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Tuesday 22 June 2010

Common Terns - Preston Dockland

A previous post contains some pictures taken recently down at Riversway, Preston Dockland, it was a lovely sunny evening so had the choice of a quick wizz around the dock or pushing the trolley around Morrisons, so left the other half to the shopping and hot footed it round to where the Common Terns are nesting in the car tyres put out for them on the breakwaters.

A few of them were up flying close to the waters edge

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I was really annoyed with myself as this was the only chance I got of an adult feeding the young a fish, and I managed to get it out of focus!!!!

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Having fed the young it was back off fishing again

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They are extremely protective birds, and any gulls that strayed into the air space around the nest got dealt with despite the size difference!!

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Whilst walking round the dockside, heard some young birds calling from an iron walkway just above the water, they were fledgling swallows lined up on the iron work waiting for the parents to come in and feed them. When the adults came in I expected them to land an feed them, but such is the agility of these birds they came in and fed them on the wing without landing, stunning. Pictures are a bit grainy as I was stood in bright sunshine shooting into dark shade.

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As I was walking back noticed the Mute swan family from my previous post, still with 3 healthy cygnets getting bigger.

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The Cob gives me the eye as I get too close!!

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Then in preparation for my trip to the Bass Rock next week, took some time to practice some flight shots of the many different gulls that are numerous around the dock being fed by the visitors.

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A black headed gull, a bit of a mis-name as up close it can clearly be seen their head is actually brown.

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Lastly not a bird, but has two wings! this plane had been around the area all day, no doubt flying from Britsh Aerospace at Warton, I am told by my good friend Tom who works there, that it is a DC-10 tanker, means nothing to me but looked spectacular flying so low over the docks.

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1 comment:

  1. Some excellent images here Gary in particular the 'action shots' between the tern/gull.

    Keep it up and enjoy it Gary.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for dropping by, any comments you may have are greatly appreciated.
Gary