Earlier this month a red colour-ringed Mediterranean Gull was sighted at our Pembrokeshire reserve, Westfield Pill, by Dave Astins. This bird was first ringed as a pullus, which is a a young bird or nestling that is not yet able to fly, in southern Poland at the end of May last year. That's 1,000 miles in a straight line between the 2 sites. Pretty amazing! 

Westfield Pill hosts a lake, which is partly tidal, and has an area of reedbed at the northern end and muddy margins to the south. Many species of bird overwinter on this site which has now been visited by this Polish visitor. 

In the mid 20th century, the Mediterranean Gull was considered a rare visitor to the UK. However, over the latter half of the century, sightings became increasingly common as Mediterranean Gulls spread across Europe from their core range around the Black Sea. They first nested in the UK in 1968 and by 2017 the population was estimated at 1,200 pairs. They often nest amongst colonies of Black-headed Gulls on coastal wetlands.

As the name suggests, the main wintering area for much of the European population is in the Mediterranean, but many birds will spend the winter in the UK. They can often be found at coastal sites, or joining large gull roosts on inland lakes and reservoirs.