So I'm hunting squeteague just before sunset last night in a windy slop and witness a horrific site....
Crossing the bay is a mother duck with her 6 or 7 ducklings closely positioned at her side as she makes her way across. Literally 6 feet from the boat, I motion to my father and we both peer over and proceed to make 'girly-man' faces...because it was really that cute.
Moments later, as they get further away from the boat...a seagull lunges down and attempts to grab a duckling. The mother duck squawks at the gull and it turns away....I laugh and continue to watch...the seagull does not give up. On the third or fourth attempt, the seagull grabs a duckling in it's beak and flies away....to make matters worse, a few passerby sea gulls witnessed the event and they too are now hovering over the mother duck and its ducklings....After another seagull dives down and snatches another duckling, I turn the boat toward the group and try to scare the seagulls away...Well it works, but the duck family wants no part of the boat and keeps swimming away from me....which of course causes the gulls to attack again. I did all I could do in following the ducks to safety but the gulls picked away at the ducklings until there was only one left. I couldn't bare to watch any longer....I understand the "survival" thing, but dangggg......I was totally disgusted and felt just horrible about witnessing that kill.
I never imagined that a seagull would do such a thing. Makes me dislike them that much more.....gonna have to start carrying antacid tablets on the boat...
....I have a strong stomach for just about anything, but for some reason....that REALLY bothered me last night. I guess having kids changes ones' perspective on a lot of things.