Northern Gannet - Morus bassanus
Pictures by Ray Tipper - More about Ray...
More about Ray Tipper
Ray Tipper began his birding on the North Kent Marshes at the age if eleven. He left his native Britain in 1973 spending most of the next 22 years in Hong Kong. As a trustee of WWF he was intimately involved with its renowned Mai Po Nature Reserve. It was in Hong Kong that Ray turned to bird photography, which quickly became his major interest. He gained associateship of the Royal Photographic Society in 1990, and his photographs appear in journals and books throughout the world. Ray guides specialist birdwatching and bird photography tours and since 1997 has led more than 100 tours in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Madagascar. He now lives in the Algarve, where his intimate knowledge of its birds has been recognised by his appointment as Chairman of the Portuguese Rarities Committee.
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Juvenile at sea off Sagres
The largest seabird to regularly visit Portuguese waters, it is possible to see Northern Gannets from almost anywhere along the Algarve coast. They are most easily found from the cliff-tops at Cape St. Vincent and Ponta da Atalaia, Sagres where, particularly at the latter, they often pass close to the coast. Adults are essentially all-white birds with black wing-tips. In contrast, juveniles are drab grey-brown profusely spotted white. It takes four to five years to attain adult plumage, the birds becoming more white as each year passes. They live on diet of fish which they catch by plunge-diving into the sea, sometimes from a spectacular height. Present all year, but only immatures in summer.
Adult at sea off Sagres. Note pale buffy-orange upper neck colour visible at close range.
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