Results from the Morocco expedition

After we came home from Morocco and got used to -10 degrees and snow, the long dark evenings was used to punch the gull readings in excel. This work was more extensive than expected, which of course is most joyful. The total number of readings was about 735 of 367 different individuals. The e-mails with observations are at the moment sent to the different project managers and we are really looking forward to get the life histories and ringing informations. When this information is received and we have done some computing we will give a summary of the results as a post on this blog! The summary for the different 'countries' are as follows:

Country	Observations	Number ind.
Norway	231	99
The Netherlands	150	79
England	80	38
Belgium	71	37
Denmark	54	28
Spain	28	28*
Guernsey	25	10
Scotland	19	8
France	17	6
Germany	14	6
Iceland	9	4
Portugal	4	1
Sweden	1	1**
Unknown	32	22

*27 Audouin's Gulls and one Black-headed Gull
**Reading of metall ring

The species was dominated by Lesser Black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) followed by Audouin's Gull (Larus audouinii)

Species	Observations	Number ind.
Lesser Black-backed gull	706	338
Audouin's Gull	27	27
Mediterranean Gull	1	1
Black-headed Gull	1	1

We will end this blog with a picture of the reading that in our opinion was the best for us. This male Lesser Black-backed Gull JA8K was ringed on top of the Science building at University of Bergen. He incubated on three eggs but we do unfortunately not know who his girlfriend is. If he stick to her one more year we hopefully get more information in 2013. This picture was taken on the last observation date in Bergen 20th of August 2012.

Ringing summary for December 2011

In December we ringed a total of 33 gulls. Most Herrings but two new Black-headed Gulls was nice bringing the year total up to 11.

Species	1Y	Sub adult	Adult
Mew Gull	2	3	8
Herring gull	9	3	6
Black-headed Gull	0	0	2
SUM	11	6	16

Ringing summary for November 2011

In November we ringed a total of 62 gulls. Most Mew Gulls (33) but not far behind Herring Gulls (26). The highlight of the month was the 1Y Iceland Gull caught on the 27th. This Iceland Gull is the second to be equipped with a ring in Hordaland county. Another highlight was the Estonian Mew Gull controlled on the 22nd. This is the third Estonian Mew to be controlled in Norway.

Species	1Y	Sub adult	Adult
Mew Gull	25	3	5
Herring gull	20	3	3
Black-headed Gull	1	0	1
Iceland Gull	1	0	0
SUM	47	6	9

A map summarising all Estonian Mew Gulls found in Norway.
Black: Found dead in Kopervik south of Haugesund in February 1933
Red: Controlled in the city centre lake in Bergen January 1990
Blue: The one we controlled 22nd of November 2011.
All are ringed as pullus in Estonia and controlled in Norway their first winter.

Iceland Gull J8Y6 the 27th of October. Photo: Lars Ågren

Ringing summary for October 2011

In October we ringed a total of 70 gulls. Most Herring gulls which were our main target this month. Top of the month was of course the Glaucous Gull which was ringed 13th of October. It was only present in Bergen one day after ringing and we have unfortunately not had any readings of it yet.

Species	1Y	Sub adult	Adult
Mew Gull	28	1	1
Herring gull	22	9	6
Black-headed Gull	1	0	1
Glaucous Gull	1	0	0
SUM	52	10	8

Glaucous Gull JN666 in Bergen 14th of October

Ringing summary for September 2011

In September we ringed a total of 104 gulls. Most of them 1Y Mew Gulls which was really easy to catch on rainy days. 11 1Y Lesser Blacked-backed Gulls was also ringed before they migrated southwards. The number of Black-headed Gull is still low in Bergen this autumn. Our max. count is only 12 which explains the low number of ringed of the species this month. An urban ringed Great Blacked-backed Gull was our first, even if it was a very small one. The numbers is summarized like this:

Species	1Y	Sub adult	Adult
Mew Gull	77	0	3
Lesser Blacked-backed Gull	11	0	0
Great Blacked-backed Gull	1	0	0
Herring gull	7	2	1
Black-headed Gull	1	0	1
SUM	97	2	5

JC3K hopefully in Spain or Morocco now

Ringing summary for August 2011

A bit delayed, but here are the ringing summary for August. As table shows our focus has been 1Y Mew Gulls, most of these have been caught in Byparken (the city centre of Bergen) and Tveitevannet (a lake in one of the suburbs of Bergen).

Of the 26 1Y Mew Gulls caught the 20th of August weekend 53 percent was read in either Byparken or Tveitevannet a later date. After three weeks (the 12th of September weekend) 35 percent of the birds was still present and after one month (the 17th of September weekend) only 2 percent was present. The ringed birds are leaving the area and others arrive.

Our numbers for August are as follows:

Species	1Y	Sub adult	Adult
Mew Gull	41	4	2
Lesser Blacked-backed Gull	1	0	0
Herring gull	5	2	1
Black-headed Gull	0	0	1
SUM	47	6	4

Ringing summary for July 2011

J7Y0 nests on top of the physics building at University of Bergen.

In July we concentrated the effort of catching as many adult gulls as we could. Most of them were Mew Gulls (Larus canus) since these are the easiest species to catch. However, we also used many hours of trying to get as many adult Lesser Blacked-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus intermedius) as well. These are of special interests because they have become urban breeders in the city centre of Bergen. We first observed this nesting strategy in 2007 when one pair nested on the Science building at University of Bergen. This year the number of roof-breeding Lesser black-backed gulls (LBG) is probably closer to 20 pairs. The problem with LBG's is the time needed to catch one individual which our July number of this species indicate. On the other hand none urban breeding adult LBG's has ever been ringed in Bergen and to get information on survival and future breeding behaviour can be very interesting! The first Black-headed Gull was ringed on the 26th of July two weeks after the first individual arrived. See the blog post The black-headed gulls are back.

Our numbers for July are as follows:

Species	1Y	Sub adult	Adult
Mew Gull	1	7	28
Lesser Blacked-backed Gull	1	0	7
Herring gull	0	2	1
Black-headed Gull	0	1	0

We will come back with a blog post on our readings and controls later.

The black-headed gulls are back



J49J på plass i Bergen. Foto: Arild Breistøl


In mid July the Black-headed gulls were back in their wintering areas in the city centre of Bergen. The first one was seen 12th of July and the following days two more individuals were seen. On the 26th of July we counted 5 individuals at both Tveitevannet and Nygårdsparken. This number will certainly increase, and it will be interesting to see how large the winter population will be this year. Since the end of the 1980s the wintering population has decreased by 75 percent. The maximal count last winter was only 40 birds, so we have to hope for a better winter this year.

J49J on the picture is one of the most faithful. It breeds in a colony in Trondheim and was ringed there in 2004. On the 23rd of July it returned for its 8 consecutive winter here in Bergen.

On the 20th of July we read a metal ring on a black-headed gull that was ringed at Breiavatnet in Stavanger on the 1st of February 2010 by Alf Tore Mjøs. The same bird was also seen at Tveitevannet on the 12th of February 2011, suggesting that it also spends winters in the Bergen area. Our goal is that it will be equipped with a colour ring during the winter.

We caught and ringed our first black-headed gull of the year on the 26th of July. JHT3 as it hereafter will be called was catched by Tveitevannet.


Close-up of JHT3.

JHT3 has been ringed.

On the 2nd of August we catched another black-headed gull in Nygårdsparken. This one had been ringed with a metal ring at Tveitevannet by Alf Tore Mjøs on the 31st of December 2010. We equipped it with the colour ring JHT4. The next day it was back at Nygårdsparken.


JHT4 in the air.

JHT4 has been ringed.