As part of my self-care I look for things to nourish my spirit every day. In Esperance, this is not difficult to do. A few steps, across the road from my hotel, I stop at a secluded area along the shoreline where the seagulls and Pacific Gulls were waking. On approach I’m surprised to see how big the latter birds are, in comparison to the sleek silver seagulls.
With me for an audience one Gull saunters off into the Bay with an easy step. Delight wreaths my face with a smile but there’s more to come. One backward glance at me and it’s cue show time.
He swims out and turns around to face me. He flicks his wings and shakes them. I have seen this movement before in athletes. I take a deep breath with him before he dives. A perfect dive. Without a camera, I am sure I would have clapped spontaneously. He emerges, and I’m prepared to place money on it, he is smiling ‘ta da’, with a mollusc in his big, beautiful beak. He carries it to shore, like an offering, drops it on the sand, a few feet away from me. He takes one peck and he’s off for more. Comfortable in my presence, he is now showing off as he returns to Esperance Bay repeatedly. I am enthralled. I have spent hours on the beaches that edge this big State of Western Australia photographing seagulls, but have never observed this behaviour before.
A shared moment, now shared with you.
As always,
a dawn bird
A Shared Space 
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