Sunday, May 17, 2009

Happy Feathers Day

Pretty Fly For A White Guy

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON


I was on the wooden pier at Milsons Point in Sydney a few weeks ago, shooting some frames of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, when this gull swooped in. He was probably wondering if I would toss him some bread crumbs, but I was busy with my camera.

It was a few seconds before I realised that he was in a perfect position for a wry shot that included the bird as well as the prominent sign.

I guess telling a gull not to go fishing would be akin to telling a fish not to go swimming. But not this gull. He wasn’t going anywhere near the surface of the water to find his lunch. I could have gone and bought him a doughnut, but it might have left him a bit green around the gills, er, gulls.


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36 comments:

marcia@joyismygoal said...

snicker I love the pick up on the sign

Thumbelina said...

They're great shots David. Gulls are so graceful in many ways. They get a lot of bad press too (and rightly so but it was humans that fed them that made them scavengers!)
I prefer to focus on the beauty of their flight. :)

I got some feathers shot this week for critters too. It's here! "My" feathers weren't free to disappear at any second though. ;0)

Jientje said...

Cute,I love it!! Love the second one too!

Susan at Stony River said...

That's an excellent combination! I like the way the gull's turned away from the sign too--"didn't see it".

I love the second photo (somebody play Otis Redding's 'Dock of the Bay'...)

Hope you're having a good weekend!

Unknown said...

LOL ... that's a good one !!!

Like the other shot as well :-)

I always enjoy visiting your blog, as I really like the sense of humour that you show in your posts..

said...

Great photos!

Joy, via Camera Critters

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Love this! Your Camera always has a Candid sense of humor! ~Janine

Hilary said...

I love that second shot. And now you know - donuts are their gullty pleasure. ;)

Susan Cook said...

Great shots! I love how it says no fishing. That is so cool. Thanks for sharing.

K. said...

very cute pic with the sign...

Unknown said...

hehehe...clever gull shot, with the sign!

I live on the banks of a large river and we see river gulls. I wonder if they're the same as sea gulls.

What we do have a lot of critters wise, are sheep, horses and cows. Needless to say, my entry this week is of...sheeeeeeeeeeeep. ;-)

Teena in Toronto said...

I bet he would have inhaled the donut!

I played too :)

Kate said...

You really don't believe that the gull will mind the sign do you? Great photos.

Snap said...

Too funny!

Saz said...

lovely shot of the two of them...

last week as I trundled the full shopping trolley back tot he car...I passed two HUGe seagulls standing on the roof of a car...they didnt move..so I emptied the trolley....still they didnt move and turned and got phone out of pocket and got ready, steady, closer and closer and click and the buggers flew off....I turned around laughing and a couple walking towards me were laughing at/with me...

Anonymous said...

Funny catch on the first shot, but I really like the composition on the second. Nicely framed!

Maggie May said...

They look lovely bobbing along like that. We have dozens of them. Its when they take off you have to watch out!

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Perfect shot, it's like he was posing for you :)
Speaking from a land locked state, the water looks so lovely ....

ChrisC said...

Great!Was he screaming,"Mine,mine,mine" ?

Casdok said...

Interesting that you should mention doughnut!
Super shots!

i beati said...

you are rolling today I love that fly expression sandy

Maria-Thérèse ~ www.afiori.com said...

heehee... wonder if the gull in the first photo can read... Incredibly funny shot.

Cynthia L. H. said...

Clever fun.
:^)
Love your title, too. Hilarious.
:^)
Cynthia

Anonymous said...

I recognize those home buoys... Vanilla Ice and Ice Cube.

Rhea said...

haha cute shot with the bird and the sign. Lovely photos!

CoyoteFe said...

What a charmy and pithy blog!. Thank you for posting! I even chuckled at the wit and puns (so unlike me - urk!). Write on!

Shawna said...

Love the tongue in cheek title of the blog!

Anonymous said...

Had a start when I first read the title think I'd missed Father's Day!

I think the gull would've loved a donut!

Gemma Wiseman said...

Cute post! And clever connection with the sign!

Sharon Rose said...

I do love the title of your picture! What lovely words and photography together!

Shadow said...

he's not fishing, he's reading the menu....

Daryl said...

Gulls on patrol .. keeping eyes open for any fish or garbage

Gretchen said...

Great shots! I miss the ocean and all the scents and scenes. Maybe we'll get back this summer for a quick trip.

SandyCarlson said...

I enjoyed that, David. Too funny. So if you don't see the sign, it isn't there?

Lovely gulls.

spacedlaw said...

The gull looks sullen. Is the ever depleting resources a concern? Does it worry whether its chicks will find fish?

storyteller said...

LOL ... fun juxtaposition of the sign with the seagulls ;--)
Hugs and blessings,