I caught this guy red-handed down at the Mill the other day.
Boy, he sure looked guilty as all get-out, clutching a big juicy fish with his left talon.
Yet he insisted…
As he flew away, with feathers ruffled, that he was only “fishing”…
Not “shellfishing”!
And you know, he was right!! 😉
It can be the simplest thing that catches my eye for a photo when I am out late shooting at Mill Landing.
One last photo for the day as the sun sets lower and lower.
It might be a brown duck, paddling along in the creek.
Or a broken quahog shell left behind by some local fisherman.
Last night, as the light was truly fading fast, I spotted this lone seagull.
Gliding quickly back and forth, back and forth over the shallows, he was clearly in a hurry.
Racing to beat the setting sun, he would hover, then dive. Glide, hover, and dive, again and again.
Only to come up empty, each and every time.
Still, undeterred he would fly up again, hover, then dive…
Until FINALLY, he snagged just the meal he was looking for.
A big fat crab, hurray! And he was up and away with his prize!
Landing on the nearest mud flat, he dropped his catch…
Taking his time, he enjoyed every bite.
And when every tasty bit was gone I could see him in the dim light finishing up his meal with a vigorous mouth washing in the cool shallows.
It had been his last, most satisfying catch of the day.
And thanks to him, it was mine, too! 😉
Shellfishing season has arrived at Mill Creek here on Cape Cod, and yesterday afternoon the Landing was a-buzz with activity when I arrived!
Almost as soon as I started down the hill…
I spotted the first fisherman, armed with a long handled rake, waders, and a big black tub.
From the looks of his technique, it appeared that he’d done a few times before.
A lone seagull, circling back and forth overhead told me that he wasn’t the only shellfisherman hoping for a good haul that night!
Further out, I spotted a second fisherman trying his luck on the muddy flats.
He, too, had a buddy who was watching his every move, perhaps hoping to be the recipient of a kindhearted scrap or two!
A third fisherman was slowly hauling his catch to shore…
Stopping now and again to check a spot he might have missed…
Ahhh… sweet success!
Finally, as the light started to wane, the beach walkers were turning for home…
And the fishermen were calling it a day, too.
And as I turned to make my own way home, I had a hunch there might be more than a few fishermen who would sleep very well – and full – that night. 😉
Thanks for visiting me here again at Images of Cape Cod.
‘Til next time!
Sally
Images of Cape Cod 