An amazing tree

I came across this amazing tree when visiting the church at Birdham, south of Chichester. It was more interesting than the church - it's like a living sculpture.

It is a Macrocarpa, native to California, for anyone interested. Or an Ent, if you are a fan of 'Lord of the Rings'...

Nearly fledged

Well, with England's current performance at the World Cup a spectacle too painful to view, it's been back to watching the seagulls nesting instead. The two surviving chicks are now distinctly larger, and walking around.

Only a matter of a few weeks before they try their hand at flying, no doubt.

What a difference a week makes...

...to the seagull chicks. They've gone from very small balls of fluff to more independently minded chicks, and are already beginning to wander around the chimney top. This, of course, makes them more vulnerable on their exposed home to the rooks, magpies and other birds (not to mention other seagulls), so we'll have to wait and see what happens next.

In the meantime, I'm keeping a wary eye out for the mother when I leave our front door.

The seagulls are nesting...

...on top of the chimney of the house opposite.

There are two chicks that I can see, both being fed at frequent intervals by their parents.

For those interested in the technical details they are the ubiquitous Herring gulls, Larus argentatus.

Anyone walking along the street needs to watch out, as gulls can be very protective of their chicks - as I found out to my cost last year.