...enjoying some sun at the Oa reserve on Friday, as I was out on a twite survey. The bird seemed less than interested as I told it all the many things we are trying to do to ensure its survival here in south-west Scotland.
Hi Clare. Yep, they are fabulous birds, aren't they? There's around 50 pairs on Islay, which is most of the Scottish population. This population is in decline, however, and there's a great deal of work still ongoing by many people to find out exactly why. My motives and intentions are purely honourable, though I can't speak for everyone!
What a beautiful bird! Do you see many of them on Islay?
I'm not overly surprised it seemed less than interested...corvids tend to be a bit suspicious of human motives!!
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.