Herring Gull chicks again, and cockatiels looking for trouble

Another video of the Herring Gull chicks, giving a better view of them this time:


And so they don't feel left out, our cockatiels Pete and Tom looking for trouble...


Mike

Click here to read the rest of this post.

Herring Gull chicks have hatched

I think these chicks have hatched in the last couple of days (they're on the roof opposite our house). You can only just see them peeping out once or twice from under their parent, who's holding their wings to make a wall to keep them in. Interesting that when it stands up, you can't see the chicks - I'm guessing they're keeping down low, as you can see the parent peer down at them.

Click here to read the rest of this post.

Defensive gulls

Apparently I'm not allowed to wear white clothing on our top balcony for a while. Here's what happens if I do, especially if I put my arms up in the air...

It's a black-backed gull, and it has some chicks on the roof opposite, so gets defensive if it thinks we're a threat. Here's a video of some herring gull chicks on the next roof along:

Mike

Click here to read the rest of this post.

Four pence and a tent peg

That was the grand total of our haul after an hour metal detecting on the beach yesterday evening!
But we also collected bits of litter to put in a bin, and had a nice walk.

We had a great time away at Jon & Polly's wedding (where I was best man), but after the hot drive back it was great to get out and wander along the beach.

There's loads of black-headed gulls around now:
They like to come down to the beach in the evening
and scavenge for food the careless humans have dropped
back at home we have herring gull chicks now:
and the parents watching over them carefully:
We're off up to the wood today, first just me to meet a guy who's interested in buying a wood for producing wood-fuel, and then later with friends from church. We had a big group up there last Saturday, many of them students on the Christian Rural and Environmental Studies course that a friend runs. I did a presentation for them on Peak Oil, then one on woodland, and we then went to the wood for lunch, a walk round and discussion.
There was about 20 people, and they all seemed to enjoy the day!

Mike

Click here to read the rest of this post.