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Saturday 5 January 2013

Bonaparte's Gull

Adult found by Peter Lansdown at Portabello Island, Ogmore Estuary today. Reported again this afternoon and well-photographed. The general coincidence and pattern of this latest report with records of Bonaparte's Gull in Cardiff Bay area in recent years and previously at Ogmore in Jan 2008 may fuel justifiable speculation that all might actually relate to one returning individual. Perhaps it makes first contact with the south Wales coast in the Ogmore area in winter before drifting eastwards up the Bristol Channel into the Severn?

6 comments:

MITCH said...

Do i get a prize for predicting the first rare of 2013 would be a yankee gull?

Alex said...

Bugger Yankee Gulls. Find me a Caspian !

I guess there is a fair chance it's the same bird. There's a Dutch BH Gull that's been turning up at Cosmeston every winter for a number of years. Spare a thought for poor Daryl in Gwent. What would they give for a Bonaparte's Gull.... Maybe it will venture to Sluice Farm.

MauriceC said...

Agree with what Phil says, however Caspian remains elusive.

Chris Jones said...

Alex, do you know the ring number on the Dutch black-header? I read one except for one digit the other day - 3.x57.407

Alex said...

I don't bother reading metal rings, it's far too much eye strain ! The dutch BHG is colour ringed - E2CV. Ringed at a colony in Holland in June 2007, seen at Cosmeston in Oct 2007, and most years after. I last saw it in July 2012.

Chris Jones said...

OK thanks, either it's lost its colour ring or the one I read was a different bird then.