It was dry this afternoon. Really! After an overnight deluge which lingered into the morning, the clouded skies didn't so much clear as retreat. On days like this the light is usually better by the sea than inland, a little like having a giant diffuser to even out the light and reduce shadows. I headed to Rottingdean. The tide was part out (and retreating). The sea birds were active (very).
The black-headed gulls were in something of a feeding frenzy. The dots you can see are clouds of flies. The gulls were content to sit in the water and reach up to grab a passing snack (they could hardly miss).
There were plenty of herring gulls about, and a smaller number of great black-backeds. No fulmars, despite their imminent appearance on the UK Passport! This is one of the juvenile herring gulls.
Several cormorants skimmed the horizon. This is a juvenile which headed closer to shore.
The Red Arrows were an unexpected treat, rushing off no doubt to another air show. They were some distance out at sea, and flying in two formations. This is the higher of the two groups.
And then it was the turn of the terns. These small sea birds often group with black-headed gulls, and it's easy to overlook them. The first shot is a juvenile common tern.
The adult is to the right. The darker tern (left) is a juvenile displaying a darker beak and 'shoulder' plumage.
I nearly missed this second interloper, a sandwich tern. 
Even more difficult to spot were the ringed plovers. They all but disappear among the pebbles and I lost track of this one several times as it ran back and forth picking off insects.
As for the cause of all the feeding, the final shot today is of one of the flies (species unknown to me), resting on some sea weed.
The forecast for the next few days is much improved, and although it's unlikely that we'll have a blazing Bank Holiday weekend at least it looks as though it will remain dry. I certainly hope so.
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 40D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens, except for the fly which was taken with the EF 100mm f/2.8L macro IS USM lens with the internal flash fired.
gdare
28 Aug 2010Gulls eat flies? :eyes:
SittingFox
28 Aug 2010Fulmars in our passports. I would like to see a poll of how many British people can actually recognise the creatures :right:
Lovely post – looks like you had a very good day! The gulls and flies photo is great; I haven't seen a shot quite like that before. And terns are always wonderful to watch.
Words
29 Aug 2010Adele, I was pleasantly surprised to see the fulmar on the passport. It makes me wonder about who approved the design. Such an unusual species to pick as the essence of Britain.
The black-headeds were being unbelievably lazy about feeding… just picking off one when they fancied it. 😀
Words
29 Aug 2010Darko, these ones do! When we had flying ants a month or so ago, the herring gulls were feasting on them!
Ukwildlife
31 Aug 2010Nice set – the terns (and red arrows) must have been a nice surprise
Words
1 Sep 2010Neil, I always keep an eye open for the terns (but two species was a surprise). I was absolutely not expecting the red arrows though!