We had an interesting question from one of our
members recently, and thought we would share our answer on the blog.
QUESTION
Hi, I hope you are keeping well and safe in these awful days of coronavirus.
With this enforced isolation at home I have been looking out of
our waterfront window over Brunswick Dock a lot more taking pleasure in
observing birds and their behaviour. I have noticed in the early to late
evening there is a steady stream of many herring gulls flying back along the
waterfront from the direction of the estuary.
I’m presuming they are flying back inland from feeding in the
estuary but I wonder where are they going and for what reason. I also wonder
why these gulls would maybe go fishing as I perhaps see them in the city as
urban gulls scavenging and eating the leftovers from the public; much easier
pickings but maybe not since the coronavirus with few people on the streets and
the fast food outlets and restaurants closed. However, I have observed this
migration behaviour since I came to live here two years ago.
Could you or anyone at RSPB Liverpool throw any light on this? I
must admit I am getting very interested in watching gulls and their behaviour
recently.
Finally can you or anyone recommend a good book on European
gulls?
Thanks and regards
Jerry
ANSWER
Hi Jerry,
Gulls
are a very interesting subject. For starters, the big gulls we see around town
and the estuary are mostly herring gull and lesser black-backed gulls. Lots of
our black-headed gulls have moved to breeding sites, and common gulls have
moved back to northern Scotland and northern Europe.
These
large gulls used to breed on the Ribble marsh or further north on Walney
Island, but in the last two decades these clever birds have realised that we
humans waste so much food, throw it on the floor, etc., and of course there's
the rise of the large landfill sites. Gulls aren't really fishers; they are
more looking for worms in fields, especially when it rains, small mammals, and
anything we throw away.
At
the present moment in time, the gulls will be surprised by us humans' change of
behaviour, where town centres have become ghost towns and free handouts have
disappeared. Both herring and LBB gulls take four years to go from being born
to be classed as adults, and they can live till they are 30 years old!
The
reason for the movement back up the estuary is dependent on two things. Where
the tide is has a great effect on the birds as they will be happy to roost on
the sand bars on low tide. Secondly, the Mersey marshes by the Manchester Ship
Canal allow the birds to access the last landfill site we have, at Gowy near
Ellesmere Port, and if you drive down the M56 in the winter you can sometimes
see 10 to 30,000 gulls in the area.
As
for a good book, then Gulls of the World, a photographic guide, is good. In the
UK we get a number of different gulls but our five common species are great
black-backed, lesser black-backed, herring, common and black-headed.
Mediterranean gulls appear at Otterspool; there was an Iceland gull at Sefton
Park last year; glaucous gulls, the world's biggest gull, are occasionally seen
in the area; Kittiwakes can be spotted on the Mersey; and, recently
yellow-legged gulls. Some American gulls have made it to the North West as
well.
I
hope this helps
Chris
Tynan
Leader
RSPB
Liverpool Local group
REPLY
Hi Chris
Thanks very much for that very interesting information and take
on the gulls of Merseyside. I am finding that gulls in general are such
interesting birds but herring gulls are very successful in our area, and they
and their behaviour particularly fascinate me.
Even when shopping in Liverpool city centre, I watch them
patrolling the main shopping thoroughfares such as Church Street, turning
their heads towards every side street, right and left, seeking our fast-food
leftovers as they pick strategic high spots to watch us closely. Easy pickings
for a highly adaptive bird. My mum in Crosby marvels at how there are none in
sight but as soon as she throws bacon rind in the garden a couple almost
immediately come down from goodness knows where. Is that phenomenal sight or
smell or both? Incredible.
I hate it when the newspapers give these birds a bad press. It’s
the public who should be admonished! I understand that herring gulls are
disappearing around our coasts, so I consider myself very lucky to have so many
of them and lesser black-backed gulls here around my home. Looking out over
Brunswick Dock today whilst on the phone, I spotted a great black-backed gull
flying majestically by. What a huge bird!
Thanks also for the book recommendations.
