e-510 226mm 1/200 f/5.2 iso 400

I was out doing big lens practice in the park the other day, nothing special bird-wise as this time of year they’re all the same: thousands of mallards, dozens of crows and seagulls, the two herons who inhabit the park year ‘round and the odd tiny songbird. None are exotic in this locale, but they act just like all the sorts of more exotic species to come in spring and summer.

On such occasions, I’m never looking to bag a great shot, rather I’m putting in time, learning the focal and the depth, and when I get home I analyze the photos and the exifs to death and do my best to learn for when that yellow bellied sap sucker comes my way so that I can bag a unique and rare view of the world. Today’s photo is just practice, but I include it here because I noted over the half hour I spent on Goodacre lake these two common seagulls, the one who perpetually had no neck and the other whose neck was always way out there, despite all the frolicking they were doing with the ducks and the sky always ended up together. They were, it seemed to me, friends. Especially so since mating season for seagulls is some months off now. Wish I knew how to tell gull genders apart, but I’m pretty sure their companionship was not for procreation and eventual nurturing. I got the sense that they were just hanging out ‘cause each thought the other to be pretty cool.

I suppose I project into this unknown world of the gulls how I feel about those whom I call friends. Those are among the most special of bonds in life.