Gulls and the Farmer

I wonder how it all started, was it just one lone gull flying over a field that was being ploughed, just happened to look down and see a bountiful harvest of grubs and worms, then spread the word to all his gull friends. Or was it a whole flock flying over that realised the profitability of following a farmer and his plough.

One thing for sure its been going on for many generations and I don't mean gull generations. I was brought up on a farm, and when I was a we kid our farm had two Shire horses, and before tractors came into use we used them to do the ploughing. Even then gulls followed the horses and plough, and as it happen not just gulls but also Pied Wagtails, and sometimes Lapwings.

So perhaps its just one of those things that has evolved over a long period of time, like the relationship between early man and wild dogs, camp following at first picking up scraps as man moved on to his next hunting ground, then slowly becoming part of the camp and a friend.
       The thing is I've not seen this gull behaviour in other countries, So if anyone has come across it anywhere do let me know.
     

The reserve was pretty quiet today, came across this Robin by the pond, obviously a regular perch for it.

Moorhens where in good numbers all over the reserve, with most of them paired up and ready for nesting.
     Birder John reported 50 Brambling on the edge of the reserve, and there have been reports of an Owl, Barn Owl or Tawny Owl, no positive ID.

Red Kite

We are also getting more and more sighting of these over Cumbria, AND Penrith