Ringed Gull

[Pol]

I was idly watching and snapping the Gulls down at the coast yesterday and happened to notice a Common Gull with what looked like a fairly large label and ring on each leg. It didn't seem to be too bothered by the rings and labels but I couldn't help wondering if it was normal for them to be so large and relatively loose so that the ring moved freely up and down its leg.

If PeterD reads this thread maybe he can explain more about the rings and labels.

First shot (a crop) shows the bird standing on the grass. I'd originally thought it was a piece of paper in the grass but not so, it's a label on its right leg. There's another one on the left leg but not showing so clearly.



Second picci (100% crop from a distant in-flight shot) - note the printed number is the same as in the first shot



Third shot (about 60% of the frame) shows the bird lifting off



And the fouth shot (about 60% of the frame) shows it in full flight.



You can see in the flight pics how the ring can move up and down the leg(s) quite easily. The label is also visible in the full frame of all the flight pics.

Sorry they're crops but I only had the 50-135mm f/2.8 with me.

So if Peter reads this ... why are the labels so large? Could a ring get caught on anything and injure the bird's leg(s)?


Pol

[Ian]

Re: Ringed Gull

Nice pictures Pol- can't have been easy to capture.

Interesting find too - looking forward to an answer!

Ian

[Pol]

Re: Ringed Gull

Nice pictures Pol- can't have been easy to capture.

Interesting find too - looking forward to an answer!

Ian

Thanks Ian, but it was more luck than design that I happened to capture the ring+label. It wasn't difficult either as the maximum length I had was 135mm so the bird was well in the frame as I followed it taking off and flying away. I'd probably have lost it if I'd been using the 300mm.

I hadn't even noticed the ring and labels until I d/l the pic when we got home. I was about to bin them actally when I noticed the ring and attached label.

Pol

[Barr1e]

Re: Ringed Gull

Good spot Pol.
I like the last two.

Perhaps it is his/her licence on display.

We are off to the coast so i'll keep a weather eye open - you never know what we might see too.

Regards. Barr1e

[Pol]

Re: Ringed Gull

Good spot Pol.
I like the last two.

Perhaps it is his/her licence on display.

We are off to the coast so i'll keep a weather eye open - you never know what we might see too.

Regards. Barr1e

Yeah we reckoned it was probably his ticket or maybe his boarding pass or summick else he didn't want to lose so he stuffed it in his sock

The weather's been good down there for the past few days. Bright and sunny though it can sometimes be a bit breezy over the exposed marshes. The Gull pics were shot over a lake near Rye Golf Club. I'm guessing the bird was probably raised and ringed on or near the Dungeness Reserve, which is maybe 10-12 miles further along.

Have a nice time at the coast. Make the most of it whilst the weather's so good.

Pol

[Pops]

Re: Ringed Gull

You did well to get these Pol. The label does look a bit large and I suspect it is to make future identification possible from a distance. You did it with a 135mm, think how easy it would be with a 600

[David M]

Re: Ringed Gull

The label does look a bit large and I suspect it is to make future identification possible from a distance.

Yes it is, Mute Swans in North West England were being ringed like that in the 80's as part of a survey. People could then record sightings with binoculars or scopes from a distance.

The bill doesn't look right for common Gull and the leg colour's wrong.

[Pol]

Re: Ringed Gull

Yes it is, Mute Swans in North West England were being ringed like that in the 80's as part of a survey. People could then record sightings with binoculars or scopes from a distance.

The bill doesn't look right for common Gull and the leg colour's wrong.

I was in two minds about whether or not it's a Common Gull too (because of the legs) It was certainly smaller than a Herring Gull and it had a black marking on its beak (no red) - so that's why I finally decided it was probably a Common Gull.

I'm still not 100% certain though.

I see what you mean about the larger labels being easier for spotting. It could well be the reason for that label on the Gull. The location of the lake, where I took the pics, is about 10 miles from an important RSPB Observatory annd other facilities where there are always various projects going on. It's also about 12 miles from a breeding ground which is on a sand bank about a mile off shore. So maybe that particular bird is part of a recorded study?

Pol

[Pol]

Re: Ringed Gull

You did it with a 135mm, think how easy it would be with a 600

I can't use anything heavier than the 300mm at the moment so I rarely take it out and about if I'm likely to want to walk far. My choice is walk unaided to stregthen my injured leg or take longer lenses and shoot from inside or close to the vehicle. And the longer, heavier lenses risk aggravating the old injury to my left arm again anyway.

So I usually choose to walk as close as possible with good quality shorter lenses.

Pol

[Pops]

Re: Ringed Gull

Can't really match it up with any of the gulls on the rspb gull page

[Pol]

Re: Ringed Gull

Can't really match it up with any of the gulls on the rspb gull page

I'm as sure as I can be, going from the size of the bird + bill with the black marking (no red), that it's a Common Gull, possibly a young one (first year).

Pol

[Pol]

Re: Ringed Gull

I'm as sure as I can be, going from the size of the bird + bill with the black marking (no red), that it's a Common Gull, possibly a young one (first year).

Pol

Attached is a close 100% crop of the bill. Smaller Guul, no red mark on the beak (as there are with Herring Gulls). So we concluded it was a young Common Gull.


Pol

[Pops]

Re: Ringed Gull

That's good enough for me ....