Sushi Lunch on the Niagara Parkway

© Christine Mastroianni, all rights reserved

We had pulled over to check out some uncommon species of ducks when I spotted this pair of gulls and crept over to see what was engaging them. I don't know how the fish entered the equation - whether it was freshly plucked from the river or discovered ashore - but it was pretty clear that the beak that carried it had no intention of sharing it. I did advance close enough to lay on the dock, and with my 300mm lens, secured myself plenty of whimsical photos. I also made sure that I occasionally paused to just observe the interaction. As it turns out, they weren't even fighting over the morsel... it was almost as if the gull in the back were standing guard as his companion took her time flipping it around and repositioning it without disruption. But this particular shot seems to be portraying furtive behaviour, and upon pondering it, I imagine the various possible statements the opportunistic gull might be uttering:

"I am going to enjoy this all on my own, thank you very much....."

"You keep watch as I divide this into two equally-sized portions.... yeah that's what I'm going to do...."

"Of course I'm going to let you have some... just hold on a moment..."

"Don't worry - I'm just going to lay it over here until we catch another one......"