Glaucous Gull - 1994

Irregular winter visitor. Not recorded in June

Mathew (1894) noted one shot at Tenby "many years ago" and another there in the winter of 1891. Lockley et al. (1949) listed singles at Solva in about 1870 and from 24 to 26 January 1913, at the Pembroke River on 28 December 1899, at Dale on 10 February 1938 and at Elegug Stacks on 14 May 1943.

One or two Glaucous Gulls have since been recorded on about 38 occasions in 16 different years up to 1992. They have mainly been seen around the coast or estuaries, particularly at sewage outfalls, but also feeding with other gulls further inland, as far as Llysyfran reservoir. The majority of the records fall into the period November to February, with usually one or two birds in each year of occurrence but, sometimes more, for example eight individuals were seen in 1983.

A hybrid, presumed to be a Gloucous/Herring Gull cross, was seen at the Gann on 22 July 1984.

Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire