Crazy waving

R and I had lunch in Stratford today, ran some errands, and walked quite a lot of riverbank. There were a few redwings digging up the rec' for worms, and a couple of pied wagtails flitting chattily along the south bank in search of crumbs, but my favourite shot of the day is this black-headed gull on some mad water outside the theatre.

As you know, I like a bit of mad water, and this is especially baroque, due to a combination of strong, contrasty light, multi-coloured reflections, and a very brisk breeze that was stirring the surface into waves. I especially like the fact that the gull has thrown both reflection and shadow, the latter allowing its paddling leg to be seen below the water surface. R, who has approved my choice of image, is particularly impressed that it's wearing matching lipstick and eye-liner - a fashion he generally associates with teenage girls.