Med Gull at breeding grounds

An adult Mediterranean Gull was at the Black-headed Gull breeding site on the Lagoon this morning, the first I've seen at the reserve all winter. Last year was the first time that Meds successfully bred anywhere in Wales so I'm hoping for a repeat this year.

Mediterranean Gull

Also present were two ringed Black-headed Gulls (White 2K61 and 2N27), both from Slimbridge, and ringed in 2007 and 2010 respectively as chicks. It'll be interesting to see if they stick around to breed.

On the Saline Lagoon there was a ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull, initially ringed at a landfill site in Gloucestershire in the winter of 2008, it has also been seen regularly during the summer along the west coast of Portugal.

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Blue CVX

Also present here were four Spotted Redshank, ten Greenshank, 18 Redshank, 379 Black-tailed Godwit, a Grey Plover, a Snipe and 85 Wigeon.

In the Millennium Wetlands I saw my first butterflies of the year; five Brimstone, two Small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock.

Peacock