Black Headed Gulls courtship.

A few times each year we visit Joyces sister in Dursley in Gloucestershire which very conveniently is only a stones throw from Slimbridge, so while they go off shopping somewhere I spend a day at the WWT reserve. On this occasion there was'nt a lot to see from the hides so my usually ploy is to just stay in one place & see if anything comes to me, I chose the hide where a few Black Headed Gulls were starting to build nests and generally go about thier, what proved to be, very interesting courtship rituals.A lot of posturing & posing and gully shananingans played out in front of me. The pair I photographed here were unusual in that the male ( or I take it is the male ) presented his chosen mate with a whole Moorhen chick ,which it regurgitated and placed in front of her, she then picked it up ,carried it to the water , where she washed it , walked back to him , and ate it...the effort he made was worth it as they both flew a short distance and had sex, and I hope now are living happily ever after.