Common Gull

Common Gull

Larus canus Stormmáfur

Common Gulls were present in most surveys, with the exception of surveys in late-May, June and July, when almost no birds were recorded. In the spring, birds mainly used the survey area for foraging during low tides. A peak count of 83 birds was recorded on 3rd April. There was an influx from the last week of August onwards, when up to 65 birds were recorded, and Common Gulls were present on almost all of the surveys between then and the last survey on 25th October. In general, Common Gulls were present on the estuary in much greater numbers during low tide surveys, compared to rising tide surveys

Number of individuals 100 80 60 40 20 0 Low-tide Rising-tide

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Week number and month

Figure 3-107. Number of Larus canus recorded during weekly low tide and rising tide estuarine surveys in the Andakíll Ramsar site between 12th March and 25th October 2017.

Figure 3-108. Relative abundance of Larus canus during weekly (a) low tide and (b) rising tide estuarine surveys in the Andakíll Ramsar site between 12th March and 25th October 2017. Dots are randomly positioned within each subsite. While each dot refers to a single bird, it refers to the bird’s presence in that subsite only, and not the bird’s actual location.

(a) Low tide (b) Rising tide

(a) Spring (b) Autumn

Figure 3-109. Relative abundance during (a) spring and (b) autumn of Larus canus counted on twiceweekly estuarine surveys in the Andakíll Ramsar site in 2017. Spring = 12th March - 7th June; Autumn = 12

th June - 25th

October. The number of dots in each subsite refers to the total number of bird-records (from weekly low tide and rising tide surveys) in spring and autumn, adjusted for the length of the season, and reflects the species’ abundance in that season, not the specific location of birds.

Figure 3-110. Proportion of foraging and roosting Larus canus during weekly (a) low tide and (b) rising tide estuarine surveys in six subsites in the Andakíll Ramsar site between 12th March and 25th October 2017.

(a) Low tide (b) Rising tide