Got to Funton for dawn. The tide was due to cover within an hour of sun up. Always makes for an interesting count as many waders were not in the 'right position' for the particular tidal state- overnight feeding behaviour is often very different from during the day, and many birds do not switch- usually makes for low numbers, so a quick count and a chance to do some actual birdwatching.
Wildfowl were about right; the water is their loafing zone, the only thing really different from my last visit the birds were extremely close to the vacant wildfowlers' blinds. At the weekend they'd kept their distance. A big distance.
Counts finished, I became absorbed with a life-and-death struggle worthy of any natural history documentary.
A Great Black-backed Gull swam into The Shade holding a duck in its bill, struggling and splashing. The duck was being held down in the water, and was having trouble keeping head above water. But the Gull did not appear to be trying to drown it. Halfway over, the Gull adjusted grip and, for a split second, the prey was free- but grabbed before it could do much more than flap halfheartedly a couple of times. As they neared the Chetney shore it did manage to break away; turning back and diving underwater in a vain attempt to hide. The Gull simply paused, stared and stretched out to pull the bird back above the surface.
By now I could make out the victim was a Teal.
It was carried out of the water and dropped on the mud. A second Great Black-backed was showing interest, but the 'owner' was having none of it and started a series of aggressive stances. The teal tried to get away, flapping painfully over the mud, but, waterlogged and muddied, it was soon pinned down and pushed head first into the mud, then flipped over- and the feeding began.
Some plucking, mostly stabbing with, by my count, eight tearing actions during a fifteen-minute period. Fifteen minutes during which the Teal continued to struggle intermittently. It was being eaten alive.
At such a time I'm glad Great Black-backed Gulls are in short order around the estuary.
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