Mediterranean gull lays claim to region

But now the Mediterranean gull looks set to finally join the list of Yorkshire's breeding birds after a pair hatched three young at the RSPB's Old Moor reserve near Barnsley.

If these are successfully fledged it will be a first for South Yorkshire and the first confirmed breeding for the whole county.

The nest, on an island on the Mere at Old Moor is relatively easy to monitor unlike other nests which have been in the middle of black-headed gull colonies.

The last known breeding attempt was at St Aiden's Lake, Swillington Ings, where a pair were on eggs in the middle of a black-headed gull colony.

The nest, among thick vegetation and surrounded by black-headed gull nests was hard to see and it is not known if any of the eggs eventually hatched. In any case a spell of torrential rain is thought to have put paid to this attempt.

Another pair did hatch young at Natural England's Lower Derwent Valley reserve between York and Selby but these failed to fledge while a single bird at the RSPB's Fairburn Ings reserve hybridised on several occasions with black-headed gulls.

Whatever the eventual outcome at Old Moor this attractive gull with its breeding plumage of jet black hood, thick red bill and all-white wings, apart from a few black spots, is becoming an increasingly frequent sight across the region.

Six were present only last week along with a ring-billed and Bonaparte's gull at Chowder Ness on the Humber and they are found every winter and spring around the Holbeck Hall car park on Scarborough's South Cliff.

There has been a dramatic increase in numbers over the past year or two compared with a rather slow start.

The first successful breeding in this country was in 1968 in Hampshire but it took until the late 1990s for the UK population to reach three figures.

But this year one of the main strongholds, the RSPB's Langston Harbour reserve on the south coast, reported a record 400 nests so the Mediterranean gull's future in this country is secure.

More waders are starting to be seen on return passage across the region with seven spotted redshanks at Blacktoft Sands, six green sandpipers at Fairburn Ings and a Temminck's stint at Greatham Creek on Teesside.

Many warblers are singing again with five species, including grasshopper and garden warblers heard during one walk at Fairburn Ings suggesting that there have been many successful first broods and likely to be attempts for a second.

A singing Cetti's warbler was heard near the car park at Wheldrake Ings.

But many thousands of swifts were on the move past Spurn over the past week, with 20,800 on Sunday alone, already on their way back to Africa after the completion of their breeding season.

The latest bird report covering 2008 published by the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union is now available for 10 plus 2post and packing from Jill Warwick, Sharow Grange, Sharow, Ripon, HG4 5BN. Telephone 01765 602832 or e-mail [email protected]. Please make cheques payable to the union.

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CW 10/7/10