Article January 9, 2012 Issue

How a seagull taught me to 'see more'

By Caroline Martin

First appeared as a web original on October 31, 2011

Seagulls are a common sight on Cape Cod, where I used to live. They frequent the beaches, parking lots, campgrounds—they are everywhere! And still, their grace and beauty, their ease in flight as they pass over the ocean, always impresses me. I love them.

While driving home from work one evening a number of years ago, I saw a seagull on the side of the road, dragging one wing, struggling to fly. I found a safe place to pull over and scooped him up, reassuring him that I was there to help. He was frightened, and being a wild creature, did not take to being confined in my truck—but as I wrapped him in my sweater to hold his wing in place, he quieted. I brought him to my farm, where a multitude of animals awaited their evening feeding.

Having worked at a veterinary hospital as a nurse for many years, I knew how to tape up his wing. This I did, and placed him in a small hay shed with fresh water and some tuna fish. We called him Seymour, because that is what a bird can do from its vantage point in the sky: see more!

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