Rtas' wildlife pics

Coots are always amusing with there massive feet that look way out of proportion to their bodies. The chicks look really ugly with their bald heads

Species : Lesser black-backed gull, modern human

Spot : Saint-Malo, Brittany, France
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The old man and the sea gull...
I took this photo in Saint-Malo, the famous corsair city, a very touristic place in Brittany. Here, gulls have become extraordinarily numerous and tame to the point that they have become a problem. That's why public authorities forbid to feed them. However, most people don't respect the rule and you can easily tell from this picture that these two fellows have known each other for a while and share strong friendship ties. Indeed, that man probably fed that lesser black-backed gull for a long time and managed to tame it, as no other gull behave so casually with him. Unfortunately, I didn't talk to him, so everything I am telling you is pure conjecture.
Lesser black-backed gulls are rare in Saint-Malo, the vast majority of them are herring or great black-backed gulls. This lesser one was the only representative of its species that day. That guy looked also quite unique in that crowd of tourists and also quite lonely. I like to think that these two friends chose each other because they were different from the others...

We have 3 pairs of lesser back backed gulls and over 50 black headed pairs at my school. You can often see them at lunch time eating the left over food with the badgers and foxes.

This gull seems very tame, but I wonder why it is really hard to train gulls for films and such?, because all scenes of flying seagulls on beaches are either shot separate or doves.

This is amazing photo !
You catched just perfectly Ben !

That's a genial photo. Perfect for a magazine cover with a report about the reconquest of the gulls and their connection with humans. All Portuguese coast and not only, is having the same problem with gulls and we have similar laws. Here we can find loads of gull species but I think those I see commonly are actually the lesser black-backed and the yellow-legged gulls. They're so many, it is ahrd to explain. Some already do not care with fish and they get food at people's houses, it is forbidden but people love to feed them. Here in Lisbon they are relentless raptors and not gulls anymore. They are gaining a very negative reputation but I enjoy watching them despite being quite common.

Thank you guys !

Species : Canada goose

Spot : Fobney island nature reserve, Reading, Berkshire, UK
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Canada geese are so many in Britain that they are even more numerous than mallard ducks ! When I was in Reading, the Canada geese of the university campus raised up to 39 chicks and almost none of them died ! They grew up quickly and formed an army of always starving birds that almost attacked you anytime you came to the lake with some bread ! Quite impressive and even almost intimidating...

I have seen canada geeses only in Munich. In my area they are not at home.

Canada geese were introduced to Britain in the 17th century and were originally going to be used for shooting. Due to their tame and low flying nature they were scrapped as hunting birds and they soon became naturalised

Species : Common wall gecko

Spot : Southern France
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I could not believe there were geckos in France before I saw them with my own eyes. I mean, I had read in books that the common wall gecko lived in the mediterranean basin but in my mind, geckos were exotic animals and I could hardly believe they could be found in Europe. Before age 25, I had never been in southern France and I had a joke telling that everything south of the Loire river was Africa ! However, when I worked as a street fundraiser for Greenpeace, I finally travelled in the south and actually really liked it (except the temperatures !). So, when I saw that first gecko shadow through a street lamp, I could not believe my eyes : I was in Africa ! Later, we stayed in a house which was invaded by these cute lizards and I was able to take more explicit pictures like this one :
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I might be going even more crazy than I already am but when I read the text under the photo of the gecko in the lamp it looks like the lamp is growing

I have never seen geckos ever, even in zoos I have never seen them. Lovely photos :)

Advicot wrote:

I might be going even more crazy than I already am but when I read the text under the photo of the gecko in the lamp it looks like the lamp is growing

the same thing happened to me!!

A gecko in France

RtasVadumee wrote:

I could not believe there were geckos in France before I saw them with my own eyes. I mean, I had read in books that the common wall gecko lived in the mediterranean basin but in my mind, geckos were exotic animals and I could hardly believe they could be found in Europe.

Unlike you, I never thought or search about it and believed that geckos were everywhere, until now... Kids are growing up chasing or playing with geckos here, they're almost as common as ants. There will always be a gecko in your balcony in summer and plenty if you have a yard.. People consider them good luck, so they stay unharmed. Maybe also because they eat mosquito.

Species : Common ringed plover

Spot : Pornichet's harbour, southern Brittany, France
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Another small wader from the lovely seaside town of Pornichet where I sometimes go on holidays. Unlike turnstones and sanderlings, ringed plovers usually stay higher on the beach, where the sand is dryer, and they are the first species back to the beach when the tide is ebbing. They are also the shyest of the three species.

I haven't ever seen any species of plover because I need to travel a long while to reach the sea. They are lovely birds with beautiful eggs.

Hi friends.

The confinement is over in France and I have to go back to work. While most people here are happy to go back to a more normal life, I feel a bit sad since I really enjoyed staying at home without having to face the real world. It was a very good period in my life and I want you to know that I enjoyed spending it with you.

Now, I will have much less time to spend on forum and the daily update of this topic will have to end. Of course, I will continue to post pictures of my collection, it will remain my priority there. But I will post my zoo and wildlife pics much more occasionally now. I will still add new photos when I have time to but it will not be on a daily basis anymore.

Anyway, thank you for all your kind comments about my pics, I was happy to share them with you.

Well life isn't fair but I have dearly enjoyed updates from your topics, thank you. :) May I ask what do you work as?

Species : Wood duck, mandarin duck

Spot : Maiden Erlegh lake, Reading, Berkshire, UK
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That's actually one of my favourite photos from Reading. Indeed, I also love comparison pics of real animals ! This one shows two of the most beautiful ducks in the world which can be met in the wild in Britain : the common Chinese mandarin and the rare American wood duck. Unlike the mandarin duck whose population is now strongly established in the UK, the wood duck, which was introduced in Britain even before the mandarin, never managed to adapt to this new environement. As a consequence, it remains a very scarce bird in the British isles and is not even considered as part of British fauna. In Reading, there was only one of them. Finding it among the other waterfowls was always pleasant. Unfortunately, wood ducks are condemned to disappear in Reading since this beautiful male had no mate. I don't know if he's still alive today, it was at least seven years ago...

I have kept both of these in my menagerie of birds. These two species lived together, and in the pen next door we kept harlequin ducks, and possibly some long tailed. My local lake has mandarins galore and are friendly as they eat out of peoples' hands.

Some info on wood ducks. Average (wild) lifespan: 3-5 years record 15 yrs. Captivity: 20 years.

Magical picture!