Bird of the week - Kittiwake

Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) normally nest on cliffs and rock faces but one famous colony has been nesting on and around the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne for more than 50 years.  It has around 700 nesting pairs in the farthest inland kittiwake colony in the world, being around 10 miles from the sea.

The nests are made of seaweed and mud.  Some of the nest have obviously been reused and added to over many years.

Some birds are still collecting nesting material, some are sitting on eggs and others already have chicks.

The kittiwake is a beautiful bird with a striking eye.

Most have black legs and feet.

But this one has brown.

Of course all the posh birds are on the Newcastle end of the bridge while the others are in Gateshead!

Watch the live feed from the kittiwake cam on the Baltic here.  Listen to the BBC Radio 4 Tweet of the Day on kittiwakes here.  Watch the BTO video on identification of kittiwakes and other small gulls here.  Read more about kittiwakes here.