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.