I went to the Jodrey State Fish Pier while in Gloucester on my recent visit. There were Mergansers and Eiders swimming near the pier. And hundreds of gulls. No surprise there since the pier is home to seafood facilities and fishing boats that deliver fish and pick up fuel and bait. I want to spotlight two “individuals” though.
I was photographing from the end of the pier and noticed that I had a spectator. A Grey Seal had come in fairly close and seemed to be curious about me. Maybe he thought I was fishing and hoped I might toss him some bait. Or maybe he had some camera tips.
Gulls have a reputation. Some would say that they are pirates by nature. Kinder folk would say that they are opportunists. I think even they consider themselves pirates though. This came to mind when I saw a particular gull next to one of the seafood companies on the pier. He appears to have a bum left leg and never set that foot down while I watched him. So I named him Long John Silver. John is a Glaucous Gull and lives in the Arctic until moving to warmer places like Massachusetts in the winter. Unlike our resident Herring and Ring-billed Gulls, John is almost completely white. He appears to be doing well despite his bad leg. That crab did not fare well against him. Hanging out next to a seafood company, bait shop and fishing pier is probably a nice gig for a pirate!
I will be visiting the pier several times over the winter and will be sure to look for Long John to see how he is faring.
Birds in My Viewfinder 