Surely that’s got to scratch on the way down?
A few days ago I had my first experience of a Great Northern Diver. I was disappointed with my photograph of it on the water but thrilled to get a flypast:
This time I’m clambering down the rocks of Brixham breakwater to see if I can get somewhere near water level. It’s slippery and treacherous when the tide’s out. When I spot a Great Northern Diver disappear under the water I scramble to what I think will be a good spot to see it surface, hoping that it will be close by when it does.
I’m not disappointed.
What an incredible bird:
This one isn’t in its stunning breeding plumage. I’ve never seen one in all its finery.
I’ve seen them diving for crabs in the harbour here. When they surfaced I realised they were pulling their crab apart to remove the legs until only the body remained. They would pull a leg off, dive their head underwater to retrieve the rest of the crab and then repeat. Once the carcass was devoid of legs they would swallow the body whole.
I spot it surface with a crab and take some shots. I’m expecting the same leg-pulling performance. This one, however, decides to ignore all health and safety and swallow this crab whole, legs and all. What follows is not for the squeamish or those with an over-active imagination:
Surely that’s got to scratch on the way down?
More from Brixham
The Great Northern Diver and the crab Great Northern Divers are sleek and handsome characters. There are many around the coast of South Devon at the moment.… read more
Kittiwake in the harbour A Kittiwake over Brixham breakwater. Such beautiful, elegant birds with their dipped-in-ink wings and smokey winter heads. I'm looking forward… read more
Playful There's some quite intense play-biting going on along the wooden pontoons in Brixham harbour. It'll all end in a splash.… read more
A Shag in the harbour Shags are a form of Cormorant found around our coasts. They are smaller than the Common Cormorant we get across… read more
The words ‘Great’ and ‘Northern’ go together so well What a special experience to spend time with something so wild. read more
No stones to turn Turnstones are regular visitors to Brixham harbour in the winter. They potter around the pontoons and waddle down the breakwater… read more
The Buzzard and its shadow Buzzards are regal. They must be, because they bring with them a retinue wherever they go. Here's one with its… read more
A wild cruise I love being on ferries and small boats. It's not something I do very often, so when my son Gabriel… read more
Kittiwake in winter There's a beautiful gull with a yellow beak in Brixham harbour. I can see it diving and fishing in the… read more