The Glasgow Naturalist (online 2020) Volume 27, Part 3 https://doi.org/10.37208/tgn27303 Herring gull (Larus argentatus) damage to razor clam (Ensis siliqua and E. ensis) shells on the Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland P.G. Moore 32 Marine Parade, Millport, Isle of Cumbrae KA28 0EF E-mail:
[email protected] Herring gulls (Larus argentatus ) are an opportunist Fig. 1. Right valves of the razor clams Ensis siliqua (top) and species with a catholic diet (Tinbergen, 1953; Hudson & E. ensis (bottom) from Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland. Note Furness, 1988; Ewins et al., 1994; Moore, 2018). They relative sizes and robustness. (Photo: P.G. Moore) have been reported feeding on razor clams (Ensis leei, was harassed by a great black-backed gull (L. marinus) as "E. directus") in the Dutch Wadden Sea (Cadée, 2000; landing alongside it, which was followed by the herring Enners et al., 2018). Witnessing them feeding on gull flying away with the shell. The herring gulls' initial E. siliqua and E. ensis near my house in Millport, Isle of tendency to open shells at the immediate tide edge Cumbrae, Scotland (NS171547) in April 2020 provided would account for sand grains becoming adherent to the opportunity for comparative observations. flesh fragments found remaining stuck to the inside of the recovered empty shells. Both razor clam species are common in sublittoral sand below the adjacent beach at Kames Bay, Millport (Allen, Most empty shells were orientated with their internal 1962; see Holme, 1951 and Fig . 1 herein for surfaces facing up and the majority (96% of E.