adam is of the impression it is feeding on a near by landfill.

On one previous occasion it was sighted subsequently at Stratford Sub Castle on the outskirts of Salisbury, giving the impression of travelling overland to the south coast of England to where the next sighting came from on the Axe Estuary.

Saturday 14 December 2019

Another of our Great Black Backed Gulls has been sighted in France, Bolougne sur Mer being the latest place to receive a visit.

Great Black Backed Gull P:12A ringed June 2012, seen at Bolougne on the 13th December by Eric Petit-Berghem.

                                                              Eric Petit-Berghem ©
Eric Petit-Berghem ©

Previous sightings from Dawlish Warren Devon,Chouet Guernsey, Radipole Lake Weymouth, Axe Estuary Devon, West Bexington Beach Dorset and Portland Dorset.

Friday 13 December 2019


Another of our Great Black Backed Gulls P:52B  is in France or rather has returned to Finistre at Plage de Trois Moutons near Lampaul. Seen 11th December by Solange Arzel, forwarded by Yvon Le Corre.


Ringed in June 2015 seen in Finistre Oct 2015, May this year 2019 on a fishing Boat off Swanage 
7 miles (12.25 kms) out in the Channel (La Manche) and now back in Finistre.


Ian McLean saw Great Black Backed Gull P:08A on the 12th December on the Axe Estuary.  The Axe is very popular with this particular Gull.

Wednesday 11 December 2019

Herring Gull 420 was a regular visitor according to sightings we have received in the Hayle Estuary Cornwall, from September 2012 up to November 2018 then nothing until now.

A new sighting on the 21st August 2019 by Lee Gregory, has shown it to be still present there and to be fit and well.

Monday 9 December 2019

Great Black Backed Gull P:55C was ringed in June 2018 as a Pulli and since fledging it has given us a sighting from North East Spain and four sightings from France, the latest thanks to Didier Domec.

Seen 9th December at Isle de Txingudy, Pyrenees Atlantique France in the Bay of Biscay.
Always nice to get some Herring Gull sightings and two of our Gulls were sighted recently on the Car Park next to Radipole Lake in Weymouth.

Herring Gull 756 ringed during August 2018 in Weymouth, was seen on the 4th December by Edmund Mackrill.



Herring Gull 514 ringed June 2014 on the Break Waters was seen on the 6th December by Edmund Mackrill


Friday 6 December 2019

Ian McLean has sent in sightings of our Gulls from the Devon Axe Estuary, with help from a fellow ring reader Mike Lock.

Great Black Backed Gull P:08A is a regular visitor to the Axe since ringing in June 2013. Seen by Mike Lock on the 12th November

Great Black Backed Gull P:38B has travelled between Portland and Normandy and Calvados, France with a visit to Shoreham in Sussex and now its first recorded visit to Devon seen 18th November by Ian McLean

Great Black Backed Gull P:99C ringed near to the Axe in January 2019, making another visit to the Axe on the 27th November seen by Ian McLean

Herring Gull 473 ringed in Seaton just to the west of the River Axe in December 2013 and making regular return visits. Seen once more on the 29th November by Mike Lock

Wednesday 4 December 2019

Two sightings from Lee Collins at Dawlish Warren on the Exe Estuary in Devon.

Great Black Backed Gull P:89A was seen there on the 23rd November the second sighting from Dawlish. The majority of previous sightings have come from the Axe Estuary also in Devon.

Great Black Backed Gull P:73C seen on the 29th November. Since ringing as a Pulli all sightings have come from the Channel island of Guernsey. Until now with this the first sighting away from the Island. 

May be it leaves the island in between recorded sightings or it is possibly due to the reported dispersal associated with the final closure of Chouet Landfill which has been very popular place over many years with Gulls from all over Europe.

If we are lucky with sightings we may one day answer that question.