John Oram's photos with the keyword: Herring Gull

As the night creeps in across Torquay, a herring gull makes its arrangements for a rest on Victoria Parade. 200_4_P1000603

In a pretty urban setting, albeit the appropriately named Peacehaven, this immature Herring Gull was in contemplative mood until I approached a little too closely for its liking. 200_2_P1150325C

In a pretty urban setting, albeit the appropriately named Peacehaven, this immature Herring Gull had been in contemplative mood until I approached a little too closely for its liking. It got to its feet and, for a moment, appeared to become a bird of prayer, perhaps wishing for bigger knees. 200_2_P1150328

For all their growing reputation for aggression, especially in urban environments, I rather like gulls. It was not a great surprise to see one (of very many) in seaside Looe but the behaviour of this adult Herring Gull was quite astonishing. It was in Fore Street but not entirely hemmed in, which gulls loathe, because there was a car park behind it and to one side. It approached a chip shop and was staring at the closed side door much as a cat might. It was looking up towards the glazed section clearly in expectation and, in a short while, that expectation was fulfilled as someone cracked the door and threw out something interesting. The gull remained in the hope of more and, was, seemingly, much less perturbed by the proximity of pedestrians than similar birds. Throughout its visit it adopted the peculiar one foot raised posture shown in my three pictures. I ruled out an ingrowing toenail so I thought perhaps it was preparation for a hasty departure. 200_2_P1140921

For all their growing reputation for aggression, especially in urban environments, I rather like gulls. It was not a great surprise to see one (of very many) in seaside Looe but the behaviour of this adult Herring Gull was quite astonishing. It was in Fore Street but not entirely hemmed in, which gulls loathe, because there was a car park behind it and to one side. It approached a chip shop and was staring at the closed side door much as a cat might. It was looking up towards the glazed section clearly in expectation and, in a short while, that expectation was fulfilled as someone cracked the door and threw out something interesting. The gull remained in the hope of more and, was, seemingly, much less perturbed by the proximity of pedestrians than similar birds. Throughout its visit it adopted the peculiar one foot raised posture shown in my three pictures. I ruled out an ingrowing toenail so I thought perhaps it was preparation for a hasty departure. 200_2_P1140920

For all their growing reputation for aggression, especially in urban environments, I rather like gulls. It was not a great surprise to see one (of very many) in seaside Looe but the behaviour of this adult Herring Gull was quite astonishing. It was in Fore Street but not entirely hemmed in, which gulls loathe, because there was a car park behind it and to one side. It approached a chip shop and was staring at the closed side door much as a cat might. It was looking up towards the glazed section clearly in expectation and, in a short while, that expectation was fulfilled as someone cracked the door and threw out something interesting. The gull remained in the hope of more and, was, seemingly, much less perturbed by the proximity of pedestrians than similar birds. Throughout its visit it adopted the peculiar one foot raised posture shown in my three pictures. I ruled out an ingrowing toenail so I thought perhaps it was preparation for a hasty departure. 200_2_P1140919

Holding a wing awkwardly and looking rather ruffled around the tail, this Herring Gull was nevertheless able to fly away when it got tired of my nearby manoeuvrings in Mayflower Park, Southampton. 200_2_P1020664C2

Holding a wing awkwardly and looking rather ruffled around the tail, this Herring Gull was nevertheless able to fly away when it got tired of my nearby manoeuvrings in Mayflower Park, Southampton. 200_2_P1020663SC