Just a Sea Gull Jaywalking

Normally birds aren't very easy to photograph. Just as you get close enough to focus they fly away. Not so the sea gull. It seems to have no  fear of humans, and, instead, considers them a food source. They are also very greedy when it comes to their food.

I  remember one day I was at a beach and I had a closed jar of peanuts in the sand. A group of gulls approached it as I watched. The dominant bird started to peck at the jar. It finally became frustrated at not being able to get at the nuts. But it would not let any other bird approach the jar. The dominant gull stood guard and chased any other bird who started toward it.  It couldn't get those nuts, but wanted to make sure no other bird had a chance at them either.

Another day years later I was walking along Pismo Beach past a picnic abandoned for the water. The ice chest and remains of the picnic were still there, so the gulls took over. As I watched, they fought over anything they found.

Most wild birds seem to fear people and cars, but sea gulls don't. You can practically run over one before it will move out of your way on the road. The only thing I can't figure out about the gull in the top photo is why he's crossing the road into the parking lot, away from the people eating in the food service area. Just why is the sea gull crossing the road?

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• Eric McCrum on Seagulls
• Pismo Beach Stairway to Nowhere - April 2015 Update