Mediterranean Gull - Green AETC

I was driving along the shore of Larne Lough on Sunday afternoon and I noticed that the number of gulls has increased dramatically recently. This is the start of the annual influx to the Lough, which Neal Warnock blogged about here this time last year (here).

Calling in at the train station at Glynn to have a quick look, I bumped into Neal who was scanning the flock of gulls. There were at least 8 Mediterranean gulls on the mud, including a couple of pairs displaying. 

One of the birds was fitted with a green colour-ring, and although it was too far away for us to read the inscription, it is most likely AETC, a bird which was photographed recently on Belfast Lough by Stuarty McKee.

Photo by Stuarty McKee

This bird was ringed in Lower Saxony in Germany in May 2008 and was first seen in Northern Ireland, by Neal at Carnlough in October 2008. It was recorded back in Germany the following April, before being seen at Whitehead in October 2010.

Many thanks to NIBA for the information and to Stuarty for the photo.