Not too long ago, I deposited myself on the beach where Westward and Zuma come together and prepared myself for the best part of life — sunset on the beach at the end of a long day. My peacefulness was quickly assaulted by a flock of seagulls, who landed on a nearby blanket where they ripped open a bag of potato chips.
A frenzy pursued with many newcomers joining the fray, and a battle royale was in full throttle when a couple returned to see what was left of their chips — virtually nothing. The birds flew off, squawking loudly and battling one another for an errant scrap. The whole scene reminded me of “The Birds,” a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
No sooner had the bathers returned to the water’s edge than the flock returned and descended on the now chipless blanket. Frustrated by a lack of food, they nibbled on a leather watch strap and were about to fly off with it when I scared them off.
As I looked up and down the beach sea gulls were invading the many garbage cans and in some instances succeeded in lifting the lids. Trash was scattered across vast stretches of sand. Based on this very limited observation, I can say categorically that sea gulls are not an endangered species. Trust me on this one–they are polluters of the first order.
So if somebody ever calls you “gullible” — which literally means swallowing anything that is fed you — don’t take it as a compliment.