Lake Burrumbeet is filling up again since the rain and there are a lot of seagulls there. Would they be feeding on carp eggs? S.G., Sebastopol.
European carp breed mostly in spring, when the water temperature rises to around 17 degrees and higher. Female carp can lay 100,000 or more eggs at a time, but they would not be laying now, and their eggs do not last - wet or dry - over summer.
There would not be sufficient carp eggs in the lake to attract silver gulls. The gulls would be finding other food but this food is unknown to me. They may be feeding on small animals such as aquatic worms, water insects and crustaceans.
Carp eggs and tiny young carp are eaten by many creatures, including larger carp. The eggs are are mostly laid in shallow water.
