This reminds me of the time a grackle perched in a tree in front of the place I was about to go into for lunch and went into his routine. Now, there’s no sound the voice of a grackle can produce that you and I would ever describe as “musical”. But despite having little or no gracklese vocabulary, I could tell that whatever he was saying had a rich and complex structure, with phrases repeated in different contexts, and an obvious syntax to it. He wasn’t just making noise, he was saying something, and it was something with a great deal of content.
It was so impressive I couldn’t resist sticking around to hear the entire performance.
I don’t think that I have ever seen a seagull perched on a power cable like little birds do. I wouldn’t think that their feet would be able to grip the cable.
They are really Good at catching food thrown in the air.
When I was in the Navy, guys used to play a dirty trick on them: You go to the rear of the ship where the seagulls are diving into the wake for anything the ship’s propellers might have Killed as it rolls along. Take a loaf of stale bread and begin throwing pieces into the air.
Very soon, you’ll have the entire flock grabbing pieces of bread out of the air.
Then, you open a package of Alka Seltzer tablets and start throwing pieces of them out.
Seagulls which have just swallowed a piece of Alka Seltzer fly funny until the tablet finishes fizzing in their gizzards. They just aren’t built for Flying and Belching at the same time.
Yes, I know it’s Cruelty to a really Dumb animal. I didn’t say it was a Nice thing to do.
awgiedawgie Premium Member over 6 years ago
No, really… you don’t sound any better there than you do anywhere else.
dadoctah over 6 years ago
This reminds me of the time a grackle perched in a tree in front of the place I was about to go into for lunch and went into his routine. Now, there’s no sound the voice of a grackle can produce that you and I would ever describe as “musical”. But despite having little or no gracklese vocabulary, I could tell that whatever he was saying had a rich and complex structure, with phrases repeated in different contexts, and an obvious syntax to it. He wasn’t just making noise, he was saying something, and it was something with a great deal of content.
It was so impressive I couldn’t resist sticking around to hear the entire performance.
Nachikethass over 6 years ago
I think they sound like irritated, disenchanted cats when they fly around boats!
littlejohn Premium Member over 6 years ago
It’s all in the billing.
littlejohn Premium Member over 6 years ago
I don’t think that I have ever seen a seagull perched on a power cable like little birds do. I wouldn’t think that their feet would be able to grip the cable.
mjb515 over 6 years ago
Why do the white gulls call?
Sneaker over 6 years ago
bakana over 6 years ago
They are really Good at catching food thrown in the air.
When I was in the Navy, guys used to play a dirty trick on them: You go to the rear of the ship where the seagulls are diving into the wake for anything the ship’s propellers might have Killed as it rolls along. Take a loaf of stale bread and begin throwing pieces into the air.
Very soon, you’ll have the entire flock grabbing pieces of bread out of the air.
Then, you open a package of Alka Seltzer tablets and start throwing pieces of them out.
Seagulls which have just swallowed a piece of Alka Seltzer fly funny until the tablet finishes fizzing in their gizzards. They just aren’t built for Flying and Belching at the same time.
Yes, I know it’s Cruelty to a really Dumb animal. I didn’t say it was a Nice thing to do.