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| Lesser Black-backed Gull, defending it territory |
Had a trip down to Walney Island yesterday to see if there was much about, it came as a bit of a shock. Stewart if you are reading this and visited Walney any time in the 70s and 80s you would know that the reserve at the South end of the Island held in the region of approx 30,000 breading pairs of gulls, Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Sadly this is no longer the case, and numbers have been reduced dramatically, so that only a fraction of that number now breed there.
Predation is the main reason for the decline, Fox and Badgers being the culprits. But other factors enter the equation , one being that the local land fill has been closed, and this brought to an end a good sauce of food.
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| Herring Gull |
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Last year it was decided to put an electric fence round the 2 main nesting areas, and this met with a good deal of success, and over a thousand chicks fledged, these where the first to do so in many many years.
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| Lesser Black-backed Gull |
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| Herring Gull on nest |
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| Herring Gull |
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| Herring Gull nest at the side of the track. |
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| Again Herring Gull on nest |
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| At great distance !!! Ring Plover |
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| Also at great distance, Little Tern, there was about 20 or so flying up and down the beach. |
And that's about it for the time being, hope you enjoy, and thank you for looking in.
Linking to Stewart at Wild bird Wednesday
http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.co.uk/
Gorgeous shots!
ReplyDeleteGreat captures on those gulls!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteTerrific in flight shots!
ReplyDeleteGreat serie of photos!
ReplyDeleteWell done!
Very nice series of images. It's good to learn that the breeding decline has been turned around .. long may it continue.
ReplyDeleteGreat flight captures! And the gull nest is a neat find. I have never seen one before. Great post!
ReplyDeleteA great series of photos - I especially like the first one with the gull screaming at someone.
ReplyDeletegorgeous gull shots! impressive!
ReplyDeletelovely photos of the gulls and nest too Gordon. I hadn't expected they have a nest quite out in the open like that appeared to be
ReplyDeleteThank you everone for your Kind comments, and Carole to answer your comment, when the Gulls were at there peak numbers, even sticking to the trails and tracks, you had a job on not to tread on any nests, they just nest everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThanks again, Gordon.
Wonderful shots of the gulls.
ReplyDeleteHi there - yes I am reading this - and I used to visit WI a couple of times a year - but it was in the 90s so the decline would have already happened. Nice picture and a good outcome.
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar problem here with some of the local penguin rookeries - but in this case you can add feral cats and dogs to the list of problem predator (and remove badgers!)
Baiting and the good old electric fence are helping.
Cheers - Stewart M - and thanks for linking to WBW
PS: I have answered you other email.
LOVELY POST - YOU MADE FULL USE OF THE BRILLIANT LIGHTING
ReplyDeleteLots of bright airy seabirds! The gulls are a tricky bunch. I'm still learning them:)
ReplyDeleteNice narrative about an interesting place and beautiful birds.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots! I especially enjoyed the flying/action photos. :)
ReplyDelete