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These days we have a stretch of great weather in England. I have already shared with you two photos from my Sunday trip to the Holy Island. This photo was taken last Saturday. I spent the whole day with my family in the South Tyneside on a beach near the Marsden Rock. There are some cliffs there, these days densely populated with nesting sea birds. We had a small situation on the beach. We spotted one of the seagull chicks on the ground. It moved along the sand awkwardly. I think its wings were ok but its legs were possibly broken. It was obvious that there were a lot of decently sized chicks in the crowded nests on the cliffs, they were quite big already but they were not able to fly yet. I had no idea what to do with the bird. It was cruel to leave it in the middle of the beach. I discussed it with several people passing by. Occasionally, there were people walking dogs along the beach, which was worrying. I noticed another one of those chicks dead not much further, and a third one hiding in a small cave within cliffs. I am not sure whether the high tide may flood the caves later. My birdwatching friend told me in the past that it is better not to touch the chicks as the parents would abandon them sensing the foreign smell. I tried to pick it up through a plastic bag but it was afraid and defended itself strongly with long sharp beak. I gave up. Eventually a lady with children passing by used her towel to wrap up the chick and she brought it closer to the cliffs, hiding it in a shade. It stayed there alone without trying to move again. No seagull parents were interested in it at all, which was quite sad.

The species which you see here is called black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla).

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