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Move over, now! |
The proverbial early riser gets the worm but the loudest seagull gets the post with the coveted view. This ritual of calculated circling, followed by a swift and powerful dive, and accompanied by aggressive squawking is the winged kingdom's equivalent of pulling rank.
Or, is it?
The uncertainty arises from witnessing that next bird swishing down and displacing, with equal vigor, the previous conqueror of the docking post. Could it be just a game among friends?
As the morning unfolds with an invisible funnel pouring more moist air into the sky, the fog shows no intention of easing. I walk through the park—exchanging nods and glances of understanding with joggers along the way—to the small dock where countless seagulls and the occasional cormorant play out their territorial games.
The lens is fogged and dripping, but I blank out unsettling thoughts of in-camera condensation and damage.
The cormorant is not here today, what a letdown! But the seagulls are everywhere—more agitated, loud, and active than usual. Realizing that I've captured 2-3 "attack" shots, I turn to leave as the humidity is overwhelming. And then, I run into a scene that will serve as the stage for more territorial games of claim and concession.
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Filling in the parking spots till their rightful occupants reclaim them. |
But, as you know, things happen!
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Not in the mood for a photo session today, at least not in portrait mode! |
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Posing for a group photo? |
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Portraits and profiles, tangled in mist. |
So, it stays!