Torreira - Sao Jacinto beached bird and mammal transect (February 25, 2015)

Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba # 1 No, a Common dolphin Delphinus delphis




Tail entangled?




Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba #2 No, scientists are still trying to ID this one...




Tail cut off? Carcasses were reported to CRAMQ, who picked them up this morning for investigation. Unfortunate for the Greater Black-backed gulls which had found them first.




Yet another domesticated animal on the transect, a dog.

Finally!! A glass float! With original Japanese oysters attached to it!?

Photos from the island Rottumerplaat: July 1 - August 8th (the end)

 Herring Gull Larus argentatus, with part of its tongue sticking out of its throat (for Antonio’s collection)

 Incubating Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea

Colour-ringed Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia. After this season I don’t see the point anymore in reading Dutch colour-ringed Spoonbills, since I rarely get a reply on these reports.

 

Beached Northern Gannet Morus bassanus

 

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica chicks in their nest.

  

D.I.Y. paradise

 

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (in the back) overlooking potential prey

 

Good reproduction this year for Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

 

Not all large gull chicks made it to fledging. One of our four Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus nests (after the harrier chicks fledged), containing remains of several large gull chicks.

Lost racing pigeons, all hatched in 2014, and a rabbit born in the same year

 

Beached Greater Black-backed Gull Larus marinus

 

 

 Common Swifts Apus apus sheltering on our observation tower for incoming bad weather

Gullrings at the Eirol landfill, Aveiro (Portugal): March 3, 2014

Today Pedro Moreiro and I visited the Eirol landfill. We searched for rings between 7:15 and 14:15. There were a few short showers spread out over this period, but most of the time it stayed dry. It was also rather windy. There were fewer gulls present than during our previous visit; about 19.000 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2000 Black-headed Gulls, 150 Yellow-legged Gulls, one Greater Black-backed Gull and one Mediterranean Gull. We counted 15 Black Kites, which regularly flushed the gulls and by the time of our departure had pretty much claimed the pit, making it difficult to read anymore rings. 41 rings were read. Some of today’s photos:

Adult Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus, from the UK.

Adult Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus

Immature Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus, from Scotland.

Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus, from The Netherlands.

 Immature Greater Black-backed Gull Larus marinus.

GBBG BLACK JP918 @ Rottumeroog

The fourth colour-ringed Norwegian Greater Black-Backed Gull read at a Harbour Seal carcass this summer at Rottumeroog (June 22).

Keep them coming..!

On May 26 a third colour-ringed Greater Black-backed Gull showed up at the remains of a dead seal at Rottumeroog. Another one from Norway (Black JY190), here seen standing in front of JP873.

 

 

Larus marinus feeding frenzy @ Rottumeroog

On May 23 a dead and marked Harbor seal Phoca vitulina washed up on the North Sea beach of Rottumeroog. The seal got reported by us.

Greater Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus readily took advantage of the carcass. 

Which we could observe from our office...

On May 24 this colour-ringed adult plumage bird showed up. Black J1038 also got reported by us and should originate from the south of Norway.

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus eats from the carcass, while in front of a subadult Greater Black-backed Gull (May 25).

On May 26 this impressive immature male showed up and occupied the carcass for some time. It was also ringed, read and reaported. Black JP873, also from the south of Norway, presumably.

Then JP873 was forced to stand in line and wait until the older and even larger birds had taken their share. About 5-9 Greater Black-backed's were present near the carcass on a daily basis, in varying sizes and plumages.

But JP873 was impatient...

...and got his ass kicked by the big boss.

E-gull, today @ 't Zuiderduin

E-gull and friends.

Unread Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).

'Bang on!'