Interestingly it started calling at one point - like a typical Herring Gull begging call but higher pitched and thinner, certainly lacking in the harsh elements of typical large gull calls. Then I realised that the bird did appear to be begging - it had adopted a low hunched posture with upturned bill and was steadily pursuing a Herring Gull.
While this hunched posture is used by young gulls as a submissive appeasement behaviour, it is also part of the food begging repertoire of most species - it certainly looked like begging. A good idea perhaps, but it didn't do the trick - the sub-adult Herring Gull (maybe confused by the appearance of an instant offspring) vacated the area.
What a great bird - here are a few more shots...
2 comments:
Hmmm, looks like it's hungry then - I have often seen juv HG begging mid-winter even into spring but have always presumed the adult targets are actually their parents, perhaps not?
Yes, I'd have assumed that as well. In this case I thought that the head of this 3CY HG looked a little like an adult Iceland gull (very pale eye, streaked head, bright bill) and acted as a sign stimulus to start the begging response?
Geoff
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