A ringed Common Gull was found dead by the Skelligs Golfcourse, Waterville, on 23rd August.
Common Gull (M.O'Clery).
Common Gulls breed at a number of island sites in Kerry, but numbers are greatly boosted in winter by birds from elsewhere in Ireland, Britain and from continental Europe. Most recent 'foreign' recoveries of ringed birds have been from Scotland, Norway and one from Poland. There have been a handful of recoveries of Common Gulls ringed in Iceland, but the one here is the first in the last 10 years or so.
The bird was ringed as a chick in June 2006, near Akureyri in north central Iceland.
The details (you can click the image for a closer view)
This bird was found some 1600km from its birthplace, and had survived 8 years. Where it had travelled in that time is anyone's guess...
FOOTNOTE: an email just in, via Jill Crosher, from Svenja Auhage, Fuglamerkingar - Icelandic Bird Ringing Centre...
"...I also found quite interesting that just a few days before (18.8.) a Common Gull ringed at exactly the same day at the same location was found dead at the Faroe Islands."
FOOTNOTE: an email just in, via Jill Crosher, from Svenja Auhage, Fuglamerkingar - Icelandic Bird Ringing Centre...
"...I also found quite interesting that just a few days before (18.8.) a Common Gull ringed at exactly the same day at the same location was found dead at the Faroe Islands."
