Update on Two Herring Gulls Seen on 25 January at Chouet landfill

Peter Stewart has kindly confirmed that Herring Gull Blue 493, which was seen at Chouet landfill on 25 January 2010, was ringed at Gloucester landfill, England as a 1st winter on 28/10/06. It had been seen in Gloucester in January and December 2008 (John Sanders), but there were then no further sightings until the gull turned up in Guernsey.

Also amongst the large number of locally colour ringed Herring Gulls at Chouet landfill on 25 January was White 3.PP6. This gull had been ringed as an adult female at Chouet Landfill on 05/06/09, and had been seen several times in the north of the island up until 18/07/09. It was then reported from Briqueville-sur-Mer, Manche, France on 13/09/09 (Emmanuel Chabot). This is another example of one of the Herring Gulls nesting in Guernsey, which had left the island for the autumn/winter, returning very early in the new year - presumably to begin preparations for its next breeding attempt.