The summer build-up of Med Gulls on the Ceredigion coast is well established now, and quite a few of them are ringed. Reading ring numbers helps us to understand the seasonal movements of these birds, and white ringed 39V7 has been seen probably more often than most.
Ringed as a pullus near Antwerp, on 16/06/2008, 39V7 and still present there on 10/7, the next sightings were not until 05/01/2010, when the bird was near Lisbon, moving to Pas-de-Calais, where it was noted on several dates in April.
First appearance in Ceredigion; Llanon on 07/08/2010 (ES)
Only one sighting in 2011, well inland in the Loire valley near Tours on 19th March.
August 2012 saw 39V7 at Aberystwyth on several days (CB), moving on to Lisbon by 26/10.
In 2013, at Antwerp on 1st July, then Aberystwyth on 23rd Aug (ASP)
Similar pattern in 2014, Antwerp on 8th April, then Llansantffraed on the early date of 26th June (JAD, ASP)
On 7th Feb 2015 the bird was again near Lisbon, next seen at Aberystwyth on 11th Aug (CW).
First sighting in Spain on 28th Jan 2016 at Gijon, Asturias, then just over the border at Ciboure, Pyrenees-Atlantiques on 13th Feb. before appearing at Aberystwyth on 15th July(CB).
Only one sighting in 2017, at Aberystwyth on 22nd July (CB).
2018. Antwerp on 17th April then a series of records at Aberystwyth from 30th July to 9th Sept (CB, JAD)
Finally, after a series of records from the Somme, northern France in March -April this year, 39V7 appeared back at Aberystwyth last Wednesday, 10th. (CB).
Observers: Chris Bird (CB), John Davis (JAD), Harry Pepper (ASP), Liz Snell (ES), Chemij Wasel (CW).