We had hiked a lot that day, but from our window, the beach beckoned. Everyone and their dog was out. Who could resist the low tide, and the lovely golden light before sunset? We went out. The gulls dove around us, scooping up small shells from the beach and dropping them on the rocks to crack them, sometimes having to try it a second or third time. We found ourselves caught up in  watching them. 

One gull ambitiously attempted to fly off with two abalones connected by and encrusted with barnacles. He did not make it more than an inch or two into the air with this heavy load and eventually abandoned his find and began to search elsewhere for food. S decided to make an easier meal for the gulls, and taking a large stone, broke open the shells revealing the orange flesh. Then we drew back to watch.  

Soon another gull had found the feast and started scooping out and eating the abalone meat, enjoying himself so much that it was hard not to be vicariously satisfied. Gulls have few peaceful meals since other gulls are quick to steal whatever food they can from their more successful peers. I've also seen larger, older gulls easily chase off younger gulls. Our gull was very big. It had virtually no gray feathers, signifying that it was also fairly old. I'm trying to recall if it still had some small gray spot. Other gulls did begin to show interest in the food and a few came over and managed to snatch a little bit. 

Our gull began to use his begging call, lowering his head and emitting a piteous cry as if he were a young chick, all the while devouring more of the feast that had been laid open for him. This begging call was a sound we knew well from having watched two gull parents raise their chicks on a roof top right across from our window. I've heard that gulls use begging calls for purposes other than extracting food from their parents, but I was nonetheless intrigued with this adult gull's specific use of the call. His technique did seem effective for what I presume to be his purpose. Although a couple of other gulls got little bits of food,  he was able to keep eating with relatively little interference. 

Not "our gull" but an example of a young gull, its feathers still gray