Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus)

Status at Longham Lakes
Regular winter and early spring visitor, with numbers peaking in March.

1st recorded on 7th April 2004.

High counts prior to 2010:
1. 2 2nd-summers on the Quarry on 21st April 2004.
2. 2 2nd-summers over the Quarry on 1st May 2007 (a curious parallel).
3. 4 in the Quarry, 27th February 2009.
4. 10 on 11th March 2009, all adults and all in pairs.

2014: The first juvenile for the site was seen on 12th July (George Green).

Numbers began to increase significantly with the filling of Longham Reservoir South in February 2009.

2010: 1 on 15th January, then 2 on 17th March, no less than 30 on 30th March, 15 on 2nd April and at least 10 on 7th April.

2011: Several seen hawking for insects over LR South with Black-headed Gulls, 6th June (Trevor Thorpe).

2012: A remarkable series of counts in March: 15 on 3rd, 20 on 10th , 70+ on 17th and 40 on 24th (Chris Parnell, George Green).

2015: Extraordinary numbers appeared in March and April, often large numbers of calling and displaying pairs. Longham seems to be a temporary meeting ground for the birds that breed in Poole Harbour. 50+ were seen on 9th March, then 131 on 13th, 200 on 17th, 95 on 22nd and then 209 on 2nd April. Numbers quickly dropped after that.

Mediterranean Gulls, Longham Lakes, March 2012 (Chris Parnell)