Rufford - 6th December 2025

Last Saturday, I had a quick, 1 hour session at Rufford recording 17 of "our" darvic-ringed Black-headed Gulls.

Gulls seen were: 206A (my first sighting since March 2025), 295A (2nd sighting this winter), 272B (first sighting since January 2025), 280B (2nd sighting this winter), 202C (2nd sighting this winter), 207C (ninth sighting this winter), 215C (first sighting since March 2024 - full hood already!!), 270C (third sighting this winter), 298C (second sighting this winter), 215F (third sighting this winter), 221F (fifth sighting this winter), 234F (seventh sighting this winter), 259F (3rd sighting this winter), 292F (first sighting since February 2025), 200H (my first sighting, since ringing on 15th November 2025), 215H (first sighting, since ringing on 22nd November 2025) and 225H (first sighting since being ringed that morning). 

215C

200H

215H

225H

Also seen were: 5 Mute Swans (Broken Beak, his partner and 3 cygnets) and 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Rufford - 12th October 2025

Last Sunday, I was down at Rufford for a couple of hours, and had the best session of the autumn so far with 18 ringed birds (16 of "ours", a metal-ringed bird and a brand new Dutch-ringed bird) spotted.

The 16 birds were: 2V10 (2nd sighting this autumn), 2V16 (2nd sighting this autumn), 258A (4th sighting this autumn), 273A (2nd sighting this autumn), 283B (2nd sighting this autumn), 207C (6th sighting this autumn), 245C (3rd sighting this autumn), 258C (7th sighting this autumn), 209F (1st sighting, since ringing, as a 1st winter bird, in October 2024), 214F (1st sighting this autumn), 215F (2nd sighting this autumn), 217F (2nd sighting this autumn), 221F (2nd sighting this autumn), 234F (4th sighting this autumn), 239F (2nd sighting this autumn) and 262F (1st sighting on the autumn. Last seen in December 2024). The metal ringed bird was EM21570 (2nd sighting this autumn). 

209F

214F

262F

The new, Dutch-ringed bird, was an adult, with a white darvic EV.V2. It was originally ringed, as an adult, on 7th June 2022 at Berkel en Rodenrijs, The Netherlands, by Benny Middendorp. It was reported here again on 9th June 2022, and again on 10th March 2024, before my sighting at Rufford.

EVV2

Rufford Gulls - Old and New

I only had chance to spend half an hour at Rufford yesterday, but, in that short time, I manged to see 8 darvic-ringed Black-headed Gulls and a single metal-ringed bird. Along with this, I also managed to add a possible new breeding record for a damselfly species!

The birds seen were: 258A, 245C, 258C, 279C (a new, 1st-winter bird, ringed on Saturday), 215F (the first sighting since being ringed in October 2024),  217F ( my first sighting since February 2025), 239F (first sighting since January 2025) and 2V10 (my first sighting, since being ringed on 1st February 2025). The metal-ringed bird, a 1st winter, was seen, but not identified, as it flew off before I could read the ring! 

279C

215F

217F

239F

2V10

In addition to the gulls, there were also c100 Canada Geese, 4 Greylag Geese, 1 Kingfisher, 5 Mute Swans (Broken Beak, his partner and 3 cygnets), and 3 Willow Emerald Damselflies, including 1 pair egg laying - my first record here!!!

Willow Emerald Damselflies