Lesser Black-backed Gull

A regular visitor to the reservoir at all times of the year, rarely in large numbers.

29/03/62 - 25 birds. (DEP)

14/11/63 - 2 birds

03/05/64 - 2 birds. 2 birds also on 20/08 & single sightings on many other dates

17/03/66 - 2 birds

08/09/66 - 3 birds

27/05/67 - 4 birds. 4 birds also seen on 06/08

01/07/71 - 4 birds

31/08/72 - 2 birds

No available information between 1973 & 1994

17/03/95 - 6 birds

20/12/96 - 2 birds

27/07/97 - 3 birds. 8 birds seen on 18/08

07/03/98 - 49 birds including 40 adults, with possibly more passing straight through

12/01/99 - 3 birds

??/03/99 - 11 birds

??/05/99 - 6 birds. 2 or 3 birds regularly seen through to the end of the year

2000 - March described as a good month then 6 on 02/12

21/02/01 - 7 birds

27/02/02 - 13 birds

09/03/02 - 16 birds

05/11/02 - 9 birds

08/12/02 - 12 birds

06/03/03 - 6 birds

14/03/04 - 16 birds

14/04/04 - 8 birds

20/04/04 - 10 birds

16/05/04 - 13 birds

15/03/05 - 10 birds

2006 - up to 12 through the year with 19 on 23/03 and 18 on 06/12

2007 - Regular with maximum of 8 in March and April

2008 - Often small numbers with max 34 on 31/03/08. A pair bred on a raft, but the chicks disappeared when still quite small. One of the breeding adults was seen to attack a Great Crested Grebe adult that also had chicks. A juvenile colour ringed bird with the code FZ was seen on 07/08 and proved to have been ringed in Bristol on 01/07/2008

2009 - Regular in very small numbers with 26 on 24/04/09. 2 birds with darker than average backs seen in December

2010 - Max 21 seen on 22/02, 04/03 and 22/03. One dark mantled bird on 24/01

2011 - Mostly single figures through the year with max 15 on 04/05 and 13 on 19/04 and 20/04. Single Intermedius types on 08/10, 15/08, 04/05

2012 - Seen almost daily usually in single figures, occasionally up to 19, exceptionally 50+ on 24/07, 36 on 26/07 and 45 on 18/08

2013 - Single figures seen most days with up to 17 apart from 36 on 01/04

2014 - Single figures recorded daily with up to 14 on 20/03

2015 - Seen almost daily usually in single figures, max 19 on 10/04

2016 - Seen almost daily usually in single figures, numbers peaking in April with max of 16 on 13/04

2017 - Seen almost daily usually in single figures, max 30 on 08/07

2018 - Seen regularly in small numbers, but very good numbers in July with more than 50 on 5 dates in the first half of July with a record breaking max of 79 on 05/07

2019 - Seen almost daily usually in single figures, with maximum 41 on 26/07. Up tp 4 very dark backed birds were seen during April probably of the scandinavian race 'Intermedius'. Conveniently some Great Black-backs were also present for comparison. The backs of both species appeared to be similarly dark

2020 - Seen almost daily usually in single figures, with maximum 21 on 18/05

2021 - Seen almost daily usually in single figures, with maximum of 39 on 08/06

2022 - Seen almost daily usually in single figures, with maximum of 30 adults on 10/07 when there were also 750 Herring Gulls present

2023 - Seen almost daily usually in single figures, with maximum of 16 on 22/05