Tuesday 9 October 2012

A Polish immigrant

I'd meant to do this post earlier this evening, but running the Azores Bird Sightings website seems to have taken over my life at the moment. Looking on enviously with what is going on over there - it's still a distant 3 weeks til I go - the London offering is pretty sobering. But, within the few miles of my flat, there is always birding potential along the River Thames.

Having got back from Ireland early afternoon yesterday, I headed out for a spot of late lunch with Karen in Greenwich. Once this was finished, while driving along the road in North Greenwich, I spotted an adult Med Gull over an Asda car park with a few Black-headed Gulls - still a notable bird in London. As it was within a mile or so of where I'd seen last week's Polish ringed bird, it wasn't surprising that it was indeed this bad boy again - and still yet to hear from the ringers, it is definitely Polish, as the bottom photo here allows you to read the ring inscription as being from Gdansk. I had to open the £1.69 loaf of bread we'd just purchased to lure it in, much to Karen's annoyance as she felt it wasted on a Polish gull. But this Med Gull, PJN0, had expensive taste.

Also, a male Black Redstart still just chilling on the Greenwich peninsular. Sometimes a bit of relaxed local stuff is a nice anecdote from the manic nature of hardcore British and Irish listing.

7 comments:

  1. Hi Rich
    I had a Polish ringed 1w Med last year in Berks - PLT2. Unfortunately, the named correspondent per the CR website doesn't respond and the Belgian? co-ordinator of this European scheme couldn't get any response from Poland either, which seems a bit pointless! If you get any success, I would appreciate a mail so that I can try again.
    Cheers, Adam

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  2. I know your frustrations Adam. It is rather annoying - I've emailed both contacts on http://medgull.free.fr/pages/coordinators.php. Also, still waiting on a Polish green-ringed Caspian Gull from last winter. I've posted a request on Birdforum and will be ringing gulls on Pitsea tip tomorrow, so if I hear anything I'll let you know. Cheers Rich

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    1. OK thanks. We get quite a few of the NTGG ringed gulls at my local gravel pit in S. Bucks. Not too surprising, as it is adjacent to the Thames.

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  3. With renewed interest, I emailed Tomasz Iciek who had responded on a CR BHG earlier and he has advised me of a new system for reporting Polish ringed birds, POLRING here: http://ring.stornit.gda.pl/default.aspx
    You might find this useful, I'm going to give it a go for my Med from last year.

    Cheers, Adam

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  4. Thanks Adam - submitted my birds through your link. Much appreciated. It says 2 working days and I'll have a response. I wait with bated breath!

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    1. Just got mine back, so presume you will too - success at last!

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  5. Magic - got mine back this a'noon. Thanks again Adam!

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