Common gulls are somewhat misnamed, for in most parts of the British Isles the commonest members of the family are either Black Headed or Herring Gulls. As all the year round residents Common Gulls are restricted to Scotland, where this photograph was taken, and the north of Ireland. To most other districts of Britain they are visitors outside the breeding season, arriving in August to September and leaving again in March.

The usual site for the nest is on shingle, often on a beach quite close to the high water mark. A crevice among rocks or a hollow scraped in the ground generally furnishes the site for the nest itself, but on the moors a thick clump of grass or heather may hold it. Little nesting material is used, a scrappy collection of grass, heather, seaweed or other plants being the usual lining.

Laying begins about the middle of May and there is only one clutch per year of 2-3 eggs. The eggs show considerable variation in both colour and markings. The background colour ranges from a pale buff to a greenish-blue to a brownish-olive and the markings are grey, brown and near black. They consist of spots, blotches and smears and are usually scattered sparsely over the shell, but may occasionally be more dense.