Hatchback

A confused seagull gave a new meaning to the word "hatchback" when it nested on the roof of a car at Inverness Airport's long-stay car park. The bird was incubating eggs on a bundle of twigs and other debris it had formed on top of the Citroen Berlingo.

RSPB Scotland said laws stopping people from disturbing nests were not equipped to deal with that kind of situation. George Mair, 66, from Portknockie, was shocked to discover the nest and took a photograph.

"I was just walking past and thought I had to take a picture," he said. "I don't know what I would have done if it had been on my car when I got back."

James Reynolds, of the RSPB, said: "There are laws that prohibit people from disturbing nests but the laws are not really equipped to deal with situations like this.

"This is the first time I have ever seen a gull choosing to nest on the roof of a car in a car park, but if it is a long-term car park and the car has been there a long time then I suppose it is not surprising as gulls like to nest on flat surfaces."

Highlands and Islands Airports spokesman Nat Anderson said the decision to destroy the nest was taken "in line with the statutory requirement for an airport operator to minimise the risk to air traffic from wildlife on the ground and in the air".

"In line with our duty to minimize the risk of bird strikes at the airport, the nest and eggs were destroyed," he said.