Lesser Black Backed Gull – and fighting fox cubs

I'm so used to seeing herring gulls nesting on the roofs at work that I nearly missed this one. It was perched at the edge of one of the campus buildings, but if you look closely it doesn't sport the light grey of the herring gull. The black back gives part of its name, but the confirming feature is its yellow legs. This is a lesser black backed gull. They are not especially rare (in number they are slightly less common than herring gulls), but we don't see too many locally and so I put it down to a 'nice spot'.

Looking along the roof, I rated it somewhat more highly. That was one half of a nesting pair.


I'm going to be spoilt for choice once the chicks arrive. I'm currently watching two herring gull nests, and now this one.

That was really about it for the day, but I can't leave without including a couple of photos of the fox cubs. We're beginning to get to know them. There's a smaller one (very pretty and quite bold), and another (larger) cub who is something of a bully and tries to dominate the others. This one always starts the fights. He's on top in the first photo, and one the right in the second.


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Camera note: gulls taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. Fox cubs taken with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.

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This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. derWandersmann

    25 May 2013

    Does he finish the fights, too, or is he all bluster?
    Nice gulls! Too bad they're sort of concealed in the ridges of that roofing.

  2. SittingFox

    26 May 2013

    I like the call of the lesser black-backed gull – it's a sort of gentle laugh, at least compared to the herring gull's serenade. I used to hear it often in Lowestoft, but I don't see many of them down here in the southeast either.

  3. gdare

    27 May 2013

    Hm, I think that in Vancouver we have only that sort of gulls. But I might be wrong, as well 😛

  4. Words

    1 Jun 2013

    Darko, it might be worth looking at this link. It seems you have at least 8 species in BC. 😉

  5. Words

    1 Jun 2013

    Adele, I'll listen out for their call, though the herring gulls are so numerous they 'll almost certainly drown it out. I'm looking forward to seeing the chicks.

  6. Words

    1 Jun 2013

    dW, he's a lot of bluster, but he tends to get his way with the other cubs. A little bit of a bully when it comes down to it.

  7. gdare

    1 Jun 2013

    They all look the same to me 😛

  8. Words

    4 Jun 2013

    It's easier when they are sitting side by side.

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