Gullery
23rd May 2008, Friday
If you go down to the Parkes Hide at Ternery Pool and open the flaps, there in front of you will be an island with over a hundred Black-headed Gulls nests. The nests range from adults still incubating to nests with half grown chicks, but most have chicks that are just a few days old - as in the photo above.
The range of behaviour is fascinating; brooding, feeding washing, fighting, but especially so when a Lesser Black-backed Gull comes patrolling, looking for a tasty snack. The volume of the adult Black-headed Gulls increases and seems to tell the predator “not to mess with this colony”.
The predator moves off and finds an isolated nest and grabs a chick!