Country diary: Shy gull chicks get nowt | John Gilbey

Aberaeron, Ceredigion: Herring gulls are taking advantage of human activity here, nesting in iron rings and on disused train platforms, where the young are already begging on the moveThe harbour at Aberaeron has been the scene of substantial change over the last couple of years as the flood defences are upgraded to reduce the very real risk of the town being inundated again. Long stretches of quayside have been fenced off, leaving me to peer through the mesh of the barriers at the scene below.Pwll Cam, the sheltered inner harbour, would usually be bustling with small boats at this time of year. Today it is empty and almost dry, with house martins skimming the remaining pool of water while wagtails glean along the edge of the exposed mud. On the edge of the quayside, where in normal times folk dangle their legs and eat chips, large iron rings provide an anchor for mooring ropes. Continue reading...