Gulls just want to have fun
Every Spring hundreds of Black Headed Gulls check-in to Castle Espie to nest.
So far, 2018 has been no different! This year our busy reserve team have recorded more than 650 nests on-site, with the lagoon surrounding the Crannog their favourite spot.
Although these are still large numbers, they represent around a 20% drop on 2017.
This year, Black Headed Gulls started laying their eggs in late April, with the season slightly delayed due to bad weather.
After weeks of nest building, squawking and squabbling all of their hard work resulted in hundreds of beautiful and fluffy mottled chicks (see below).
If you've visited Castle Espie over the past couple of months, you'll have heard this noisy sea-bird colony all around you.
If you haven't visited yet, there's still time to catch a glimpse of the dozens of beautiful chicks dotted around the reserve.
