Not far from the Farnes!

I received an email during the week from Gary Woodburn who had seen and photographed 2AAJ at Seahouses in Northumberland.

Photo by Gary Woodburn

This bird was ringed as an adult at Antrim in December 2012 and was recorded there five times during December and January last winter. It wasn't seen again until December 2013, when it was reported by Gary Platt at Antrim - the only occasion it was seen there this winter.

I wonder if it makes up one half of one of the 500 or so pairs of Black-headed Gull which breed on the Farne Islands, only a couple of miles from Seahouses.

Apart from 2AAR, which was seen in Poland last April, this is only the second report I've had of one of our study birds from outside Northern Ireland, so I was delighted to hear from Gary.

Many thanks to Gary for getting in touch and for the photo. You can visit Gary's blog by clicking here or following the link for Beadnell Birding on the side of this blog.