Q is for..... ABC Wednesday

Q is for 'queue' as illustrated above by this line up of gulls awaiting their turn to catch a Gaspereau at the falls.

Q is for 'quest' as each year gulls begin to gather at the Gaspereau Falls on the North Oromocto River in the expectation of the large numbers of Gaspereau that will be returning to their spawning grounds at the headwaters of the Oromocto. As the Gaspereau move from the Saint John River into the Oromocto, manoeuvring the falls and rapids make the Gaspereau easy prey for the waiting gulls.

Q is for 'quarrelsome', which aptly describes the behaviour of many of these gulls, for frequently when they see that one has had a successful catch they rush to grab and steal from each other. Often when this occurs they all lose out, for in the melee that follows the fish is dropped back into the river and no one is the winner.

Q is for 'quick-footed', as this gull has to be, as its performs a balancing act between the weight of the fish it has caught and the steadiness of its footing in the fast moving waters.

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This year the Gaspereau are late, perhaps due to the flooding of the Saint John and the colder water temperatures. These action photos were taken other years; but no doubt the same behaviours will be repeated again this year when the Gaspereau start to run.

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Thanks to Mrs. Nesbitt's Place for hosting ABC Wednesday.