Yep i saw that too. Sadly typical of our local rag To be fair though, the reporter probably thought that a Gull with a black head must be a Black headed Gull
In yesterday's Bolton News there was an article on the breeding Black-headed Gulls at Belmont Reservoir. As usual Craig in the paper shop was ready to discuss any wildlife article when I went there early morning on my dog walk. As soon as he showed me the article I said "that is wrong". Above the caption "A Black-headed Gull on its nest with a chick" was an excellent picture of a Mediterranean Gull with a chick. The breeding Med Gulls never even got a mention in the article.
Not their best mistake by a long way. When the Peregrines started nesting on Bolton Town Hall they ran an article on the nesting Kestrels. To make matters worse they had me getting my Raptors of the World book out to check the picture as it was obviously not a Common Kestrel. I managed to identify it as an American Kestrel !
I read this too - they're "farmed" on the Duke Of Devonshire's estate up on the Yorkshire moors. I could go up to a certain exclusive restaurant in the area and eat the crap I've chucked in my Manchester dustbin, flown all the way to North Yorkshire inside a gull, refined and squirted out into an egg. Yum!
Given what they eat, I wouldn't risk it - not unless you want salmonella. And I doubt they are right. I suspect you'd have to get a licence from Nat. England.
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Judith Smith
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Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
I was surprised to read in todays metro (free paper) that in some circles black headed gulls eggs are considered a great delicacy and if you want to indulge you need to pre order so that they can be 'cropped' all legal and above board
To be fair though, the reporter probably thought that a Gull with a black head must be a Black headed Gull
