How endangered are birds?

Sir, At first sight, it seems odd that the controversy over the reported disturbance to common gulls, oystercatchers and black guillemots at the old oil depot in Ardrishaig is focused on a breeding colony of common gulls.

I’m no bird expert and hadn’t realised common gulls are less common than the bigger varieties or that they’re a declining species.

But among the reasons given for this are predation by mink and the loss of open rubbish dumps and both might be contributing factors in Mid Argyll.

It’s surely hardly surprising that the only breeding colony along the canal is at the Ardrishaig end, where the urbanisation around the tidal flats of Loch Gilp and the Lingerton dump offer prime scavenging opportunities.

I don’t know whether they lose out to the bigger gull species when it comes to local island nesting sites, or whether the old Gleaner site might offer other advantages, for example, maybe less vulnerable to mink predation – but could it be the gulls are there primarily because of manmade feeding opportunities and that they’ll find an al- ternative site that’s similarly convenient? Likewise, the smaller populations of oystercatchers and black guillemots – however, although they are both amber listed they don’t scavenge and seem to be more dependent on the sea and shore for their livelihoods.

Their decline might be of more concern but they’re hopefully less swayed towards easy pickings around Loch Gilp and more evenly distributed to Loch Crinan.

Perhaps Jim Dickson and Andrew Tongue can enlighten us further on just how endangered the populations of these three species are in Mid Argyll.

Robert Wakeham, Lochgilphead.