This pair of colour-ringed Brent Geese (LZGH & LZGT), pictured off Leigh-on-Sea on 10 February, were ringed on Terschelling 🇳🇱 in May 2018. Since then, they’ve been regularly seen at Leigh-on-Sea in winter and at various locations on the Dutch coast in spring. 🧪🌍 #EssexBirding #BirdRinging
Black-headed Gull EFKY: Westcliff-on-Sea (Essex), 14 February 2026. It was ringed in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on 05 February 2025 and seen again there on 20 November.
It’s turnover time for Black-headed Gulls on Southend Seafront as they head to breeding grounds. Today I saw one that spent the winter in St. James’s Park, and last week one that hatched in the Lea Valley. This individual, pictured last month, was ringed in Amsterdam. #EssexBirding
This evening’s 25 km cycle to Hullbridge resulted in five Mute Swans receiving colour rings and a decent number of resightings of those ringed in previous years. #EssexBirding #LowCarbonBirding
Mute Swan 4HFI. Gunners Park, Essex. 17 February 2026.
Mute Swans 4HFI (behind) and 4HFR (in front). Gunners Park, Essex. 17 February 2026.
Resident Mute Swans at Gunners Park have changed a few times in recent years due to mortality. The current pair comprises 4HFI (a returning female who hatched on-site, ringed in July 2024) and 4HFR (a male ringed in February 2025, formerly paired with his current partner's mother). #EssexBirding
Southend Seafront
Mediterranean Gull
A cycle along Southend Seafront this afternoon produced resightings of a 2011-ringed Black-headed Gull, BHGs I’d ringed in 2022 and 2025, plus a Starling from last winter. Mediterranean Gulls looked dapper. #LowCarbonBirding #EssexBirding
Drake Smew
Redhead Smew
Black-necked Grebe
Three species of Aythya at distance: Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup and Tufted Duck
Abberton Reservoir this afternoon: Lesser Scaup, 3 Smew, Black-necked Grebe, 2 Greater Scaup, >30 White-fronted Goose #EssexBirding
One of six Coots ringed today
An Egyptian Goose who was ringed at Wimbledon Park in July 2014
Today’s visit to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens marked the end of the winter waterbird ringing season in London. We ringed 19 birds and read rings on a further 92 individuals, including a 2014-ringed Egyptian Goose and 2 Mute Swans from Surrey. @bh-wlbirding.bsky.social #birdringing #UKbirding
I’ve seen 48 ringed Black-headed Gulls in London’s Royal Parks this week. Most were ringed in London, but individuals already sporting rings had come from Finland, Czechia, Germany and Denmark. Between them, they’ve generated over 900 resightings across Europe. 🧪🌍 #UKbirding #BirdRinging
Black-headed Gull 2320: ringed as a nestling on 26 June 2013 at Hauho, Kanta-Häme, Finland (1859 km ENE). It has been a regular winter visitor to London’s Royal Parks since December 2016, where it received its colour ring in January 2024.
Recovery map for Black-headed Gull 2320
Black-headed Gull EX63686: ringed on 14 December 2011 in Hyde Park, London. Present regularly in winter in central London since, with the only exception being a sighting at Grou, Friesland, Netherlands, on 08 March 2014 (444 km ENE).
Black-headed Gull 2F12: ringed by me on 07 February 2023 at Westcliff Seafront, Essex (61 km E). It was first seen at the Serpentine three days later and has been regular in London’s Royal Parks each winter since.
Black-headed Gulls at the Serpentine constituted Monday’s farthest and oldest ring recoveries. Pictured are birds ringed in Finland (2013), London (2011), and Southend-on-Sea (2023, ringed by me). We also recorded the first British sightings of individuals ringed in Denmark and Germany. 🪶🧪🌍 (2/2)
Mute Swan 4GRF: ringed on 11 January 2024 in Dovercourt, Essex (111 km ENE). It remained there until April of the same year, being seen at Abberton Reservoir in August and September, before sightings at London’s Round Pond from February 2025 to present.
Recovery map for Mute Swan 4GRF
Egyptian Goose 1491607: ringed on 05 July 2017 at Tooting Bec Common, London (8 km S). It has since remained faithful to London travel zones 1-3.
Monday’s ring reading in London’s Royal Parks produced 161 rings read: 53 Greylag Goose, 43 BH Gull, 28 Mute Swan, 21 Coot, 6 Starling, 4 Canada Goose, 2 Moorhen, Common Gull, Egyptian Goose, Herring Gull & Woodpigeon. 22 km walked. @finchleybirder.bsky.social #LowCarbonBirding #BirdRinging (1/2)
A wonderful Woodpigeon ringed in Southend-on-Sea today. A really underrated species! #EssexBirding #BirdRinging
This morning’s ringing in central London featured Tufted Duck and Ring-necked Parakeet @bh-wlbirding.bsky.social #birdringing #UKbirding
Tufted Duck
Black-headed Gull
Mute Swan
Gadwall
22 birds ringed at Round Pond with @bh-wlbirding.bsky.social & crew today, including Tufted Duck, Black-headed Gull and Mute Swan. Plus a 2023-ringed Gadwall recaptured. #UKbirding #birdringing
Turnstones don’t usually come close enough to catch by hand at my coastal ringing sites, but this one did yesterday! #EssexBirding #BirdRinging
Firecrest at Gunners Park on yesterday’s 38 km cycle #LowCarbonBirding #EssexBirding
Adult Mediterranean Gull (2H79) with assorted gulls at Westcliff Seafront on 14/02/2026
First-winter Mediterranean Gull (2H79) during ringing at Southend Seafront on 01/02/2023
Mediterranean Gull 2H79 was leading the line at Southend-on-Sea Seafront yesterday. I ringed it there in February 2023 and it’s been seen regularly since, always within 2 km to the east, south or west. #EssexBirding #BirdRinging
35 km cycled yesterday in pursuit of ringed gulls. It’s nice to see Black-headed Gull 2F08 back for another winter at Westcliff Seafront, where I ringed it in February 2023. It visited Gothenburg (995 km NE) in April 2023. 🌍🧪 #EssexBirding #LowCarbonBirding
Red-crested Pochard in Southchurch Park yesterday. She’s been frequenting Southend’s parks for >5 years; usually found in Southchurch, often in Shoebury and occasionally in Gunners. #EssexBirding
Southend Seafront’s Starlings yesterday ~ often overlooked but quite endearing! #EssexBirding
Seven Coot received colour rings at London’s Serpentine yesterday @bh-wlbirding.bsky.social #birdringing #UKbirding
Hand-catching at the Serpentine today resulted in 17 birds ringed under licence, including the first Grey Heron in the 10 winters of @bh-wlbirding.bsky.social’s Royal Parks waterbird project! #birdringing
First-winter Caspian Gull at 60x zoom
An even more distant Little Gull offshore
Distant gulls in rainy gloom. Leigh-on-Sea produced a Caspian yesterday and three Little Gulls today. #EssexBirding
Of today’s three Firecrests at Gunners Park, two had been ringed there on 13 December. The other was a new individual. #EssexBirding #BirdRinging
Greater Scaup
30% of the Black-necked Grebe total
Gunners Park today: Greater Scaup, 10 Black-necked Grebe, Dartford Warbler & 3 Firecrest #EssexBirding
Yellow-throated Warbler in Calotmul, Yucatán, on 24 December 🇲🇽🪶
Willet and Royal Tern cruising the shoreline of Río Lagartos on 25 December 🇲🇽🪶
The pools at Río Lagartos offered close views of Greater Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper on 25 December 🇲🇽🪶
I’ve always enjoyed watching Black-and-white Warblers. This one in Zona Arqueológica de Cobá on 27 December was no exception! 🇲🇽🪶
Adult (4CY+) Common Gull
Second-winter (3CY) Common Gull
Adult and second-winter Common Gull caught by hand and colour-ringed at London’s Round Pond yesterday with @bh-wlbirding.bsky.social. Check out the difference in bare parts! #birdringing #UKbirding
♂ Gadwall ~ Kensington Gardens, London ~ 29 January 2026
♀ Tufted Duck ~ Kensington Gardens, London ~ 29 January 2026
Nice to be ringing in Kensington Gardens with @bh-wlbirding.bsky.social & co. yesterday. Hand-caught ducks included Gadwall and Tufted Duck. The former is the 6th to be ringed in 10 winters of the project. #birdringing #UKbirding
