Seagull

'Looking down I see you far below... looking up you see my spirit glow'

... from a song (of course), called Seagull. Perhaps it was inspired by a hazy moment on a cliff-top, or just an unimaginative choice of bird for the metaphor. Symbol of freedom from... angst? Anyway, a common and most infuriating misnomer of course. This is a lesser black-backed gull. Being around people has not rubbed off on it well. Its behaviour is little different from ours on a Friday night: eat rubbish, fight and go to the loo in the streets. Well, maybe not the ladies. Or maybe. Like lying lapwings and evil ravens, the poor gull is getting an undeserved reputation. They wouldn't act like this in their natural environment. They'd be disemboweling puffins.