Franklin's Gulls and a lone kayaker

Kayaking on Telford Lake, Leduc, Alberta

Kayaking is a favourite pastime for me as it satisfies three desires.  Exercise, being outdoors, and seeing wildlife.  Of the three, it's being around other creatures that I enjoy the most.  I do not know who the kayaker is in the above photo I took, but I am sure the thing he will remember most about his paddle was being surrounded by a gregarious flock of gulls creating an enormous din.  

Some of my favourite memories and photographs come from kayaking.  I love going out early when the light is soft and the beasts are just beginning their day.  I have written a lot of blogs on kayaking.  You can see many of them by clicking on this link, and there are more if you click on the archive link on that page.

I chatted with the fellow when he was returning from his trip.  He mentioned to me the cacophony that the birds were making.  I could believe him, for they were certainly loud from my perspective, and I was much further away than he was.  Gulls are noisy at any time, but the squawking they make ramps up significantly during breeding season.  It has more to do with protecting their offspring from other gulls than anything.  Apparently, adult gulls will eat the chicks of other gulls, even if they are of the same species.  One account I read referred to this as "canigullism".

It was interesting to photograph the kayaker rather than being the kayaker taking a photograph.  It gave me an interesting perspective on the activity.  He must have really enjoyed the experience.  I know I would have.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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