Changing of the guard
I was walking Duncansby Head in Scotland when I got way-laid for a while by the nesting birds in the cliff crevices. Watching aggressive gulls repeatedly attacking those which were protecting their eggs was dramatic, but I managed to catch this pair of parents doing a swift swap-over in between attacks - the one leaving had been guarding the nest for some time but now it was their other half's turn while they flew off in search of food.... Or at least, that was my interpretation of what was happening. I'm no ornithologist!
Changing of the guard
I was walking Duncansby Head in Scotland when I got way-laid for a while by the nesting birds in the cliff crevices. Watching aggressive gulls repeatedly attacking those which were protecting their eggs was dramatic, but I managed to catch this pair of parents doing a swift swap-over in between attacks - the one leaving had been guarding the nest for some time but now it was their other half's turn while they flew off in search of food.... Or at least, that was my interpretation of what was happening. I'm no ornithologist!