Terns

We were standing on Union Quay in North Shields this afternoon (after an excellent fish and chip lunch in the Waterfront), watching a ship move off from its mooring on the quayside. The ship's bow-thrusters churned up the water and several small, silvery fish came floating to the surface. Almost instantly, seemingly from nowhere, terns arrived .....

....spotted the fish ....

..... hovered for a second or two ...

... rolled into a dive ....

.... splashed down (pity this wasn't sharper)

... and made off with the spoils.

When the Boat comes in.......

I like places that celebrate their heritage. This cavorting fish....

..... pursued by a long line of similar-shaped ridge tiles chasing its tail ......

.... and the fish motif on the street lamps..

.... and on the end of the public benches on the quay, where you can sit and eat your fish and chips, mean that you could only be ......

... in North Shields