opportunistic carnivorous gulls

[CWH]

Now that's a bit of a concern. We don't normally get gulls on the croft fields (even though they line the shore) but this morning, a flock of 50 or more common gulls are settled there. If it's not just a one-off visit, it doesn't bode well for the breeding lapwings and redshanks later on, or the lambing.

 

[ronidog1]

Any idea why it is happening. Where is your Croft?

 

[PhilMary]

Maybe you fired the shotgun in the wrong direction.

 

[CWH]

The croft is my neighbour's; we have to cross it to get to the house. It's on north-west Skye.
No idea why they've come in this morning - there's no dead or aborted sheep to draw them in, and the weather's not difficult for them today.

 

[CWH]

Maybe you fired the shotgun in the wrong direction.

Ooh wouldn't do that, don't want to scare the resident white-tailed eagles and golden eagles away!

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[CWH]

Oh wow! saw something 'rather large' on the end of a rock outcrop in the lower croft field; Him Indoors had the binoculars on it and I managed to get a couple of photos as it took off - definite juvenile golden eagle!!! Again LANDING on this patch of ground isn't usual, though they do fly overhead, and many sightings so far this year. (This may be one of those times when I count landings on the croft as "garden birds" )

So as you say ronidog1 , WHY???

 

[Jamesh]

Oh wow! saw something 'rather large' on the end of a rock outcrop in the lower croft field; Him Indoors had the binoculars on it and I managed to get a couple of photos as it took off - definite juvenile golden eagle!!! Again LANDING on this patch of ground isn't usual, though they do fly overhead, and many sightings so far this year. (This may be one of those times when I count landings on the croft as "garden birds" )

So as you say ronidog1 , WHY???

Pics - would love to see that the flesh..!

 

[CWH]

Pics - would love to see that the flesh..!

They aren't good... I'll try to download to Him Indoors' lappy (can't do it to my chromebook) and drop them on here. Don't hold your breath though!
I do feel very privileged to see them close by.

 

[Emmit]

We live not a million miles away from Ginsters Cornish Pasty Factory.

On any day we either have, or do not have gulls whirling over the house.

I can only assume that they are attracted en masse by a smell.

 

[daveandsan]

I can only assume that they are attracted en masse by a smell.

You don’t smell that bad do you Derek.

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[CWH]

I can only assume that they are attracted en masse by a smell.

... that's why I was thinking dead sheep but there isn't one. And nothing else nearby. Though now I'm wondering if something's been washed up on the foreshore and the wind's moving the smell across. Hmm.

 

[Wendo55]

Dunvegan has just been on "Morning Live" BBC1. Showed mother seals urging their newborns into the sea away from the gulls and crows eating the afterbirth. They include the babies if they're nearby. ☹

 

[CWH]

Success!
Like I said they're not good photos, but enough for a positive ID even if the bird hadn't been known locally. Re-sized and then cropped.

 

[The Wino]

I've seen a lot of gulls around here behaving like blackbirds trampling over the ground and when worms come up grabbing them. I don't think I've seen them doing that before.