[John Mason]

Kamikaze Terns!

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I was at Borth Saturday morning about to go home after a poor early morning session when the birdlife got going. There must be a lot of whitebait here right now, but still few signs of decent mackerel shoals inshore. Never mind, if they remain then the predators will find them.

Offshore, gannets and shearwaters were in attendance:



That was a couple of nights before. This morning in question there were still some gannets and shearwaters around, but the terns were closer-in and a better subject:



However, was this one a bit off-the-mark?



Or are all those zigzaggy marks in the other rocks where the terns have been biting chunks out of them on the quiet? You tell me!

(I know the answer, and no creatures were harmed in the taking of these images)... apart from some whitebait maybe... These dudes sure know what they're doing!

Cheers - John

[rosskesava]

It's quite amazing how they dive into the water, then fly under water, surface and then fly off again.

Daft question maybe but why would the whitebait be in such numbers?

I've seen the same in Brighton on some high tides when the air pressure is high and the waves very small and it almost seemed like the whitebait were turning over with the waves and getting washed up on the shingle. There aren't any gannets or shearwaters around here but the herring gulls had a field day.

I also went to Borth a few weeks back. I drove from Aberwystwythwyth-wyth on an incredibly steep/small/winding/hairpin bend/breathtaking road to get there. To say I was unimpressed with Borth itself was an understatement but the scenery around abouts - beyond belief.

[John Mason]

Quote

rosskesava - 31/7/2011 23:58 It's quite amazing how they dive into the water, then fly under water, surface and then fly off again. Daft question maybe but why would the whitebait be in such numbers? I've seen the same in Brighton on some high tides when the air pressure is high and the waves very small and it almost seemed like the whitebait were turning over with the waves and getting washed up on the shingle. There aren't any gannets or shearwaters around here but the herring gulls had a field day. I also went to Borth a few weeks back. I drove from Aberwystwythwyth-wyth on an incredibly steep/small/winding/hairpin bend/breathtaking road to get there. To say I was unimpressed with Borth itself was an understatement but the scenery around abouts - beyond belief.

Settled conditions allow them to shoal-up - safety in numbers!

That road sounds like the one that leaves Aberystwyth at the top of Penglais Hill and heads to Borth via the hairpin bend, Llangorwen (cross-roads to Clarach & Bow Street) and through rolling hills before descending steeply to Borth itself. Fun in icy conditions (not!!)...

Cheers - John