Roof-top nesting gulls in Birmin

Jim Winsper is conducting a study of the roof-top nesting gulls in the West Midlands. Lesser Black-backed Gull is the principal species involved with a much smaller number of Herring Gulls. The first phase of the study involved an investigation of nesting sites in the City of Birmingham and its immediate vicinity (see Figure 1). The preliminary findings are presented below.

The following data is based on a status of Confirmed Breeding, unless otherwise stated. The criteria used to establish breeding status are those in current use by the British Trust for Ornithology in order to determine: Non-breeding, Possible breeding, Probable breeding and Confirmed breeding. This is a standard method used for all BTO breeding bird survey work. For full details of how to ascertain Breeding evidence, visit: - http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/taking_part/bevidence.htm

Location	No. of pairs	O/S Grid ref	BTO Tetrad code
Cliveland Street	11	SP071877	SP08T
Summer lane (middle)	05	SP070879	SP08T
Constitution Hill	02	SP065877	SP08T
Northwood Street	02	SP062875	SP08T
Newhall Street	03	SP065872	SP08T
Wholesale Market area	05	SP075861	SP08T
Loveday Street/Price Street	05	SP072877	SP08T
Colmore Row area	08	SP067869	SP08T
Council House-Victoria Square	06	SP066869	SP08T
Cornwall Street/Edmund Street	03	SP066870	SP08T
New Street West	01	SP068868	SP08T
New Street Central	02	SP070868	SP08T
New Street East	02	SP071867	SP08T
Corporation Street	02	SP071868	SP08T
New Street Station area	01	SP069867	SP08T
Temple Row	01	SP070869	SP08T

New Town Row/New Town area	11	SP064882	SP08U

Tame Road/Electric Avenue area	26	SP086902	SP09V

Windsor Street	06	SP080878	SP08Y
Fazeley Street	05	SP080868	SP08Y
Barn Street	04	SP080867	SP08Y

Rupert Street	14	SP084884	SP08Z

Gravelly Hill area	38	SP101901	SP19A

Colmore Row area	02	SP067869	SP08T
New Street East: Probable B.	01	SP071867	SP08T

Fazeley Street: Probable B.	01	SP080868	SP08Y

Rupert Street	01	SP084884	SP08Z

The above list totalling 163 pairs of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 5 pairs of Herring Gulls has been compiled from the recording areas: - City Centre and Zone 1. See plan of survey area and notes.

The named locations on this plan are for area reference purpose only, while the horizontal and vertical dissecting lines show the central O/S grid reference.

The central bull’s eye represents the City Centre recording zone and forms a 1x1 km square. However, as this is a dedicated area as defined by location, then this square does not fall in line with the O/S National 1x1 km grid.

St. Philips Cathedral Square off Temple Row, bearing O/S Grid reference No. SP070870

The radials, 1. 2. 3. 4. are fieldwork surveying zones only. All records within these zones will be based on the O/S National 1x1 km grid and bear a six figure O/S grid reference together with the nearest road/street location name.

North: -	St Chad’s Queensway immediately east of St Chad’s Circus.
South: -	Junction of Hinckley Street and Theatre Approach.
East: -	Junction of Moor Street Queensway and Albert Street.
West: -	Junction of Paradise Circus and Great Charles Street.

Roof-top nesting gulls in the Birmingham area