Fulmars are one of the British birds that have steadily increased in recent years and Hunstanton cliffs certainly support this with many more birds there this visit than previous. Adults spend a large portion of their lives at sea, returning in November to set up territories. Eggs are laid in May. In July, the parents depart to resume their oceanic wandering, leaving the chick to fend for itself. By early September, the youngster will be ready to follow in the wake of its parents. Young birds spend the first four or five years of their lives at sea, and do not reach maturity until they are eight or nine years old but they may live for up to forty years. Here a few shots from Saturday's visit.
Yesterday the RPS Nature Group managed a shortish morning's bird photography before the rain set in which was fine as most people were journeying considerable distances back home. There were very large flocks of Lapwing and Golden Plover settling on the scrapes in beautiful light showing off their colourful but very good camouflage plumage in with Teal, Dunlin, Wigeon etc. Down on the beach there weren't the expected numbers of waders, certainly compared with the huge flocks at Hunstanton, but most of the species were there in small numbers. Here a couple of Bar-Tailed Godwits and an Oystercatcher with mussel. A lone Black-winged Stilt with a ring (?escapee) posed beautifully.
