A spring passage of LIttle Gulls

It is easy to see why the lake at Livermere is such a magnet for visiting waterfowl and waders. Situated in an open expanse of agricultural land it is an obvious feature for any bird passing over the borderlands of west Suffolk. The lake can be particularly productive during April and May and has already turned up trumps this spring, with a sizeable passage of Little Gulls noted on April 6^th.

Varying numbers of Little Gulls had been reported from other inland waterbodies that morning, including the nearby lakes at Lackford, and I was certain that I would see some at Livermere. What did surprise me, however, was the number of individuals present, with several dozen birds passing through en route to breeding grounds in Finland, northern Russia and the Baltic States.

Almost immediately upon arriving at the lake I raised my binoculars and picked out the delicate dancing forms of the Little Gulls, swooping and darting about in a tern-like fashion to pick food from the water’s surface. By comparison, the more familiar Black-headed Gulls that were also present seemed almost cumbersome in their movements, less agile on the wing and with a greater tendency to bicker among themselves. Some of the older Little Gulls showed a dark underwing, a character that becomes more prominent with age and which can usefully be used when picking the birds out from among other gulls. In with the second-year and adult plumaged birds were a number of first-years, sporting a black tail band and bold black ‘W’ pattern extending across the wings and back. This is another useful feature that can be used in the field. Mind you, the general feel of these birds is very different from other gull species and they are pretty easy to spot once you know what you are looking for. Little Gulls are dainty birds. With a wingspan some 20-30% shorter than seen in Black-headed Gull, they are the smallest of the World’s gulls. This goes some way to explaining their tern-like jizz and the light, almost dancing, flight. Unlike terns, however, they show quite rounded wings, a feature that is further accentuated by the pale tips to the longest of their flight feathers.

An inland movement of this size is unusual but not unprecedented and, since 1994, there has been a tendency for increased numbers to pass through our region on spring passage. Individuals also appear on the coast at this time of the year, and Titchwell is a favoured site a little later into Spring, regularly attracting a couple of dozen birds. In 2007, Little Gulls made a nesting attempt at Titchwell, only the fifth British record. Who knows what might happen this year?

Lingering Little Gulls bring hope of future breeding

There have been small numbers of little gulls reported from around the coast of Norfolk over recent weeks, a pattern that has become increasingly common throughout the last few years. The little gull is the smallest of our gull species and may be encountered at any time of the year. However, peak numbers are seen during the periods of spring (April to May) and autumn (August to November) passage, as individuals move between the breeding grounds and wintering areas that extend from the southern Irish Sea south to Morocco. There appear to be three distinct breeding populations and it is the westernmost of these, stretching from northwest Russia to southern Scandinavia, that is probably the source of our birds. Interestingly, even though this breeding population has been in decline, it has also shown an expansion westwards (bringing breeding birds into the Netherlands) and this may be why we are increasingly seeing little gulls lingering into the summer months beyond spring passage.

A more detailed examination of these lingering individuals seems to suggest that they are immature birds which presumably do not return to the breeding grounds until they reach maturity. Nevertheless, breeding has been attempted four times in Britain, with one pair getting as far as producing a clutch of three eggs at Rush Hill, Hickling in the summer of 1978. As with the other three nesting attempts, this one failed, most likely through predation. At breeding colonies elsewhere in Europe, little gulls often associate with other gull species, notably black-headed gulls, but they will also associate with marsh terns and avocets. Nesting sites are often alongside shallow freshwater pools, from which the gulls take a range of invertebrate food. Outside of the breeding season, the gulls become essentially coastal or marine in habits, switching to marine invertebrates and small fish.

Most of the birds that are here now will have arrived through the Channel and southern North Sea but observations demonstrate that other birds filter up the west coast of England and then make an overland crossing to bring them into the North Sea. Such overland crossings might seem unusual for a seabird but a number of species are known to use such shortcuts. In the case of the little gull, there are well-documented and annual movements overland, with birds gathering in the Camargue region of southern France before crossing continental Europe to reach the more northerly breeding grounds. The question of whether the species will ever breed here successfully will ultimately be determined by how well the breeding populations in the Netherlands and southern Scandinavia do. If they become well—established then I would expect to see a handful of pairs breed here over the coming decades.