Fighting Fulmars at Rottingdean

Regular readers will have seen me post about the fulmar colony at Rottingdean many times before. Fulmars are often mistaken for gulls (when I was taking these shots several people pointed out the ‘nesting gulls’ to their partners/parents/children). All mistaken: Fulmars are ‘petrels’, related to the albatross (not gulls at all). Anyway, Friday was good and the fulmars got into full swing by mid-afternoon.

Their main activity is flying along the cliffs and attempting to land…

Fulmar at Rottingdean Cliffs, East Sussex
Fulmar flying along at Rottingdean Cliffs, East Sussex

Their other main activity is guarding their small rocky roost.

Fulmar nesting at Rottingdean Cliffs, East Sussex
Fulmar nesting at Rottingdean Cliffs, East Sussex

Combined, this means a lot of this…

Fulmar at Rottingdean Cliffs, East Sussex
Fulmar attempting to land but being seen off by the cackling incumbents.

I could have taken those three shots any time over the past few years (I have so many exactly like them). What made Friday special was a genuine on-the-wing spat between two of the birds.

Fulmar sparring at Rottingdean Cliffs, East Sussex
Fulmar sparring at Rottingdean Cliffs, East Sussex
Fulmars sparring - not the very flimsy legs (part of what makes landing so difficult)
Fulmars sparring – note the very flimsy legs (part of what makes landing so difficult)
Fulmar sparring
It’s more noise than serious fighting
Fulmars at Rottingdean Cliffs, East Sussex
And one of them finally dives away

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D Mark II and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens.

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This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Magdalena

    28 Mar 2016

    What an incredible set of pictures! Exquisite, from the third image onwards. Number 5 is my favourite in terms of composition and colour. Look at the feet! The detail! The shadows, the marks on the chalk cliff… You are an artist, Paul!

    1. Words

      29 Mar 2016

      Hi Magdalena, I love the pale colours of the cliffs and the way it brings out the white of the fulmars even more. We’re very fortunate to have this on our doorstep!

  2. Darko

    29 Mar 2016

    As you said, they are not gulls and I think they might be more noisy that gulls…

    1. Words

      29 Mar 2016

      Darko, they cackle rather than squawk. It’s an insistent noise but not very loud. You see lots of people puzzled by it, looking up at the cliffs but not spotting the fulmars nestled in the small nooks and crannies.

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