It's amazing. I have just been given the fantastic news that the first fledged black headed gulls since 2007 were seen today, thanks to the otter being about! I believe 3 young gulls took to the air during the commotion, and around 20 more took to the water, several of these looking close to fledging themselves.
It is so good to know that our small colony of gulls can fight all the odds (and predators) and protect at least some of their young long enough for them to learn to fend for themselves. These youngsters may hang around for a while, but I suspect they will start to move off to better feeding areas fairly soon, meaning the colony will decline in numbers, making it harder for the later layers to protect their young, but hopefully they will have some determination.