This young Black headed Gull defends it's territory.
I spent more than an hour this morning sat by the water on the Estuary at Powderham adjacent to the River Kenn where it flows in under the railway line in to the River Exe. This last few days a few Black Terns had been seen and it would have been nice to get a record shot but I wasn't fortunate although yesterday I did see 2 in the distance. I sat waiting for the tide to turn and when it had, I tucked myself close to the wall and photographed the common birds, Turnstone, Black headed Gulls etc. When the tide starts to turn the birds became interested in the fresh river water and they come to bathe and then feed on the newly exposed mud. The light was very good and when two Turnstones flew in it was a good photo opportunity. I said yesterday about my attraction to Black headed Gulls and as I watched, a couple started to squabble which was just the kind of behaviour that I was hoping for.
Then a full blown fight starts, its interesting to work out which wing belongs to which bird?
Turnstone
The best part about the Turnstone is the wing pattern which you can't see easily unless in flight but when this bird stretched it's wings you could see the pattern.
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