******  If you have an aversion to Silver Gulls, or stories about Silver Gulls, then ClickAway NOW.  You have been warned.**********

We have just returned from a few days ‘holiday’ down the coast.  Accommodation within walking distance of the beach, in the company of some friends from our village.

The smell of sea air, the splash of the waves, all very rejuvenating.  These days I’m not a great swimmer,  would have once, thought it just the best way to spend a holiday, tearing up and down the beach, rolling in the waves, getting sand in between my toes, and going home with a dripping towel.  And an ice-cream. Let’s be practical, a great day out.

But these days, I’m much more inclined to watch it all happen.

As it turned out the bay we were staying near was quite wide, and very shallow for much of the day.  The waves must run in from both points and wash the sand into the middle of their force, and a lovely inverted “Y” sand bar has formed between the forces.  I went down to look.

The tide was at low-level, and there was only a few centimeters, (inches) of water washing over the bar. It ranged in width from a few metres close in, to around 15 or more further out, then tapered down again at the end of the bar.

The enclosed part of the “Y”, of course was closed in by the beach proper, and the water in the pool of the “Y”, was only being replenished by the gentle wash of the wavelets over the sandbar, and was being warmed by the sunshine.

Too much fun.  So off came the shoes and socks, up rolled the trousers and wading into the luke warm water was, I must admit, enjoyable.

After a few minutes, I decided to explore the sandbar proper, and as it was less than ankle-deep,  I found the going easy.

A good 50 metres or so from the shore, and the bar widened out quite considerably.  I decided it was a good place for a few sets of Tai Chi, and began with the Yang 24 set. Part way through I found I wasn’t the only inhabitant of the sandbar.  It was the home to a great many little crabs running about on the sand.

Did a set of modified Chen, and was settling into a round of the good Doctor Lam’s Tai Chi for Arthritis, when the local seagull population also discovered the tiny crabs and treated it like a smogasbord.  And my presence didn’t seem to be a problem.

So I waded back to the beach and upacked the D810 and the 300mm PF lens, and making sure the strap was securely attached, waded back out.  First thing I discovered was it was hard to do Tai Chi with the camera attached! 🙂

But the gulls and then the terns were relatively unpreturbed by a human in the water.  Which led me to think a little about the way the birds percieve our presence.  Standing still, or in motion to the TC Set and the running of the waves seemed to somehow fit in ok with the birds.

Over the next half hour or so my feet turned a funny white colour, but I ‘d had a few close encounters with the local inhabitants.

Enjoy

Easy pickings for a Silver Gull

What ever we may think of their habits, the fact remains they are the consumate aeronaut.

A large family of Crested Terns were also in the area.

And a White-faced Heron flew by, without any concern for my presence.

There was also a large group of Pacific Gulls working along the beach, and they were in varying stages of plumage.  Such an awesome bird close up.