Gulls and Seals

As always, the skies above Newquay were filled with circling Gulls - particularly so when we were attempting to eat our fish and chips!  Signs everywhere, try to prevent people feeding the gulls and thus stop them becoming a problem.  Most common seemed to be the Herring Gulls.

Looking spectacular in their pure-white plumage, they glow in the sunshine like fresh snow.  Always with one eye on the opportunistic attack on someone's chips or ice-cream, they have a formidable reputation.

More formidable than even the Herring Gulls, were the Great Black-backed Gulls.  Plenty of these huge birds were in evidence too with a wingspan up to 7ft and a ferocious beak and an appetite to match, they will  happily take other birds, mammals - up to the size of rabbits - and almost anything edible.  This gathering of Black-backs and Herring Gulls all seem to be youngsters, but they can look forward to a long life (for a bird).  The oldest wild Great Black-backed Gull was said to be over 27 years old.

Scavenging for scraps at the other end of the resort were a small group of Grey Seals which have learned to beg for food in the harbour whenever a boat pulls in.