Ring readers update - The Severn Estuary Gull Group

In days of old, before email, there was snail mail and getting information on ringing recoveries from the BTO was a somewhat lengthy progress. Today however things are thankfully different. On the weekend I got round to reporting the two colour ringed herring gull recorded at Bryn Bach Parc earlier this month via a link on the BTO website. I was more than impressed therefore to receive, within a couple of days, all relevant ringing/sighting information from Peter Stewart of The Severn Estuary Gull Group. Here's a summary:

1) Colour Ring: Blue MDB. Metal Ring: GR06391. Born: 2010. Ringed: Gloucester Landfill Site (SO8318). Date: 12/02/11.

Multiple encounter history at Gloucester Landfill Site until 11/08/11. Relocated at Grundons Landfill Site, Gloucester (SO9328) on 26/11/05. Then Bryn Bach Parc, Gwent on 12/02/2012.

2) Colour Ring: Blue 099: Metal Ring: GN84195. Born: 2004. Ringed: Gloucester Landfill Site (SO8318):  Date: 26/11/05.

Two subsequent sightings at Gloucester Landfill Site in 2006 no further records until Bryn Bach Parc, Gwent on 05/02/2012.

Peter was kind enough to provide me with the most recent (2010) bulletin of The Severn Estuary Gull Group  which is a very interesting read, if, like me, you've developed a liking for gulls. Amazingly Peter deals with around 15,000 colour ringed gull reports per year just for the Severn Estuary Gull Group alone.