Whilst in Jizan this winter I saw a number
of Lesser Black-backed Gull (Baltic Gull) Larus fuscus fuscus. This species
winters in the southwest coast around Jizan with a number of ringing recoveries
of birds ringed in Sweden and Finland from this area as well as a satellite
tracked bird that spent the winter there. Laura was ringed in Umea,
Sweden at her breeding habitat, an archipelago with brackish water outside the
Ume River Delta "Holmsunds skärgård". She was fitted with a satellite
transmitter to record her movements and named Laura. The route Laura has used
is shown on the map below and until now she has visited (or passed) the
following countries outside Sweden: Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia
(Kaliningrad), Poland, Estonia, (Belarus), (Ukraine), (Moldovia), Turkey,
(Cyprus), Israel and Saudi Arabia. She passed the Turkish mountains at 1590
metres above sea level and her highest speed has been 94 kilometres per hour.
She passed through Europe in two days with only one stop over at the Black Sea
coast of Turkey. Laura took just a short rest after reaching the Red Sea coast
and continued her flight along the western coast of Saudi Arabia passing Jeddah
before heading on to Jizan. Laura arrived in Jizan Province (Al Sehi) on 21
September and has remained in the same location since indicating this may be
her wintering ground? This bird, the ringing recoveries and out field
observations show that plenty of Baltic Gulls winter in the extreme southwest
of the Kingdom. Unfortunately despite active searching we could nt find any
birds with Darvi rings this trip.
