Lisa M. Roush, age 9, of Rochester, Pennsylvania, for her question:

Do gulls fly far out to sea?

Sailors often see seagulls flying more than a hundred miles from the nearest shore. These are grown up birds. The youngsters usually stay close to land, even though they are as big as their parents. Gulls, as we know, are very graceful birds, soaring and wheeling on high in the sky. They also happen to be some of the best fliers in the bird world. Storms do not bother them at all.. If a gale blows up when they are far out to sea, they just sit on top of the water like lily white ducks    bobbing up and down on the tossing waves.

Many gulls that belong to our shores fly south when winter comes. Some fly along the shoreline. But some fly hundreds of miles across the open sea. When spring returns, they fly all the way back to where they belong. This is where they lay their eggs and bring up their chicks