Herring Gull Fishing Frenzy

We spent the day today travelling around Acadia National Park in Maine, USA and came across a tidal inlet right at low tide. The tidal range is relatively high in this part of the world (4-5 metres) and there are many small inlets that completely empty at low tide resulting in streams of water cascading across rocks and mud flats as the tide drops.

A large flock of Herring Gulls was fishing in this tidal cascade near Tremont

Herring Gulls (mostly), Tremont, Maine, USA

Mostly they were feeding on small fish trapped in the seaweed

Herring Gull, Tremont, Maine, USA

Others were 'ducking' their heads completely into the water

Herring Gull, Tremont Maine, USA

A few were just hanging around posing

Herring Gull, Tremont, Maine, USA

While others preferred the company of their larger, Great Black-backed cousins

Herring Gull + Great Black-backed Gull, Tremont, Maine, USA

Three terns were fishing in the inlet. They remained at a distance but I managed a few record shots of them. At this distance, without binoculars, they are hard to distinguish from Forster's Terns or Arctic Terns but I am fairly confident they are Common Terns, based on the dark ends of the primary feathers. It was great to see them in breeding plumage as I've never seen them like this in Australia.

Common Tern, Tremont, Maine, USA