I will miss my L.B.B.Gulls when they go.

Now as the sun sets they still sit there, motionless after the incessant movement of the male on the wing. They don.t sit to close, him on his chimney pot and her on the roof. They have been calling to each other none stop for an hour, but now all is quiet She stands sentanal on her roof ridge tile not moving even when the last remaining young one keeps pestering her for food. She gives no reaction or response. He continues his occasional flight heading west and doing his figure eight only to arrive back again where he started. Still the young one calls but she will not respond. Unlike an hour ago where both he and she stood for a solid hour on the roof and called to each other without a stop. Now no communication by call and yet there is an affinity between them as he watches her and watches everything she does.All is quit and only the occasional motor bike can be heard as it races along some thirty mile limit. Very few gulls around as evening gets late and yet they stand sentanal as ever. The young one leaves and still no reaction. The street light flickers on and still they stand. Now they are both alert, first looking west then east and again as if watching for something which I or anyone else cannot ascertain, yet they are sensitive to something, some message is being relaid and they will go. But when? and I know he will not leave her, but will she follow him. So why do they stand there so long, is the pull of the nest site so strong that even after the young one has left for the night they cannot pull themselves around enough to leave. Suddenly the peep of an oystercatcher over head, no notice taken and then a blackbird flies through with the low roosting call as it heads for the Buddleia. Then after one and half hours he really is showing signs of being twitchy and ready to go. No sound as he takes a few flaps and he heads over her and she joins him in the air as they head south for a few hundred yards to Loathingland Lake for the night. It's night and all is quiet. UNTIL ABOUT 4AM WHEN THEY ALL GET UPSET.