Lesser by name, great by nature

Lesser Black Backed Gulls are magnificent creatures. They are noticeably darker on the back and wings than the more familiar Herring Gull and to me seem very much like the Yellow Legged Gulls I’ve photographed in Italy. Maybe the red eye-ring has something to do with it.

Their heavy beak looks like it would gobble a duckling up and their steely eyes look as if they mean business.

They might be Lesser by name, but they are great by nature.