More than 200 juvenile Black-headed Gulls are now wearing distinctive black colour rings with four digit white lettering on their right legs. The birds were ringed in June 2021 and 2022 at a colony on Dallowgill Moor, North Yorkshire with the help and support of the Nidderdale Moorland Group. Please watch out for these birds as they disperse from the colony and let us know when and where you saw them.
Below, a juvenile BHG with newly fitted black colour ring 21TV. Next to this is a photograph of one of the strings of black colour rings used on the day.
Ringing in progress, the colony and BHG 21KT
Tracy Johnson 
Below is a distribution map of BHG’s ringed at the colony on Dallowgill Moor and spotted elsewhere.
Black-headed Gull 22CJ (metal ring EM06825)
Ringed on 11 June 2022 this gull was spotted at Hammonds Pond, Upperby, Carlisle on 18 January 2023 having travelled 113km (70 miles in a NNW direction). On 25 February it was spotted again, but this time at Rodley Nature Reserve in Leeds travelling 39km (23 miles) in a S direction from Dallowgill Moor and 142km (88 miles) in a SE direction from Hammond’s Pond.
Black-headed Gull 22PA (metal ring EM06970)
Dave Murray 
BHG 22PA ringed on 11 June 2022 was spotted at its favoured wintering grounds of Queens Park, Crewe on 19 January 2024 having been seen at this same site multiple times during December and January 2022 and 2023. Its black hood is beginning to show.
The last sighting was on 1 March 2024 and now starting to look rather smart in its breeding plumage. Queens Park, Crewe is 126km (79 miles) in a SSW direction from its original ringing site at Dallowgill.
Black-headed Gull 21FL (metal ring EA76025)
BHG 21FL ringed on 12 June 2021 and spotted at Ripon City Wetlands on 31 October 2021 just 14km (9 miles) from the original ringing site.
Black-headed Gull 21KX (metal ring EA76073)
BHG 21KX ringed on 12 June 2021 and sighted at Roundhay Park, Leeds on 14 November 2021 a mere 35km (22 miles) SSE of its original ringing site.
Black-headed Gull 21JJ (metal ring EA76108)
BHG 21JJ ringed on 12 June 2021 and sighted at Condor Pool on 23 April 2023 having travelled 74km (46 miles) in a W direction before moving onto Ballyheigue in Kerry, Eire where it was sighted on 10 September 2023 having travelled 575km (357 miles) in a WSW direction from the original ringing site,
Black-headed Gull 21JN (metal ring EA76128)
BHG 21JN ringed on 12 June 2021 and sighted at Parton Beach and Bay on 11 and 25 August 2023 having travelled 132km (82 miles) in a WNW direction from Dallowgill Moor
Black-headed Gull 22CL (metal ring EM06813)
BHG 22CL ringed on 11 June 2022 and sighted at Washington on 2 July 2023 have travelled 88km (55 miles) in a N direction.
Black-headed Gull 22CF (metal ring EM06812)
BHG 22CF ringed on 11 June 2022 and sighted at Condor Pool, Condor Green on 4 April 2023 and 7 May 2023 having travelled 74km (46 miles) in a W direction.
Black-headed Gull 21PJ (metal ring EA76098)
BHG 21PJ ringed on 12 June 2021 and sighted at Middlemarsh Farm on 1 April 2022 having travelled 171km (106 miles) in a SE direction.
Black-headed Gull 21TV (metal ring EM06903)
Ringed on 11 June 2022 and sighted at Castle Island, Ashington on 7 August 2023 having travelled 115km (71 miles) in a N direction.
Black-headed Gull 21AT (metal ring EM06829)
Jon @Lancsbirder 
Ringed on 11 June 2022 and sighted at Seaforth NR, Merseyside on 10 June 2023 having travelled 113km (70 miles) in a SW direction.
Black-headed Gull 21AN (metal ring EA76053)
@sudswatcher 
Ringed on 12 June 2021, this BHG was sighted at Seaton Sluice on 15 October 2023 some 107km (66 miles) N of its ringing site.
Black-headed Gull 22FK (metal ring EM06819)
Brian Henderson 
BHG 22FK ringed on 11 June 2022 and sighted at Bishop Burn on 12 October 2022 having travelled 230km (143 miles) in a WNW direction.
Black-headed Gull 22VK (metal ring EA76191)
Isaac Ogden 
22VK ringed on 11 June 2022 this BHG was seen at Pentle Rock, Tresco on 2 July 2023 having travelled 559km (347 miles) in a SW direction.
Black-headed Gull 22AF (metal ring EM06838)
Cesar Gonzalez Antonio Gutiérrez
Ringed on 11 June 2022 and spotted at San Lorenzo Beach, Gijon, Asturias, Spain on 27 January 2023 having travelled 1223km (760 miles) in a SSW direction. and again later at Lago Beach, Xove, Lugo, Spain on 10 February 2023, slightly further west than the original find.
Black-headed Gull 21VT (metal ring EM06804)
Ringed on 12 June 2021 was spotted at Sale Water Park on 25 January 2023 travelling 85km (53 miles) in a SSW direction.
Black-headed Gull 22LH (metal ring EM06953)
Ringed on 11 June 2022 this gull flew to Northern Spain and was spotted on 20 January 2023 at Ria de Foz, Galicia, Northwest Spain and then at Lago, Xove, Lugo on 3, and 7 March 2023travelling 1248km (775 miles) in a SSW direction, before travelling to and being seen at Katwijk, Zuid-Holland on 10 May 2023!! That is 459km (285 miles) in a ESE direction from Northern Spain. Wow!!!
Black-headed Gull 22CJ (metal ring EM06825)
Ringed on 11 June 2022 this gull was spotted at Hammonds Pond, Upperby, Carlisle on 18 January 2023 having travelled 113km (70 miles in a NNW direction.
Black-headed Gull 21TX (metal ring EA76164)
Christopher Bill 
Ringed on 12 June 2021 and seen at Washington WWT on 14 January 2023 some 86km (54 Miles) in a NNE direction.
Black-headed Gull 21KL (metal ring EA76136)
Ringed on 12 June 2021, this BHG was spotted at Tittesworth Water, Leek on 24 December 2022 some 111km (69 miles) in a SSW direction.
Black-headed Gull 21CH (metal ring EA76056)
Bill Aspin 
Ringed on 12 June 2021 and seen at Brockholes Nature Reserve, Lancashire on 17 December 2022 having travelled 70km (44 miles) in a SW direction.
Black-headed Gull 22PA (metal ring EM06970)
Dave Murray
Ringed on 11 June 2022 and seen at Queens Park, Crewe on 12 December 2022 and then multiple times with a last sighting on 29 December 2023 having travelled 126km (79 miles) in a SSW direction. See again on 15 December 2022 and on 1 January 2023 both at Queens Park.
Black-headed Gull 21PC (metal ring EA76097)
Mark Whorley
Ringed on 21 June 2021 and seen at Hay A Park, Knaresborough on 10 October 2022 having travelled 22km (14 miles) in a SSE direction).
Black-headed Gull 22HF (metal ring EM06864)
Ringed on 13 June 2022 and seen at Dundrum North Inner Bay, Co Down on 5 October 2022 and on the 8 October having travelled 269km (167 miles) in a W direction.
Black-headed Gull 22LV (metal ring EM06962)
Ringed on 11 June 2022, this juvenile was spotted at the Camel Estuary, Wadebridge on 30 September 2022 and again on 7 October 2022having travelled 454km (282 miles) in a SSW direction.
Black-headed Gull 21AP (metal ring EA76014)
Ringed on 12 June 2021 the BHG was spotted at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham on 26 March 2022 having travelled 134km (86 miles) in a SSE direction.
21AP was later seen at Seaforth Nature Reserve on 3 June 2022, 10 August 2022 and 13 July 2023 having travelled 145km (90 miles) in a WNW direction from Holme Pierrepont and 112km (70 miles) in a SW direction from its original ringing site.
Black-headed Gull 21HX (metal ring EA76116 )
David Nixon 
Ringed on 12 June 2021, this juvenile BHG was spotted at Ballywalter Harbour, Down Northern Ireland on 28 January 2022 having travelled 248km (154 miles) in a WNW direction.
Black-headed Gull 21JK (metal ring EA76106 )
Stephen Welch 
Ringed on 12 June 2021, this juvenile BHG was spotted at Seton Sands, near Edinburgh on 14 October 2021 having travelled 220km (137 miles) in a NNW direction from the Dallowgill Moor colony. This is the second BHG ringed at the colony to find its way to Seton! How many more have gone in that direction?
Black-headed Gull 21PN (metal ring EA76151)
Ringed on 12 June 2021, this juvenile BHG was spotted at Shibdon Pond, Blaydon, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear on 28 September 2021 having travelled 93km (58 miles) in a N direction from the Dallowgill Moor colony.
Black-headed Gull 21NV (metal ring EA76093)
Stephen Welch 
Ringed on 12 June 2021, this juvenile BHG was spotted at Seton Sands, near Edinburgh on 9 September 2021 and then a little further east at Gosford Sands on 12 September 2021, having travelled 220km (137 miles) in a NNW direction from the Dallowgill Moor colony. The observer, Stephen Welch, was intrigued that he had found a bird from Yorkshire as nearly all of his 72 sightings in the area from the last year had been locally ringed birds!
21NV as seen at Gosford Sands on 12 September 2021
Stephen Welch
East Dales Ringing Group 