I saw a colour-ringed great black-backed gull on the shore at Balcomie over the weekend. It was ringed on the May Island on the 3rd July 2017. It has been about Balcomie and Fife Ness ever since. Some birds go far from where they are born and others stay very close: I expect this one will breed on the May when it becomes a full adult in two summers time. Large gulls can take up to 4 years to get breeding and even so they might then need a couple more years before they get good enough at it to fledge chicks.

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