Mediterranean Gull Little Gull
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Mediterranean Gull International threshold: 8,400 † Larus melanocephalus GB max: 90 Aug NI max: 3 Jan Three decades ago, Mediterranean Gull was a optional inclusion of this group during WeBS scarce visitor the UK and was just starting to counts should always be taken into account. be noted as a regular, albeit rare, breeding The Solent remains the most important area for species. The increase in the northwest this species with Brading Harbour staying as European population has been evident through the top site. Three birds at Belfast Lough and the expansion of birds throughout Britain from two at Lough Foyle represent the highest the traditional southeast stronghold. During numbers of Mediterranean Gulls ever recorded 2003/04 Mediterranean Gulls were recorded at by WeBS counts in Northern Ireland. 69 sites, compared to just 34 ten years ago. Mediterranean Gulls were reported from a total Surprisingly, the British maximum was of 60 sites during the Winter Gull Roost somewhat lower than in the previous two Survey in winter 2003/04 (BTO data). years. However, as with all gull species the 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 Mon Mean Sites with mean peak counts of 5 or more birds in Great Britain † Brading Harbour 51 35 28 126 57 Aug 59 Newtown Estuary 49 2 65 80 (15) Mar 49 13 13 Chichester Harbour (5) 36 4 (16) (1) Oct 20 Tamar Complex 27 28 14 30 0 20 Ryde Pier to Puckpool Point 15 16 8 45 9 Mar 19 Thames Estuary (7) 13 13 20 27 Sep 18 Swansea Bay 6 11 20 16 19 Jul 14 Camel Estuary 4 (3) (1) 8 25 Oct 12 North Norfolk Coast 10 (4) (6) (13) (1) Jul 12 Pagham Harbour (0) 1 0 16 6 Ribble Estuary 0 (0) 9 7 8 Mar 6 Burry Inlet (3) 3 (0) 7 (1) Oct 5 Foreland 10 8 3 1 4 Dec 5 Llanon and Llansantffraid 6 3 5 † as no British or All-Ireland thresholds have been set a qualifying level of 5 has been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report Little Gull International threshold: 840 Larus minutus Great Britain threshold: ?† All-Ireland threshold: ?† GB max: 450 Mar NI max: 1 Mar Little Gulls are principally recorded during Gulls, though the peak count here in 2003/04 passage periods with most winter records was deemed incomplete. Large numbers (up to coming from coastal sites; the Winter Gull 1,004) were also recorded passing offshore at Roost Survey only recorded Little Gulls at six Ness House Thorpeness, although these counts sites in winter 2003/04 (BTO data). High are not tabulated as they refer to birds moving counts at the Alt Estuary during 2003/04 through the site. Site peaks were most influenced the British maximum, which varies commonly recorded during autumn passage; greatly with coverage. Roost counts at Hornsea peaks in spring were only recorded at two Mere regularly record high numbers of Little sites, both on the northwest coast. 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK 12 12 13 Hornsea Mere 46 163 3,150 1,350 (940) Aug 1,177 Sites with mean peak counts of 5 or more birds in Great Britain † Alt Estuary 67 2 80 218 430 Mar 159 Monikie Reservoirs 155 0 60 0 54 Eden Estuary 44 (1) 44 Tay Estuary (1) (0) (22) 50 36 Jul 43 150 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 Mon Mean North Norfolk Coast 41 (17) 70 9 38 Sep 40 Minsmere 1 2 (15) 73 Aug 25 13 Tophill Low Reservoirs 2 2 0 10 110 Aug 25 Forth Estuary 1 1 22 41 20 Oct 17 Benacre Broad 15 30 0 15 East Chevington Pools 4 29 3 Jul 12 Humber Estuary (1) (10) (0) (2) (12) Sep (12) Morecambe Bay 5 3 31 1 9 Mar 10 Lindisfarne 2 (0) 0 (0) 26 Oct 9 Dengie Flats 8 Sep 8 St Andrews Bay 8 8 Dungeness Gravel Pits (7) (0) (7) Staines Reservoirs 10 1 0 18 0 6 Loch Fleet Complex 2 4 4 5 8 Dec 5 Walthamstow Reservoirs 0 22 1 0 0 5 † as no British or All-Ireland thresholds have been set a qualifying level of 5 has been chosen to select sites for presentation in this report Black-headed Gull International threshold: 20,000 Larus ridibundus Great Britain threshold: 19,000 † All-Ireland threshold: ?† GB max: 223,715 Jan NI max: 16,178 Jan Black-headed Gulls are the most numerous 10,000 birds. The highest ever count at the gull species recorded by WeBS, national Thames Estuary warrants its position as the top maxima regularly surpassing 200,000 birds. As site during 2003/04. Two other sites qualified with the rest of the gulls their inclusion in as internationally important and one further WeBS counts is optional so the number of sites site as nationally important. Peak numbers at which they have been counted limits these recorded by WeBS occur in winter and, totals. Nevertheless, WeBS totals do indicate although only representing a small proportion the widespread distribution of this common of the national population, have been relatively species, the top two sites showing that it stable over recent winters. Results from the frequents both coastal and inland sites. Many Winter Gull Roost Survey counts show that of the counts presented here have been winter numbers have declined over the last obtained from the Winter Gull Roost Survey, decade (Burton et al. 2005) and this is which will provide a new population estimate reflective of the recent trend in its breeding for the species after 2005/06. Thus, more sites population (Seabird 2000: Mitchell et al. than usual have been identified as holding over 2004). 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 Mon Mean Sites of international importance in the UK Thames Estuary (18,250) (35,410) (22,911) 30,275 43,601 44 Jan 36,938 Chew Valley Lake 29,800 44 Jan 29,800 44 The Wash 31,403 (9,008) (16,136) (15,999) 17,582 Jan 24,493 Sites of national importance in Great Britain Lower Derwent Ings 19,900 44 Jan 19,900 Sites with mean peak counts of 10,000 or more birds in Great Britain † Queen Mary Reservoir 16,836 44 Jan 16,836 Ribble Estuary (12,450) (6,793) 24,460 (821) 7,419 44 Jan 15,940 Tophill Low Reservoirs 18,000 12,500 25,000 11,900 8,900 Nov 15,260 Church Wilne Reservoir 15,000 44 Jan 15,000 Morecambe Bay 17,670 (17,610) 7,795 (17,772) 12,574 Aug 14,684 Grafham Water 14,470 44 Jan 14,470 Humber Estuary 6,960 (3,264) (2,217) (363) 21,450 44 Jan 14,205 Poole Harbour 10,629 (10,162) (7,386) (12,461) 17,707 44 Feb 14,168 Forth Estuary (3,818) (16,521) (2,343) (2,195) 11,554 44 Jan 14,038 Bewl Water 400 800 33,000 12 200 31,000 44 Dec 13,080 Portsmouth Harbour (15,509) (14,247) 4,881 15,311 11 12,153 Dec 12,420 Southfield Reservoir 12,000 44 Jan 12,000 Eyebrook Reservoir 11,300 44 Jan 11,300 Severn Estuary (3,236) (4,478) (5,725) 9,209 11 13,139 44 Jan 11,174 151 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 Mon Mean 12 12 12 44 Pitsford Reservoir 10,000 10,000 10,000 12,000 10,000 Sep 10,400 44 Theale Gravel Pits (106) (262) (235) 10,000 Oct 10,000 Sites with mean peak counts of 1,000 or more birds in Northern Ireland † 11 11 13 11 11 Belfast Lough 4,028 7,496 8,986 5,503 7,095 Dec 6,622 Outer Ards Shoreline 8,040 3,290 4,945 5,113 Jan 5,347 11 11 11 Strangford Lough 2,767 3,588 3,503 3,518 3,388 Feb 3,353 Loughs Neagh and Beg 2,637 (4,036) 1,593 Mar 2,755 44 Lough Foyle 3,019 1,214 1,627 2,780 1,300 Jan 1,988 Larne Lough 2,639 942 2,060 733 831 Mar 1,441 † as few sites exceed the British threshold and no All-Ireland threshold has been set qualifying levels of 10,000 and 1,000 have been chosen to select sites, in Great Britain and Northern Ireland respectivley, for presentation in this report Ring-billed Gull Vagrant Larus delawarensis Native Range: N America GB max: 4 Jan NI max: 1 Nov Single Ring-billed Gulls were noted at seven previous winters and these figures are sites this year; Cromarty Firth, Hetton Lyons unexceptional compared to the previous few Park, Lough Foyle, Par Sands Pool, years. The only Ring-billed Gull that was Portsmouth Harbour, Swansea Bay and Taw- recorded by the 2003/04 Winter Gull Roost Torridge Estuary. Many of these records Survey was at Swansea Bay (BTO data). appear to involve the return of birds from Common Gull International threshold: 17,000 Larus canus Great Britain threshold: 9,000 † † All-Ireland threshold: ? GB max: 64,678 Jan NI max: 6,012 Aug Whilst in the summer Common Gulls are a most important current site in the country for more regular sight for WeBS counters in the the species (see WeBS News no. 18). As for northern half of Britain and Northern Ireland, all of the gulls five-year means are highly the species is widespread during winter and in dependent of the coverage and survey methods 2003/04 was recorded on almost 900 sites.