Why are immature gulls so hard to identify?
There are several groups of birds which seem impossible to separate without years of knowledge in the field.
The chase
Herring Gulls love a good chase. If there’s a chance of kleptoparasitism, they’ll take it. This one seems to have been just …
From Herrings to landfill and back
I love Herring Gulls. Amazingly their UK conservation status is red. That’s because their breeding population keeps declining, and so does their …
Moult
I’m fascinated to see this Herring Gull going through a moult into adult plumage. You can see it better in this view: …
Flypast
I’m sat on the cliffs of Westray in pleasant light. It’s the middle of summer and it’s finally made it to 16 …
Cafe culture
I’m at Portland in Dorset with my friend Mark when he offers to buy us ice creams. I’m hardly likely to refuse, …
There’s no such thing as a seagull
Herring Gulls are one of our most familiar birds. They are the ‘seagull’ of a thousand stories and even more stolen seaside …
The Third Ladybird Book of British Birds – #12 The Herring Gull
I’m currently reading the third volume of the Ladybird Book of British Birds and their nests from the 1950s. Times have changed: …
Sticks on a stack
There’s a Herring Gull on the wall of the River Lemon. They always look as if they’re wearing strange flesh-coloured tights to …
Herring Gulls wheeling in the last rays of sun
Herring Gulls are one of my favourite sights. They’re the epitome of resourcefulness. It’s nearly sunset and there are a few circling …
Herring Gulls
Herring Gulls are fabulous to watch. I’ve enjoyed taking photographs of them in urban areas. There’s something quite alien about their presence. …
When you know it’s summer
The seasons turn, circle by circle. Bud becomes flower becomes fruit, ripening in the long days. Photography is expressing your view of …
Gulls
This Herring Gull is magnificent. Look at the beak. It must be really missing chips and intimidation. This Black-Headed Gull is altogether …
Bempton birds – when you know you’re being watched
Many birds are perfect parcels of protein. There are plenty of predatory species which would treat them as a tasty snack. This …
Bempton birds – Cousin Puffin and the Ancestral Auk
Non-scientists often think the mysteries of the living world have been solved. Nothing could be further from the truth. There’s plenty of …
Bempton birds – coming in to land
Landing makes flying seem easy: I love the way this Guillemot is dangling its feet, like two paddles, to provide enough drag: …
Bempton birds – eggs and chicks galore
There are hundreds of thousands of seabirds here at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. I particularly love the Kittiwakes. They’re such delicate, elegant gulls, …
Gulls in Weymouth
RSPB Lodmoor is in Weymouth on the south coast of England. I’m travelling through and have brought my camera for a few …
Wild and Urban
Bristol is a city with a truly urban environment. There are stone pavements, tarmac roads and tall steel-framed buildings. Through its heart …
Bristol and the Colston bun
I’ve spent a few days in Bristol city centre recently, going to music and theatre events and wandering around with my camera. …
The Wild Westray
On the West Westray coast there’s nothing between you and America except the Atlantic Ocean. The coast is a fractured and windswept …
The Atlantic
Westray has two sides: a North Sea side and an Atlantic Ocean side. They meet with dramatic consequences at the northernmost and …
Seagulls attack from behind
Seagulls are masters of surprise. I’m in Teignmouth this morning and there are warning signs everywhere about the gulls. Herring Gulls are …
Demanding money with menaces
If any species in the animal world is going to be found asking for cash to ‘look after’ your car then it …
The end of echelon parking
It’s the end of echelon parking. It says so on the sign. I’m glad they told me that. Goodbye echelon parking: it …
Confusing Gulls
Gulls are confusing. They all look superficially the same with their big bills, grey backs and beady eyes, but there are some …
Herring Gull
I’m photographing the beautiful, delicate and precise Black Headed Gulls this morning when I see this monster approaching. I’m so used to …
Herring Gull
I’m currently searching for Herring Gulls so I can take some close-up photographs of them. As you do. I took some close-up …
Herring Gull – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
The distribution of Herring Gulls must have changed significantly over the last forty years. I was 12 years old when I wrote …