THIS week's outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in East Lancashire caught far too many people on the hop -- including me.

The fact that none of us should ever take a chance with regard to the welfare of the countryside and its livestock sent me scurrying off to explore a seaside habitat.

It is better to walk by the sea at times like this.

So off I went to St Annes to walk the sands and explore the wildlife of the dunes.

My first sighting was of a small flock of greater black-backed gulls feeding close to the water's edge but they were also competing with herring and black-headed gulls for picnic scraps offered by visitors.

The nearest breeding site for lesser black-backed gulls is at Walney Island in south Cumbria, near Barrow-in-Furness.

This is a long way by car but across the water, as the black headed gull flies, it is an easy journey.

Gulls often make quite long journeys to relax and feed.

Both parents feed the young which take their nourishment directly from the old bird's bill.

The food is partially digested, this being "brewed up" during the flights from the feeding areas. Another point which has always interested me is how all young birds actually hammer their way out of the egg.

The chicks have a structure called an egg tooth, which works like a chisel.

Once the youngster has escaped from the egg this tooth withers and falls off. I also used my time at the seaside to add to my collection of feathers and seashells.

Winter, spring and autumn are the best seasons to collect these objects because hot sunshine makes the colours fade.

Some years ago I had a large collection of feathers and shells but now cameras are so much better I am recording all these objects on film.