Thou shalt have a Kitty when the boat comes in

The Lady Clara is an odd 'un. As with most regular vessels on the Medway, I've checked her out on the excellent Marine Traffic website . Even though she's only just over ten years old, she's had several name changes. If you look closely you can see the raised metal of the original name under 'Lady Clara'- she started as 'Okko Tom Brook', then became 'Lady NTER', then 'Lady Cheetah', then just 'Lady'. All those strange name changes, BOU would be proud.

I was pleased to see Clara. I'd blagged a ride to Queenborough and got a three hour pass to rest up and take in the estuary airs on a bench by the Lappel. And Clara had just popped over from Rotterdam heading for Ridham Dock down the Swale. She'd entered the Medway via the deep water channel and had just what I wanted in tow; Kittiwakes, four of them. Not the easiest bird to pick up on the estuary, but they are partial to a ship's churnings, and today's quartet actually went a few hundred metres into the Swale before thinking they really ought to turn back for the coast. If they'd latched onto a Medway Towns bound boat, then they might have hung on as far up as Pinup Reach. The only ship to pass that way, the dredger Arco Avon, had had the expected 50-plus Herrings and a mix of the other common gull species, but no Kitts; they're never guaranteed, but check, and you shall find.

Otherwise the interest was the lateness of the Thames-feeding Curlews in to roost. The texts tell you they are often one of the first to assemble, one of the last to leave, but they were last in today; just over 130 flew in to join the Shepherd's Creek roost. Perhaps the poor feeding conditions over the past few days had caused them to make the most of the flats? Oystercatchers were fairly quiet, just under 400 in, but more than 1,600 Dunlins, fast and low, were entertaining enough.  Over the water, the northshore Brent Geese at Grain were joined by over 400 birds from beyond Sheerness, so, unable to tell if down the deep water channel or in from north Sheppey; no matter, always enjoy a decent skein.

Left before the top of the tide; with another surge due, didn't want to get my op wound wet- and looking at the promenade, it had certainly been wet yesterday. The half-dozen Rock Pipits were enjoying the mess.

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Finally, it seems Jan 5th is my traditional date for a first visit to Queenborough:

Ask Eric

"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.." Dear old stressed Eric. 1995, and Cantona had kung-fu kicked a supporter in the stands. Not many recall the footballer got a two week prison sentence, but his appeal got that reduced to community service. The quote came just after all the sentencing to-ing and fro-ing- the press were following him around, looking for scraps.

If I'd been in the audience, I'd have asked Eric about cargo ships instead of trawlers. And ferries. And container ships. And..

Them seagulls (as Eric calls 'em) follow all of 'em. Are they really all hoping for scraps? Well, some at the RSPB think so:

But I'm not so sure. Several years back there was an interesting thread on this on Essex birders, and the Thames seagullers chucked some tasty ideas into the froth.

Feeding? Well, the feeding rates are extremely low. Little is thrown overboard, Relatively little churned up in the wake.

Migration? See that following paragraph in the quote above; over-simplified, small scale adjustments don't rely on those large-scale aids.

Competition? Some seagulls drop back and follow the next boat as well. And the next. Somehow utilising for display.

Play? Nothing better to do? Well, most seagulls would normally just loaf and save energy. And you don't really see seagulls play- normally too busy squabbling. Pair-forming perhaps?

Seagulls have to work hard to find food, happy to be opportunist feeders, and aren't really pelagic. They're not sea-going gulls. More inshore water gulls.

So, when a flippin big moveable cliff motors through your large feeding territory, creating easy lift to gain a bit of height to look further for seagulls feeding elsewhere, extra lift to allow some lazy flight, a hitched ride for several miles in the general migratory direction, the odd bit of propeller-prepared chum for a snack, why wouldn't some of the population an opportunist species take advantage?

- Height- watch birds ride the airwaves above the boat, scanning.
- Lazy flight- watch birds ride the bows.
- Migration- at the right time of the year, watch those Kittiwakes follow 'inland' then continue overland when the rivers narrow.
- Food- watch a few dip-feeding at the stern.
- Pairing- watch a group of Mediterranean Gulls in the spring, they are seemingly playing 'King of the Castle', continually trying to out-climb each other.

Kittiwakes. Read the short comments in the guide books. 'Winter far out to sea'. So, a Kitt coming into the Medway must be up to something. Watching for feeding? Not often. Riding the airwaves? Hardly any flapping going on. Deciding they've strayed a bit too far from home? Yup, they soon desert that cargo ship when it enters the narrow channel of the Swale. These birds are more often found in poorer weather than good, but calmer days just after blows are good days to watch out for them. A few tired individuals, having a bit of a laze? Kitts after ships? They're getting tired out over the deeper water. Money is on a few more birds inshore around the Kent coast over the next few days.

The more you find out, the more there is to know.