Mediterranean
Gull |
Little
Gull |
Kittiwake |
MEDITERRANEAN
GULL Larus
melanocephalus
Scarce, but annual winter and passage visitor.
There seems to be a slight downturn in the number of birds being seen, with six records, but probably no more than three different birds.
A juvenile was at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 19th August (KM), followed by an adult at this location five days later. What was considered the same bird was then present on three dates to 24th September (MD, BV et al). The remaining record was a 1st-winter bird found at Knotford Nook on 3rd December (SJ).
LITTLE
GULL Larus minutus
Scarce passage visitor.
The two records of this attractive gull both came from the south of the Group area.
A 1st-summer bird was seen at Elland Gravel Pits on 5th April (HBC). The other record, a 1st-year bird, was on the less typical date of 7th November, when it arrived at Leeshaw Reservoir with Black-headed Gulls, before quickly departing (PC, BV).
BLACK-HEADED
GULL Larus ridibundus
Common resident breeder and abundant passage/winter visitor.
This species was better-recorded than in the preceding year, with some good-sized winter roost numbers, evidence of post-breeding flocks, and some detail on breeding success.
The Swinsty Reservoir roost does not appear to have been checked, so all relevant data comes from Thornton Moor Reservoir, where there were significant counts during the winter periods.
January 15th 2000
January 31st 3500 February 5th 2200
February 27th 3400
November 9th 1260 November 21st 2300 November 26th 2500 December 3rd
2000 December 10th 4200 December 11th 4500 December 17th 2000
December 26th & 27th 1500
Post-breeding flocks were seen in numbers mainly in the fields around
Cullingworth, as well as Thornton Moor, and up to 870 birds could be
seen at the former location on many dates in July, and up to 500 at the
latter. In all, throughout the year and at a widespread range of locations,
there were 64 counts of more than 100 birds.
The first juvenile birds on dispersal were seen on 25th June, and, thanks to the efforts of the East Dales Ringing Group, some 450 young were ringed at the Upper Barden Reservoir colony.
COMMON
GULL Larus
canus
Common passage/winter visitor, and erratic breeder.
This species was recorded in every month but June, and from 22 locations, but, predictably, large numbers were seen only in the autumn and winter months. In fact no locality held more than twenty birds between early April and late August.
Numbers seen in both winter periods were considerably up on those reported
in 2004, but almost all the significant three or four-figure counts were
limited to Thornton Moor Reservoir.
Peak figures are as shown.
Cullingworth February 15th 1200
Norwood Bottom March 18th 800
Thornton Moor Reservoir February 27th 2100 November 21st 1000 November
26th 3500
December 3rd 2500 December 10th 1800 December 11th 2400 December 17th
1900 December 26th 1000 December 27th 1800
LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus
fuscus
Common passage migrant and occasional winter visitor.
Low numbers were noted in the first winter period, with records coming from a variety of locations, including Otley Wetland and Swinsty Reservoir. The fields around Cullingworth attracted 16 in mid -February, and, by the middle of March, migration was in evidence there and at Thornton Moor Reservoir. At the former location, March numbers peaked at 420 on the 28th, and 350 were present on 6th April.
At Thornton Moor, north-westerly passage was evident on many dates between 20th March and 28th April, with a total of about 760 birds in this period, and a peak of 145 on 28th March. Good numbers continued to be seen in the subsequent four months, most of them at Thornton Moor. Probably in excess of 3000 birds were seen there in all, with daily maxima of 121 in May, 274 in June, 343 in July, and 364 in August. By 11th September, only 32 remained, and after this date only small numbers were noted from a few sites, most frequently as fly-overs.
Records of birds
attributed to the race L.f.intermedius all came from Thornton Moor Reservoir,
where there was one bird on 13th May, three on 29th July, and another
on 4th August.
HERRING
GULL Larus argentatus
Increasingly uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor.
Although there were 50 records, such is the decline of this species in the recording area that the majority involved single figures, with a handful of submissions of up to twenty birds. The few significant counts came mainly from Thornton Moor Reservoir in the second winter period, when between 23 and 35 were noted on four occasions.
The highest count came from near Skibeden Landfill Site, Skipton, where 44 birds were seen on 23rd January. Previous Reports have attributed to the general current scarcity of some of the large gulls to the lack of landfill sites, and this, the only one remaining, is inaccessible, and its attendant gulls roost outside the recording area. The only other notable count was 34 birds moving south-west over Causeway Foot, near Denholme, on 9th January.
Two 1st-summer birds showing characteristics of the race L. a. argentatus were at Cullingworth on 9th June.
YELLOW-LEGGED
GULL Larus cachinnans
Uncommon but regular passage migrant, and occasional winter visitor.
Birds are now seen regularly on passage in the months of late summer and early autumn, usually in the company of Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
As is often the case, all this year’s records came from the fields around Cullingworth, and nearby Thornton Moor Reservoir. There were fourteen records probably involving five different birds, in addition to which three others were not backed up by a description.
A 1st-summer bird was at Cullingworth on 25th June, followed a month later by an adult there on 25th July. A different adult was found at Thornton Moor four days later, and this bird remained in the general area until 7th August. A further adult bird was there on 16th August, and what was presumably the same one was also seen at this location on the 21st and 29th of the month. The final record was of a 2nd-winter bird here on 7th October (MD, KM, DCB, BV).
GREAT
BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus marinus
Increasingly uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor.
The lack of significant numbers of birds and records continues, to the extent that 29 birds at Skibeden Landfill Site on 23rd January is the highlight!
Otherwise, records consisted of mainly single birds flying through,
with only 15 past Ogden Water on 28th December, and five at Thornton
Moor Reservoir on 16th February remotely notable.
KITTIWAKE Rissa tridactyla
Scarce passage and winter visitor.
Three records are about the norm. All came from the south of the recording area, and were of a bird at Elland Gravel Pits on 15th April (HBC), three birds at Thornton Moor Reservoir on 14th May (DCB), and one at Ogden Water on 4th August (NK).