When you grow up with the Navy, you get used to certain things, particularly salty air and the cries of gulls. Things not easily come by during a typical day in central Texas. Thank goodness for the Ring-billed Gulls, then, that come to the lake near our house every winter.
My gull fix is only a short bike ride away, even if I drove the other day.
I ignored the other birds, ignored everything, focused on the mass of white specks floating on the sparkling water.
flash of white
against the blue
plunges into cold
I can watch gulls for hours. I love the way they fly, so graceful. Lazy one minute, and diving for a meal the next.
Watching gulls is watching wind come alive.
wind takes form
substance, shape
a gull streaks across
memory
Cold air riders come to spend another central Texas inland winter, they bob on the surface, cry and take flight.
The wind pushes them around a bit, but it’s all for show.
They are in control.
a cry, a soaring gull
comes up with lunch
i come back for more
James Brush is a teacher and writer who lives in Austin, TX. He tries to get outside as much as possible.
These are some great pictures! I have trouble photographing birds in flight, but these are really crisp.
Thank you. I have a hard time with it too, but sometimes I get lucky. I deleted the 100 or so out of focus, blurred and badly exposed ones.
[…] least the Ring-bills stayed outside Calling out as they soared by. The cry, of course, was to distract As they dove and […]