The sun never quite made it out from behind the clouds, but the day was otherwise fine. Down at Rottingdean, the fulmars are dominating the cliffs, gathering in their small familial groups for the breeding season. As well as fulmars, the cliffs are home to jackdaws, pipits and pigeons. Every now and then a minor territorial spat breaks out. This was all noise and no action. The pigeons eventually gave up when it became clear that the fulmars weren't going anywhere.
A number of fulmars were heading out to sea. If their idea was to escape the attention of the pigeons they were in for a rude awakening. The gulls were up for a mobbing and kept driving the fulmars back to land.
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.
derWandersmann
17 Feb 2013Nice ones, Words.
I suspect the gulls were just being their usual cantankerous selves, since the sea is quite big enough to feed all the gulls, all the fulmars, and anything else that was interested.
SittingFox
17 Feb 2013I like the dancing fulmar in the second to last shot. And there was only going to be one winner in the fulmar vs. pigeon contest.
gdare
18 Feb 2013That's a big mouth bird :eyes:
Words
18 Feb 2013dW, there may be plenty of sea, but to a gull its piece of sea is the most important bit of sea there is, and woe betide any intruder that wanders too close. Mind you, I've seen the gulls panic more than a touch when an osprey or skua appears. Then the gulls gladly scatter as far as their hefty wings will take them.
Words
18 Feb 2013Adele, fulmars are very pretty when caught at the right moment (which is usually just after they've failed to make a safe landing (most of the time, to be honest). The spat with the pigeons wasn't serious… no spitting oil (which is a shot I really would like to get one day).
Words
18 Feb 2013Darko, I love the way the pigeons are standing their bemused as if to say that it doesn't matter how loudly you talk, I still can't understand a word you're saying!