I had my first August visit to Rufford yesterday, to check on the gulls. After my last visit, at the end of July, gull numbers had picked up, to 52 Black-headed Gulls (10 juveniles), and I managed to see 3 of "our" green-ringed birds.
The first bird, 293A, was a familiar sight, this being the 20th record since ringing back in December 2021.
293A
The second bird, 245B, was my first sighting, since it was ringed in December 2022, at Center Parcs (2km away). The only other sighting was shortly after ringing, at Center Parcs.
245B
The third bird, 251B, was a special bird, as it was one I ringed, at Center Parcs, back in October 2022. It was aged as a 3 back then, i.e. born that year, making it just 1 year old. This sighting was the first since ringing.
251B
Other wildlife seen there included: Canada Goose (38, but no rings), Greylag Goose (4, no rings), House Martin (c.20), Swallow (6) and a single Volucella zonaria hoverfly - my first record at this site, and my first sighting of 2023.
Another of "our" gulls, 236B, a bird ringed as a pullus at Carsington Water in June 2022, was reported today. It was seen back there, so great to see another returning bird.
Another 2 birds ringed there, 233B, and 222B, had previously been reported in Cheshire in December 2022 (60km away) and in Wales in July 2022.
