The Beast of St Ives

[T-Photo]

During my holiday down at Gwithian in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago we decided to nip down to St. Ives for some evening fish and chips (about a 7 mile drive). I don't know if any of you have been to St. Ives but the seagulls are massive and scarily aggresive at times.

We were sat on a wall watching people get dive bombed by these things as they walked along the front with their chips, some of which dropped everything on the floor, inviting about 50 seagulls at once to pig out on their food. I spent a good half hour trying to photograph one of them flying overhead - and it wasn't easy!

These things move fast, too fast for my autofocus to respond in fact. This shot was pure luck, i had the focus set manually and waited patiently looking through the viewfinder until one flew by at an adequate distance.

Any C/C Welcome

 

[oldgit]

Looks pretty good. Tho it'd benifit from a mask and levels lift on the main gull, its a bit dark

 

[spencer]

One of my favourite places in cornwall!
Last year a seagull pinched a pasty out of the hand of someone, just as they were about to take a bite!!!

 

[Shorn]

I was on a stag night in St Ives, went to the chippy paid about a fiver for fish and chips, a seagull stole it from my hand as I picked it up to bite.
my friend gave me half of his so I saved a little to try to tempt the seagull to come have another go, as I was baiting it, it's friend came and pinched the other bit.
true story.

 

[T-Photo]

Shorn, you should make an effort to get back down there and get that pride back. Those things think they own the place heh

 

[Amp34]

Ohh, St'Ives, some fond memories there. As for the picture, I like. It is so difficult to get pictures of flying birds so

What lens did you use?

 

[Lofty]

St Ives ...........................

I live there

And yes the gulls are turning nastier by the year (culling program coming up soon i think)

Good pic ......... surprised you didnt try to get some pics of them from the cliffs near Gwithian as that seems to be the easiest place to get a pic of them because you can sit on the cliff and they fly right by at eye level

 

[spencer]

And yes the gulls are turning nastier by the year (culling program coming up soon i think)

Perhaps KFC could use them in their fast food outlets?

 

[chrisiow]

Last time I was down there they were mugging the pensioners for food.

 

[moomike]

Evil things they are - the ones up this end of the country are nowhere near as bad as the Devon/Cornwall variety, although some areas of Wales do have the food stealing types too
St. Ives was soooo busy the last time I was there & the gulls were having a field day!

Great pic btw, could do with shadow/highlight or levels adjustments but other than that, an excellent capture

 

[paulc]

great pic..evil bird, we had one dive bomb my 10 year old daughter for her cornetto..Grr