Scolt Head, Gulls and Terns - 18th June 2026

A return to the breeding colony for the second year of this project working with Natural England. The colony has been closely monitored to ensure that there is no indication of any reason not to ring the birds. As always, numbers were limited by the number of people plus kit that could be accommodated in the two boats used to take everything across to the island.

We had organised a team of six ringers, CL, DKL, PWL, EMS & BIB from year one plus a local C ringer CVG. This year the Natural England contingent also included two staff with C permits so RMC and OLB also ringed birds.

We started by setting up a gazebo as a holding and ringing area and preparing the keeping boxes, and setting out ringing stations for three teams. Meanwhile a corral was set up along the beachside edge of the colony.

Once ready, half the group took up positions to direct the young Sandwich Terns towards the corral with the other half of the team walking along the outside edge of the colony and towards the corral. Many birds peeled off back into the colony but the group that was finally confined within the corral totalled 201 with only 4 too small to take a darvic ring.

Some birds remained in the corral and were brought to the ringing station later 

to limit time spent in the boxes.

Three ringing teams of three, one to ring, one prepping the darvic and a third to scribe.

The second catch for gulls involved hand catching and taking back to the base. There were plenty of people to monitor birds while in the boxes and to take them back to the colony once ringed.

We are already getting a great deal of information from the birds ringed last year.

All ringing activities conducted under appropriate licences. Images by Neil Lawton, Scolt Head warden. Many thanks to all concerned with this project.

Total: 346

Black-headed Gull - 79
Mediterranean Gull - 46 (plus 16 with metal only)

Sandwich Tern - 201 (plus 4 with metal only)