Do not feed the gulls

Many of the seaside towns and villages around the British Isles have signs that say "Please do not feed the gulls". This is sound advice: herring gulls (Larus argentatus) in particular, but also lesser black-backed gulls, will happily finish off most of the items of food that reckless tourists offer them. And it's probably this deliberate ignoring of the signs that has turned these gulls into brazen thieves that will snatch food from the hands of unsuspecting. We saw some of this going on during a recent visit to the south coast, though none that I could photograph. Instead, I took this shot of a placid herring gull against a sympathetically coloured background.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Guillemots at Stackpole Head, Pembrokeshire

At the time of our visit to Stackpole Head in early May the guillemots were gathering ready for the breeding season. This species does not build a nest but lays a single pyriform (pear shaped) egg directly onto the rock ledge. The advantage of an unusually pointed egg is that, if it rolls, it does so in a tight circle and is therefore less likely to fall off the ledge.

In the southern UK the first eggs are laid in mid-May. In the north early June is more typical. Guillemots are communal nesters (and feeders, as the second photograph shows.

Incidentally, the location of the guillemots in the first photograph can just be discerned on the lower right hand edge of the top photograph of the previous post.

photo 1 © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

photo 2 © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon Z 5

Coal Tit and Marsh Tit

A recent newspaper article reported the RSPB's latest information about Britain's birds that are increasing and decreasing in numbers. One that I recall that is becoming more numerous is the coal tit. This is in part due to the effects of people feeding birds that visit their gardens. On a recent walk in the Forest of Dean we saw quite a few species congregating at a feeding station, and among them was the coal tit (first photograph).

The other species attracted by the mixed seeds on offer were the blackbird, robin, dunnock, chaffinch, blue tit, great tit, nuthatch and marsh tit (second photograph).

photos © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Orange tip butterfly

One of the butterflies of spring in the UK is the orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines). These distinctive insects with their illustrative name appear after the brimstones, around the time when the peacocks become noticeable. On a recent walk we saw what appeared to be a particularly small orange tip and I wondered if, like some other genera, there were distinct "greater" and "lesser" or "large" and "small" species. It appears not. The explanation, however, is very interesting. It appears that the size of the male orange tip (the female is more drab without the eye catching colours) depends on the food that the individual feeds on. Smaller examples favour Cardamine pratensis (Ladies Smock or Milkmaids) whilst the larger butterflies feed on Alliaria petiolata (Garlic mustard). Interestingly, before seeing the orange tip, we had noted the milkmaids growing on the verges and by the hedges.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2