Gull choking on a Starfish

[bakubo]

Here is a gull I saw recently in British Columbia trying to choke down a starfish.

[David Kilpatrick]

Serves it right! Vaguely Hogarthian in moral message.

David

[Greg Beetham]

That was a lucky one Henry, (although it may have been trying too eat the thing for some time), still, a great capture.
Greg

ps. It's a wonder that some other Gulls aren't trying to pester that one and snaffle the meal.

[Dr. Harout]

Spongebob will come to the rescue...

[Juanito200]

That's a good one Doc!! But at this point even Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy may not be able to help!!

[bakubo]

Serves it right! Vaguely Hogarthian in moral message.

Good one. I don't know if he ever got it down. I saw him from a distance poking at the starfish on the ground and because he was so preoccupied with the starfish I was able to approach to about 8 feet. It was low tide and there were literally thousands of starfish among the exposed rocks. I have never seen anything like it. Here are a few photos.

[bakubo]

That was a lucky one Henry, (although it may have been trying too eat the thing for some time), still, a great capture.

At first I saw him from a distance and he was poking at the starfish on the ground. Then he got it in his mouth and was having a hell of a time trying to get it down. Here he is earlier with it on the ground.

ps. It's a wonder that some other Gulls aren't trying to pester that one and snaffle the meal.

The weird thing is, and I commented on it to my wife at the time, there were thousands of exposed starfish because the tide was low and lots and lots of gulls flying around. The whole time I was there though this was the only gull I saw to try to eat a starfish. The starfish were completely unmolested by all the gulls. Maybe gulls generally just don't like the taste of starfish.

[bakubo]

Spongebob will come to the rescue...

I have heard of Spongebob but never watched him.

[aster]

Hi Bakubo,

This is one of the best gull-story photo series I have seen! I truly enjoyed them. There is a huge lesson for the greedy to take.

The colours of the starfish are incredible. Extraordinary, yet poisonous-looking with that purple and orange. You really stepped into a rare situation. We don't see such sights here, in fact I wouldn't know where to look for one!

Thanks for sharing.

Yildiz

[sury]

I fully echo Yildiz's sentiments here. One of those times where I can't decide if I should focus on the story or the image.


With best regards,
Sury

[bakubo]

This is one of the best gull-story photo series I have seen! I truly enjoyed them. There is a huge lesson for the greedy to take.

Yildiz, thank you! I am curious though, how many gull-story photo series have you seen?

The colours of the starfish are incredible. Extraordinary, yet poisonous-looking with that purple and orange. You really stepped into a rare situation. We don't see such sights here, in fact I wouldn't know where to look for one!

It had occurred to me that the starfish might be poisonous to gulls and in the gull community it is common knowledge since all the other gulls were not taking advantage of the huge buffet, but you know how that goes. There is always somebody who doesn't get the word. Actually, I do remember a few years ago at a marina I saw a gull with a small starfish that he had dropped onto the walkway between the boats. He was poking it, but I didn't see him try to swallow it.

[bakubo]

I fully echo Yildiz's sentiments here. One of those times where I can't decide if I should focus on the story or the image.

Here is one more photo that shows a whole bunch of starfish. All along the shore at low tide for hundreds of meters there were thousands and thousands of starfish. I have never seen anything like that before.



Okay, one more photo.

[aster]

This is one of the best gull-story photo series I have seen! I truly enjoyed them. There is a huge lesson for the greedy to take.

Yildiz, thank you! I am curious though, how many gull-story photo series have you seen?

Oh, I think I was thinking more in the lines of my own experience with seagulls, I suppose. I have two that I was able to photograph here in Istanbul.

Parent gulls don't like spoilt offspring and they make sure that the offspring learns it well:

1. When the offspring was big enough to hunt for food, yet still went after the parents, begging for them to give some, the mother fought him off of the roof. The offspring had to fly onto an other roof and stayed there until he got over the shock of rejection and beating and then flied off out toward the sea.

2. Again an other offspring; this one was too young to fly but kept hanging out on the edge of the roof. Seeing the danger that it may fall off and die, the mother took flight, circled around and then dived towards the baby, scaring it to move closer to the center of the roof where the nest was. It kept diving until the baby was far and safe from falling off the edge.

I think I posted the first story to the forum last summer under the title 'Urban wild life'. The second was never sent and I think I have it on a DVD in my archives.

Yildiz

[bakubo]

I am not good with birds, but I think this is a Western Gull with first-winter plumage.

[Dusty]

Spongebob will come to the rescue...

I have heard of Spongebob but never watched him.

He's a favorite at our household! It was the first TV show to ever make my now 5 (almost 6) year old laugh. My 4 YO is very much into him, and my 18 month old calls him "Bobbie".

Similar to the old Flintstones in that it's humor is on multiple levels, both kids and adults will laugh at the show.

Dusty