Not untypical behaviour for Herring/LBB Gulls? (1 Viewer)

KenM · Jun 7, 2016

Not something that I've noticed before. At 9am this morning a flock of circa a dozen of the above mentioned ''fly-catching'' over the house, behaviour not uncharacteristic of Black-headed Gulls, but not that which I would have attributed to the former...but then my head is often in the clouds

Cheers

Nutcracker · Jun 7, 2016

So they were looking for your head? :-O

fugl · Jun 7, 2016

Common Gulls are another one. I saw them hawking for flying ants on more than one occasion at Aberlady Bay years ago, always in company with Black-headed Gulls (and generally with swifts and hirundines as well). Never saw Herrings or Lesser Black-backs in these flocks, however.

KenM · Jun 7, 2016

fugl said:
Common Gulls are another one. I saw them hawking for flying ants on more than one occasion at Aberlady Bay years ago, always in company with Black-headed Gulls (and generally with swifts and hirundines as well). Never saw Herrings or Lesser Black-backs in these flocks, however.

Interesting that Swifts were present in your observations (as they were for me this am). I'd noted that the (Swifts) were the first to arrive, and that their flight was much slower and deliberate, quite unlike their usual modus operandi.

This may have been noticed by the presumed already airborne gulls, and they were attracted to this "opportunistic event".....albeit not one that I've ever observed from these species before.

Andy Adcock · Aug 26, 2016

fugl said:
Common Gulls are another one. I saw them hawking for flying ants on more than one occasion at Aberlady Bay years ago, always in company with Black-headed Gulls (and generally with swifts and hirundines as well). Never saw Herrings or Lesser Black-backs in these flocks, however.

I've seen this too, I've seen Starlings hawking them as well.

Andy

Not untypical behaviour for Herring/LBB Gulls? (1 Viewer)

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KenM

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