News and Events
Mike Walker wins North West Federation Print Competition.
FEPS member Mike Walker has won the North West Federation's Print Competition for 2007/08 with a fabulous image of a black headed gull stealing food from a sandwich tern.
The photograph, called Piratical Gull, was taken by Mike from the Macdonald Hide
on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour. Mike and his wife Val are both keen birdwatchers as well as
being accomplished photographers. They made the trip to Brownsea in June 2007 knowing that May and June provide
good opportunities for close viewing of the sandwich and common terns that nest
on the sandbanks only a few yards from the hide. They had excellent views of the parent terns
who were working hard, bringing fish and sandeels back on a regular basis to their
eagerly awaiting chicks.
There were several black headed gulls waiting around to see if they could steal a quick meal from the terns but on the whole the terns were too quick and flew straight to where their chick was waiting. However, one sandwich tern was set upon by a black headed gull on its return and there is no other word for it but piracy. The tern tried hard to resist but the gull had the upper position and it finally had to concede when another two gulls arrived on the scene and joined in the struggle. It was all over in a matter of seconds but Mike had his camera ready and was able to capture the peak of the action with the gull literally trying to pull the fish from the tern's beak.
Mick and Val had seen piracy before with the famous frigate birds who make a regular practice of robbing other birds of their food. However this was the first time they had witnessed such a situation in British waters. This unusual event provided Mike with a fabulous photo opportunity and his success in the North West Federation competition is richly deserved.