A mooch around Tynemouth flea market, followed by a stroll along the Tyne, watching the birds and the ships, finishing at North Shields fish quay for a fish-and-chip lunch is a fine way to spend a Saturday morning.
There’s something about windy days like today that seems to make crows exceptionally vociferous, and this was one of several croaking and cawing from the white popular trees planted beside the Tyne between Tynemouth and North Shields. The fish quay at North Shields is famed for its fish and chips and this local population of crows has opted for the easy life, swooping down to hoover-up chips dropped by passers-by. They face stiff competition from the seagulls, but crows’ inherent craftiness seems to ensure that they manage to make a good living with minimal effort, even if this diet is sending their cholesterol count sky-high.
This one broke off its raucous chorus for a minute to peer down at me in case I had a spare chip.
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Lovely shots of these intelligent opportunists Phil.
ReplyDeleteWe get these and Magpies, fequently raiding the bins outside our works canteen.
Thanks Keith, I like all the crow family - the all seem to be very smart birds
ReplyDeleteYour photos reminded me about a crow I saw a few years ago striking a very similar pose to this in a tree in a city centre car park. This one didn't have a chip in its beak but it did have a pink baby's dummy. Hilarious but unrecorded as this was in the days before ready-to-hand pocket digital cameras.
ReplyDeleteHi Nyctalus, I gather that members of the crow family are famed for their liking for bright objects.
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