the juvenile herring gulls have become full grown and skilful flyers. there are many of them around the harbor, so many in fact that locally they seem to outnumber the mature birds at present. the youngest of them can still be seen walking the streets in town with their funny dip and squeak begging behavior but the older ones are behaving more and more like adults able to feed themselves. there's a footbridge over the entrance to the inner harbor and the gulls often perch on that railing. it's a great place to keep watch on potential activities that could potentially lead to a morsel if not a full meal. otherwise they perch on rooftops...
...lampposts and where that gives them proper oversight...
and even on top of the statue of our local hero Peter Wessel Tordenskiold. he was clever naval commander at the Battle of Dynekilen where Dano-Norwegian forces defeated the Swedish transport fleet in 1716, thereby ending the ongoing Swedish invasion of Norway
being so close to the sea these feathered friends are an integral part of the maritime/marine atmosphere of the town. they can undoubtedly be a nuisance at times leaving their droppings everywhere, snatching food at any given moment and early morning raucous gatherings but life here would not be the same without them being close-by.
