Tidying up, and an unhelpful gull

End of September; time to start the fall cleanup in the garden, and start battening down for winter. (Which may come or not, as whimsy takes the BC weather deities*.) The pair of juncos has been joined by a second couple; they scratch and peck at the soil I just turned, clearing out dying annuals. A nuthatch is packing away sunflower seeds for the cold weather ahead, as if it couldn't trust me to keep the supply coming. And whenever I go out to get some work done, the chickadees scold; I'm in their way. They'd prefer I only work in the garden at night.

Not a chance. The computer needs work, too. It's bulging at the seams with leftover, unsorted photos from all summer, from the Lower Mainland and from Campbell River. I just discovered another 401 in one "Save these for later" file.  Good thing I didn't take any new photos today.

I've been sorting all night. There are some good things there, worth sharing; I'll get them organized asap.

For now, here's a gull on Crescent Beach this July:

"What shall I do with this clam? Is it big enough to be worth the effort?"

I was trying to catch a photo of a gull dropping a clam, both in mid-air. They're too fast for me. With this guy, I was ready and waiting, so he hemmed and hawed, poked at the clam, watched the tide cover it, considered some more, and then flew away without it. Meanwhile, his companions dropped clams around and behind me; I could hear them plopping on the sand.

I think they were laughing at me, too.

* Re BC weather deities; either they're completely capricious, untrustworthy, lackadaisical, prone to long vacations and frequent hangovers, and sometimes spiteful, or they don't exist. Take your pick.