Sea gulls and crows

I was reading  A Retirement Blog about being "mugged in broad daylight by a winged predator (a seagull) and was reminded of the many times I and my friends have been "mugged" by these birds.

Growing up on the coast I am used to seagulls being around and seeing them as scavengers, keeping our beaches clean of dead shellfish and other creatures that drift onto the shore. 

In Caree's blog post she had her food taken when she was sitting next to it. The gulls in our area are not as brave, they lurk just outside of range and wait. They will wait and watch, sometimes parading up and down in front of you pretending that they are not interested in the food you are eating or carrying. Best not to move too far away from the food, because when you do, they swoop in and are gone in a flash with your food.

Over the years I have had many sandwiches taken by these sneaky birds. Crows are also birds that can and do steal food if you do not pay attention.  We were golfing about 40 miles outside of Vancouver and one of my friends bought a sandwich. It was his turn to hit and so he placed the sandwich on the seat of the golf cart and walked over to his ball. My ball was a bit in front so I was waiting for him to hit. He did and walked back to his cart, and said, "Where's my sandwich?" I looked over and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a seagull with his sandwich in its beak flying towards the nearest tree with a seagull in fast pursuit. I laughed and pointed, and my friend, who normally does not swear, let out a number of curse words that would make a baby blush.  

Crows and Seagulls are very smart scavengers and they can cause havoc wherever they go, so if you are thinking of picnicking on a beach or just having a sandwich in the park, always keep an eye out for these birds as they can ruin your day or at least your lunch.