Great Black backed Gull P:56F made a return visit to Boulogne Harbour on the 14th February travelling along the coast from its previous sighting in Le Portel Harbour. Sighting from Jan Talloen. Originally ringed as a Pulli in June 2022.

After a long absence with no sightings GBBGull P:59A (one of our first) returned to Bembridge Harbour Isle of Wight seen there on the 15th February by Mark Buckley.

                                                              Photo Mark Buckley

Originally ringed as a Pulli in June 2012, since then it has visited Guernsey, several site's in Cornwall, Calvados France and the Isle of Wight.

 GBBGull P:26F was originally ringed in June 2021, first sighting came from Port en Bressin in Calvados from Gilbert Vimard during August 2022.

On the 13th February we received a second sighting of this GBBGull from Perelle Beach Guernsey from Wayne Turner.

Wayne noticed the strange colouring on the bill. A search of the internet shows it is likely to be a result of diet that this coloration has occurred.

 GBBGull P:38D is continuing to grace Perelle Beach seen there on two occasions lately 27th and 30th January sightings by Wayne Turner.

On the latest occasion it had a Med Gull for company

                                                                Photo Wayne Turner

Who could turn down a chance to be seen with a Med Gull?

 Radipole Lake in Weymouth is not far from the sea and our Gull ringing site, surprisingly we receive very few sightings of our ringed Gulls there  despite it being a popular gull roost site.

Happily Jim Spooner had two sightings there Herring Gull 773, ringed in 2018 after falling off a roof prior to fledgeing. Seen at Radipole on the 18th January all the sightings of this Gull have come from the Radipole area.

On the 23rd January Jim sighted Great Black Backed Gull P:55F ringed June 2022. Only the second sighting of this Gull, first sighting was from a nature reserve in the north  of Weymouth in September 2022.

A little further away on the other side of the Channel (La Manche) Great Black Backed Gull P:41F ringed June 2022 gave its first sighting at Ouistreham Harbour Calvados. Seen there on the 24th January  by Jean Pierre Clave. 

 Our first sighting for this year from Guernsey has arrived from Wayne Turner.

Great Black Backed Gull P:38D returned to Perelle Beach on the 14th January, where it is a regular visitor since it fledged in June 2021.

                                                                      Photo Wayne Turner

 A sighting from last year of Great Black Backed Gull P:34F ringed June 2022  as a Pulli on the Break Waters. 

Seen in Concarneau Harbour. Finistrere, Brittany. Sighted there on the 1st November 2022 by Antoine Chabrolle.

                                                            Photo Antoine Chabrolle

 The New Year 2023 is off to a good start with sightings of our Great Black Gulls.

The first sighting of the New Year was from Eric Petit-Berghem with a sighting of GBBGull P:56F which has returned to Le Portel Harbour seen there on the 5th January after a visit to Boulogne Sur Mer.

GBBGull P:28F has made a return visit to Gann Estuary Pembrokeshire Wales. Seen there on the 7th January by Dave Astins, the previous sighting there was in November 2022. Ringed as a Pulli June 2022.