Herring Gull
Larus argentatus

© Bob Ford/Nature Portfolio     A Herring Gull in flight

This is your standard "sea-gull" (a term a real birdwatcher would never use) and can be seen in the sky over any part of the trail at any time of the year. Beautiful to watch in flight, they do make a nuisance of themselves when they nest on houses and understandably defend their young from visiting dogs, cats and postmen. They also tend to get very bold in their search for food, especially chips, which is when you can appreciate just how vicious their huge bills look at close quarters. So it really is best not to feed these birds, or leave bin bags out on the pavement where they can help themselves.