The Wendy’s Seagulls
This afternoon Leigh and I (and the dogs) drove over to Tops for supplies.
“Want a cheeseburger?” I asked. It was 2:30 and I was hungry.
“Sure.”
We stopped at the drive-thru window and ordered three kids’ size cheeseburgers. (Yes, we bought one for the dogs to share, after I removed the pickle for myself).
The window on my side was still rolled down from ordering. I looked out to see about 50 seagulls in a weird mathematical formation on the pavement. All of them were staring at me. It is a strange feeling to have an army of white gulls standing still, staring at you.
A couple took wing and hovered around the open window. I started to close the window and realized they were waiting for food!
Damn, a trained seagull army in the Wendy’s parking lot. I tossed out a piece of bun. About 10 of them pounced. The one who caught it got a little beat up, like the player whose tackled and then piled upon by other players in a football game. He didn’t seem to mind it. They all resumed their spots and commenced staring again.
I”m thinking: This is one fine situation for a seagull. How many people stop to eat their Wendy’s food and toss scraps out for the entertainment? If I were a seagull and had the choice of working my ass off trying to catch fast, slippery fish or plant my talons on a parking lot and catch freshly cooked junk food, I’d chalk it up as a no-brainer and go for the grease!
I started tossing the bun pieces up into the air and the really good ones soared and caught it before it hit the ground. If one did miss it and the bun fell, 10 squawking food-chain beggars fought to snap it up.
I wondered if this was a permanent crew or if there were others and they took shifts. Does every Wendy’s have a gull flock?
Just as I was on my last piece, Zeus, the German Shepherd, stuck his massive dark head out the window. With a few shocked squawks, they rose en masse and headed out. I overheard one of them on their way out: “Holy shit! Did you see the size of that dude?”
The party was over, for all of us.