Gull v rat

I just returned from another excellent trip to the Azores, spending most of the time leading a group on the western island of Flores. There'll be more on that trip and the excellent birds we had in due course, but for now I thought I'd share this sequence of photos of an atlantis Yellow-legged Gull (or Azores Gull if you will). This bird in Lajes harbour was aggressively defending a nice dinner it had lined up - a Black Rat. We were surprised at what short work it made of the rodent - here's how:

The gull aggressively defended its 'meal' from other gulls nearby ...

... before moving in to finish the job ...

... first, grab rat by neck ...

... then line it up carefully, because ...

... it's going down in one ...

... then swallow, tail and all