A solitary pair of black-headed gulls have bred on a nesting raft built and launched by volunteers at Hersey Nature Reserve in Seaview.
The black-headed gull is a familiar enough sight across most of Britain and Ireland, particularly during the winter months when the resident breeding population is joined by large numbers arriving from elsewhere in Europe.
But the sight of these gulls at Seaview is somewhat special…
Jim Baldwin, British Trust for Ornithology representative for the Isle of Wight, says:
“This is excellent news. Hersey Nature Reserve has become only the second Isle of Wight site to report breeding Black-headed gulls away from Newtown since the late 1930’s when there was a small breeding colony at Yarmouth. Brading Marshes RSPB reserve reported a pair nesting in 2016.”
Jo King, Friends of Hersey Nature Reserve adds:
“This is a great outcome for all the volunteer effort to build and launch the raft. Although two chicks hatched, one was immediately predated. We are keeping our fingers crossed our chick will survive the next few weeks to fledge and fly.”
