Saturday 26 July 2008

Growing Kittiwakes

A third visit to Langdon cliffs to check on the progress of the Kittiwake chicks, and I was apprehensive that they may have gone hungry, after the continued reports of poor food stocks in the North Sea.
Some more nests were empty, but there were well-developed youngsters to be seen on the ledges, having lost their fluffiness in the last two weeks, and gained the distinctive markings that they will carry around the coasts for the next year.



This rabbit emerged from a burrow right at the cliff's edge, and studiously ignored me - with a home this close to the brink, he's got more important things to worry about.

A glorious Greater Knapweed

Incidentally, if you have a head for heights, look again at the top picture and you can see the kittiwake ledge in the bottom right-hand corner. Makes you feel all squirmie!

3 comments:

Mary said...

It always amazes me that you lean over that edge to get pictures. Brave man! Squirmie isn't quite strong enough word. I'm glad to see that there are youngsters that survived! Definitely a place to define "survival of the fittest" for both the Kittiwakes and that rabbit! that Knapweed is very beautiful in color! I think I always prefer purple flowers over a lot of other colors.

Greenie said...

Thank you again for risking 'life and limb' to bring us an update on these beaufiful birds .
The rabbit probably thought he was safe there , as no one else would have the bottle to attempt it .

Warren Baker said...

Before I read the end of you post, I thought blimey those cliff shots make me feel dizzy. You wouldn't get me near the edge!!