Seagulls can be mean bastards, as the wailing child finding themselves suddenly empty handed and chipless on the prom will attest. The hapless pigeon or crow summarily ejected from the arbitrary no-fly zones established on the shore would similarly concur. In short: they know how to bully. And yet to see them in flight is to forgive and forget all their petty misdemeanours. Few displays of wuwei or ‘effortless action’ can match the grace, elegance and sheer playful delight of the gulls riding the clifftop thermals on a hazy afternoon. One suspects they can only smile at our clumsy efforts but nevertheless our resident paragliders will from time to time join in the fun. There’s room for everybody.
