Seagulls at the Ice Edge

We can see and hear seagulls everywhere. In Norwegian they’re called måke or måse (dialect).

I grew up with them at Senja, Norway’s second largest island. The sight of the seagulls and the sound, their characteristic harsh squawking calls, were natural elements of my childhood. Up North, not far from the ice edge, among other things known for the Whale Safaries and the spectacular Northern Light (https://www.visitsenja.no/en).

During the nesting period, seagulls can be aggressive and frightening. As a child, I tried to avoid their territory during this period. I never experienced it, but I realize it must be scary to get an angry bird steeping into your skull! They are also extremely rude, snatching the hot dog from your plate at the outdoor restaurant!

According to Wikipedia (https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Måker) there are 50 different species of gulls. From the smallest dwarf moth (100 grams) to the great black-backed gull (1,8 kilos). The seagull occurs on all world seas. In Norway, the common gull (Norwegian: fiskemåke) is most common.

Many people look at seagulls as impure because they’re often seen at waste dumps. Some say that the seagull is host to parasites. Moreover, many hates the gulls because of the noise they make.

Nevertheless, I think the gull is a nice bird, elegant sweeping half a meter above the water surface looking for food. Impressively quick when they catch the intestines from the veiled fish in the air. Regarding them diving for fish is also an interesting scenery. Most important of all, the seagull “renovator” keeps the sea and the beaches clean.

Protect the seagulls!

[262 words].

I hope you like the pictures and the text, thank you for your attention :-) @kristihh

All pictures are shot at my home site Senja. Source all images: Jon Haug©️