Gull portrait

Larus fuscus

An opportunity for this close-up portrait arose when I went to Holyrood Park to meet M as she finished her turn round Arthur's Seat in the Race for Life.

Although I had many photos of slightly damp and footsore women wearing pink, we both were fascinated by this eye.

There is a quote by Russell Hoban, from Riddley Walker: "...Eyes so fierce they couldn't even be sorry for the animal they were in. Like a gull I seen one time with a broken wing and Dad killed it. Them yellow eyes stared scareless to the last. They just happened to be in the gull but they didn't care nothing for it." [Spelling regularised] It has always stuck with me as having a certain amount of truth about the gaze of predatory birds.......

Thanks to gilliebg for pointing me to the correct quote :)