Adopted by a sea gull

Sea gulls are very interesting creatures. If you are on the water regularly and provide food for them, intentionally or not, you may find yourself adopted by a sea gull.

My first experience of being adopted was while I was tonging sea clams along Horseneck Beach, near the mouth of the Westport River.

There were a half dozen or so of us that regularly fished for them. Each of us had a sea gull adopt us.

In the process of tonging, it was not uncommon to break a clam or two. Sea gulls are fast learners. Toss them the innards of a busted clam, and they'd quickly become your buddy.

They would perch on the outboard, not more than five feet from where we stood to tong.

Every time the basket was brought to the surface, the sea gull would perk up, raise its head and stare expectantly looking for broken clams.

They lacked patience, and if too much time lapsed between snacks, a common practice was to tug and the rubber starter handle of the motor.

The interesting thing is that once adopted, you were their own personal possession. No other seagull would have the audacity to move in on their territory.

If they were off when you arrived on the clam bed, when they returned, they would drive off all the other gulls who were milling around in the water near to the boat.

If you held some clam meat in the air, they would fly to you, hover, and take it from your hand.

On the lobsterboat, we had a mascot that we named Ronnie. Ronnie had a foot missing, and there was a local guy at the Point who lost a foot in an auto accident.

Everyone knew him as "Pegleg". His name? Why Ronnie of course.

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