There are two forms of the Yellow-legged Gull, Larus
michahellis (named after the German zoologist Karl
Michahelles) which breeds in the Mediterranean, and Larus
atlantis typically from the European Atlantic seaboard.
Birds breeding in Portugal and the Atlantic coast of Galicia
are sometimes considered to be a third form Larus lusitanius.
Atlantic Ocean birds have darker wings and back by
comparison, creating a more pronounced contrast to the white
parts. Yellow-Legged Gull was promoted to category 'A' of
the British List in 2007 as a full species.
There have been around 220 Yellow-legged Gulls reported from
S. Gloucestershire;
2012: (1)
A
1st winter was seen at New Passage on January 15th and
presumably the same individual was present on February
13th;
2011: (7)
On February 12th a winter adult was seen at the yacht club
at Oldbury Power Station early morning; A 3rd summer was
roosting on shingle off Severn Beach on May 8th; A 2nd
summer was seen on Lagoon III at Oldbury Power Station on
June 11th; One was noted at Shortwood Landfill on August
1st; An adult was seen on Littleton Warth on August 13th; An
adult was seen in flight heading west at Aust Cliffs on
September 17th; A 1st winter was noted at New Passage on
October 10th;
2010: (c.5)
A
3rd summer was seen in the New Passage/ Northwick Warth area
on April 24th; A juvenile was present at New Passage on July
8th. At Shortwood Landfill in November a 1st winter was
present on the 30th, in December an adult on the 8th with
two adults on the 21st - 22nd. (Peter Rock)
2009: (7)
An adult was present at Severn Beach on March 2nd; A 2nd
summer was present at Oldbury Power Station on July 12th; An
adult was present at the roost on Lagoon III at Oldbury
Power Station on July 18th; A juvenile was seen at Oldbury
Power Station on July 20th; An adult was present at Oldbury
Power Station on Lagoon III on July 22nd & 23rd; An adult
was present at New Passage on July 24th; A juvenile/ 1st
winter was reported at New Passage on August 23rd.
2nd summer and adult Yellow-legged Gull at Oldbury Power
Station. July 2009. Pete Hazelwood
Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull (foreground) and adult at
Oldbury Power Station. July 2009. Matt Plenty.
2008: (4)
An adult was present at Severn Beach on May 8th; A 3rd year/
moulting adult was present on Lagoon III in the evening at
Oldbury Power Station on July 17th and again in the morning
on July 19th; A juvenile was noted at Oldbury Power Station
on July 30th; An adult was seen at New Passage on November
9th; An adult was at New Pill south of Severn Beach on
December 8th; An adult was seen at New Passage on December
11th - 12th.
At Shortwood Landfill birds noted in January were
individuals on the 5th, 8th, 16th, 23rd, 28th and 30th, two
were present on the 17th, in February two on the 2nd & 11th,
singles on the 18th, 21st & 28th, in March one on the 19th,
in April one on the 17th, in August one on the 30th, in
October two on the 14th and in November one on the 5th. (P
Rock)
Yellow-legged Gull at Oldbury Power Station. July 2008. Matt
Plenty & Pete Hazelwood.
2007: (c.5)
Two, a 1st winter and an adult were seen at Severn Beach on
August 18th with the 1st winter lingering until August 19th
- 20th; At Shortwood Landfill birds noted in November were
two on the 16th and 0ne 0n the 20th. December birds were
seen on the 4th, 5th, 7th and 11th. (Peter Rock)
2006: (3)
A
3rd summer was present at Severn Beach on August 5th; A
juvenile was reported from Oldbury Power Station on August
10th; A juvenile was seen at Severn Beach on August 26th.
2005: (c.5)
A
1st winter was seen at New Passage on January 20th; An adult
was present at Severn Beach on January 25th, 29th and 31st;
In February and adult was seen at Severn Beach on the 9th
with two present on the 11th; In March an adult was noted at
Severn Beach on the 9th, 13th, 24th and 31st; On July 4th an
adult was present at New Passage; An adult was reported at
Oldbury Power Station on August 21st; A 1st winter was seen
at New Passage on September 9th.
2004: (c.7)
An adult was seen at New Passage on January 4th and 7th; An
adult was noted roosting in fields north of Northwick Refuse
Site on January 15th; One was seen flying down river at
Oldbury Power Station on January 24th; A 3rd year was
roosting on the Shingle Island off Severn Beach on February
15th and again at Northwick Warth on February 25th; A 3rd
summer was seen on the Shingle Island off Severn Beach on
August 3rd and 6th; A juvenile was noted at New Passage on
September 18th; An adult was present at New Passage on
October 13th; An adult was seen at Severn Beach on December
8th and 14th.
2003: (c.6)
Two were present at Oldbury Power Station in July; An adult
was present at New Passage on July 31st; An adult was seen
at New Passage on September 30th; An adult was seen at New
Passage on November 13th; An adult was noted at Severn Beach
on November 25th; An adult was seen on December 19th at
Severn Beach.
2002: (c.15)
Reports for this year come from Oldbury Power Station and
Severnside: OPS: Reports were of one in January, February,
June, August, September and November, two in October and
three in July; Severnside: An adult was seen on Northwick
Warth on January 4th; An adult was present from November
16th - 30th at New Passage/ Severn Beach; An adult was seen
on December 6th and 8th at Northwick Warth.
Yellow-legged Gull at Harnhill Tip, Elberton. November 2002.
Chris Trott.
2001: (c.25)
Reports for this year come from Oldbury Power Station and
New Passage: OPS: One was present in January, four in July
and August and two in November and December; New Passage:
Six were present in January, two in July, eight in August,
six in September, one in November and three in December.
2000: (c.20)
Reports for this year come from Oldbury Power Station and
Severnside: OPS: A 2nd summer was seen on May 3rd; Single
adults were noted on nine dates between July 28th and
September 10th with three present on July 31st; Singles were
subsequently noted on October 8th and 18th, November 17th
and December 1st and 27th; New Passage: A juvenile/ 1st
winter was seen on August 18th and an adult was present on
August 19th.
1999: (c.20)
Reports for this year come from Oldbury Power Station and
Severnside: OPS: Two were seen in May, one in August, three
in September, two in October, five in November and four in
December; Severnside: Presumably Severn Beach/ New Passage/
Aust: All reports are from August with adults present on the
1st, 5th and 29th.
1998: (4)
All reports for this year come from Oldbury Power Station:
One was present in May, two in July and one in August.
1997: (c.12)
At Oldbury Power Station there were two present in January,
three in July, two in August and singles in both October and
November; An adult was seen at Littleton Warth on January
16th; On Severnside, presumably Severn Beach/ New Passage/
Aust, single adults were seen on January 12th and April
24th.
1996: (c.15)
Reports for this year come from Oldbury Power Station and
Severnside: OPS: In June adults were present on the 9th and
30th; In July there were two adults on the 17th and one on
the 31st; In August single adults were noted on the 13th,
15th and 26th, two adults were seen on the 18th, 28th and
31st and three were reported on the 11th; One was seen on
September 17th; One was noted on December 1st; Severnside:
Presumably Severn Beach/ New Passage/ Aust: Adults were seen
on July 15th, August 3rd, September 26th and December 1st.
1995: (c.15)
All reports for this year come from Oldbury Power Station
with one exception: Two 2nd summers were present on June
23rd; In July, a 2nd summer on the 12th, 14th and 25th, a3rd
summer on the 9th, 12th and 25th, two adults on the 9th and
un-aged individuals on the 12th, 25th, 26th and 29th; In
August, adults were noted on the 3rd, 5th, 13th and 25th; In
November, a 3rd winter on the 2nd and adults on the 11th,
19th and 25th; In December one was seen on the 25th. The
exception was an adult present at Littleton-on-Severn on
September 3rd.
1994: (8)
All reports for this year come from Oldbury Power Station
with one exception: In July, a 2nd summer was seen on the
16th and one un-aged on the 20th, 24th and 25th; In August,
an adult was present on the 19th with two adults on the
20th; In September, a 3rd winter was seen on the 4th and a
2nd winter on the 25th; An adult was present on December
12th. The exception was an adult reported from New Passage
on November 27th.
1993:(12)
All reports for this year come from Oldbury Power Station:
Present between August 16th - 31st with eight seen on August
16th (five adults, two 2nd year and one 3rd year); Singles
were reported on September 16th and 28th; Two were noted on
October 3rd an adult and 2nd year.
1992: (3)
All reports for this year come from Oldbury Power Station:
An adult was noted on August 10th; Two adults were present
on September 10th.
1991: (6)
All reports for this year come from Oldbury Power Station:
Two were present on March 6th; Three, a 2nd summer and two
3rd winter on August 8th; An adult was seen on October 9th.
1990: (1)
A
2nd summer was noted at Oldbury Power Station on August 5th.
1989: (1)
An adult was reported from New Passage sometime in November.
This occurrence constitutes the first record of this species
for S. Gloucestershire.