Seagull Charley Morning on South Padre Island Beach

    Seagull Charley doesn’t come when you call his name. Without a fish for Charley, he ain’t going anywhere and he won’t push tennis balls with his beak or do circus tricks. This morning Charley strolls the beach watching for opportunities. What he catches is his and he will share only if he has a mind too. There are dining opportunities on this beach all the way north to Corpus Christi and south to Mexico and when waves go out Charley quickly covers his little piece of real estate. He doesn’t own anything but his feathers but his basic rules are self preservation, having a full stomach, and taking care of Mama Charley and the kids. When Charley leaves the beach and takes flight, this Padre Island strip of sand seems more isolated and less friendly. In air, between sand and sea, Charley is free,and,oddly enough, it makes me feel free too as I watch him glide in the wind above me. Wanting to fly has been a long time dream of our human species.