Lesser Black Backed Gull raiding tern colony

To big to handle - most young Black headed gulls are now this size - safety assured!

Looking back at pictures I took at Rye Harbour at the weekend, I thought this sequence was worth showing. The power of the colony to defend it self is evident here, when this Lesser Black backed Gull attempted a chick /egg raid on the Common Terns and Black headed Gulls. On this attempt the Gull was hurried away possibly because the Black headed Gull chicks are nearing full size and not so easy to catch. I have watched similar scenes where the Gull has taken much smaller fledglings, perhaps 2 or 3 in 1/2 an hour