Photographer captures gull's ambush on Norwich peregrine

The ambush of Norwich's male peregrine by a hungry gull was captured in an incredible action shot by a Norwich photographer. 

Chris and Kim Skipper were celebrating their first week as newlyweds down at Norwich Cathedral, doing what they love most, taking pictures of the peregrines. 

And after a couple of hours of watching the male peregrine return "empty-taloned" the couple saw he had company as he tried to bring back a pigeon to the nesting box. 

The action shot was taken at 7.30am on Saturday morning. 

Mr Skipper said: "I didn't realise I had it. I take so many frames then when I got home and looked at and went that's a bit different. It looks as if I've put the gull in the background but that is what's happened. 

"We were standing in the cloisters and [the male peregrine] went off and disappeared. We heard the gulls first. There must have been five or six gulls following him, he had a pigeon. 

"Sadly the pigeon became the property of the gulls but the number of gulls was a concern as the falcons are currently incubating four eggs. 

Mr Skipper, who has followed the peregrines for more than a decade, said it was not typical for the male bird to carry such a big prey item like pigeons. 

He added: "With the gulls following he did a couple of loops of the cathedral. They were on him, they were screaming and wailing.

"It is a worry that every time he brings some food back, he has to face that. They're pirating off the peregrines for a meal." 

The couple, from Costessey, met through their mutual love of photographing the peregrines, which nest on the spire of the cathedral.

In 2019, Mr Skipper pulled off a proposal that will "go down in history" when he popped the question to his future wife on the cathedral bell tower as the pair were ringing the falcons.

The couple continue to monitor the peregrines who are due to welcome their newest chicks in the next few weeks.