Seagull calling...
This has to be among the funniest things I have ever heard happen in a
marina.One night during our cruise we stayed at a particular marina, and there
was another boat just across the finger pier. The night was warm enough
that the occupants of the other boat retired to bed with their
companionway door ajar. For some reason I was awake just about 4:30 AM, sort of pre-dawn this
time of year in these latitudes. I couldn't help overhearing a rhythmic
thumping begin emanting from the boat next door, and quickly realized
that the couple aboard had decided to get "romantic" at that early
hour. After a couple of minutes' thumping, I heard a female voice, (I think)
emit a cry or a shout that had a very familiar timbre and resonance to
it. I was sure I had heard a sound a lot like that before..... Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought the sound had a familiar
tone, as the seagull perched on the piling felt compelled to respond. To this point the sounds were: Thumpity, thumpity, thumpity, thumpity, Ah! Ah! Ah! Followed by the seagull's response of "scraw, scraw, scraw!" at almost
an identical pitch. The concert continued: More thumpity, thumpity, thumpity, thump Another chorus of Ah! Ah! Ah! The original seagull rsponding again with "scraw, scraw, scraw",
followed by the sound of two other gulls that flew over to see what all
the ruckus was about. The neighboring boaters concluded their romantic interlude: A few final, decisive, thumpity thumps The most exuberant cry of Ah! Ah! Ah! And darn nearly every seagull in the marina squaking and talking in
response. Either the woman aboard that boat has a vocal track almost exactly like
a seagull, or some pervert was having his way with a bird. One of the little towns up here has an annual "seagull calling"
contest. Those folks should enter. Not only would they call the
greatest number of seagulls, but they would certainly draw a pretty
good crowd as they practiced their technique. :-) |
