Thursday 4 January 2007

Fulmars are back

Fulmars nest on the white cliffs of Dover (and St Margaret's). They leave their nest ledges around the end of July and disappear out to sea to moult. They're back in the area by December and now they are already back checking out the nest sites. They are nearest we've got to albatrosses in the northern hemisphere and on this shot the tubes over the beak are visible. These are used to excrete salt as these birds never drink fresh water.

1 comment:

Victoria said...

I love this photo so much. The muted colors on the birds and the cliffs are just outstanding.