Pretty Gulls in Bar Harbor

   

It was a balmy 50 degree day in Bar Harbor this past Monday as we sat in the car eating our lunch on the town pier.

Henri notices the gulls all sit around waiting for hand outs.  Me, I think they are pretty.  But especially so in the sun, when I notice the softly blowing breeze rearranging their feathers.  

One of the Porcupine Islands seen along Bar Harbor's 100 year old Shore Path.  

My camera plays peek-a-boo with the island behind an old dead birch.  

Pretty gull.  

Batting her lashes.  

The ticket office at the Bar Harbor Inn Pier is closed for the season.  

Today snow is falling and the temperature will drop back into the teens later this week, which makes me happy that I picked up this small bouquet of tea roses for our mantel.     

As much as I enjoy the beauty of winter, there is something uplifting about having a pretty burst of color right in the middle of it too.  

Contemplation

In between soaring, we sometimes catch our neighborhood eagle just hanging out on a branch.  

It's almost like I know when he will be there.  It seems to always happen on a day when I almost leave home without my camera.  But then I think better of it.

Today while enjoying a quiet photo session with my majestic subject, I saw him strike a few poses that I had never seen him do before.  

It was so quiet sitting there watching him, and I noticed how the wind tousled his feathers and scattered a mist of snow from the branches.

And for some reason I focused on studying his plumage, wondering why I had never noticed the white tail feathers before.  

But the one thing that took me by surprise was his reaction to a flock of gulls that were flying over.

His unusual pose made me laugh.

He rolled and twisted his head and then looked straight up in the air.

A behavior I had seen many times before from my parrot.

All at once, I recognized the subtle language he was speaking.  This wild bird of prey.  And it was an amazing moment for someone who almost left home without her camera.