Feeding Frenzy

Walking through another gloomy, misty and dull morning, we headed out to Straw's Bridge again.  As usual, the lake was a melting pot of wildfowl of varying types.  Mallards, Mute Swans, Canada Geese, Tufted Ducks, Coots, A Cormorant, Pochards and a few 'domestic' farmyard ducks were competing among themselves for the prize for most vocal bird on the lake.  The winners however, were the Black-headed Gulls - they always win the prize for making a noise.  When an elderly couple arrived with quantities of bread with which to feed the birds, things became frenzied.

Within a few seconds, the couple were surrounded by a seething mass of wildfowl all vying for position.

Some of the birds were taking matters into their own hands (or webbed feet) and attempting to help themselves from their bread bags while all the time, the gulls squabbled, squawked and generally fell out with everything else.  The more intelligent Mallards took advantage of the squabbling gulls and whilst the gulls' attention was diverted by fighting, the Mallard sneaked in a took the bread from under their noses.  It all made for a very colourful - if noisy - spectacle on such a dull day.