The "A Gull Called Twitch" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting on the beach in Stone Harbor, NJ watching the birds.  Never saw so many shore birds!  Sun is shining with a mild breeze coming from the south.  Enjoying the company of my wife, sister-in-law, brother and his daughter and family.  In front of me stands a huge mound of sand that is being tunneled through by the kids at the moment.  Conversation turns to the weather and the forecast for the remainder of the week.  Carol and I are guests at the home that my brother and sister-in-law have rented, but we are only staying for a few days. 

Brendan, the Stone Harbor lifeguard.

As our conversation continues I look south towards the lifeguard stand that is being lapped by the surf.  The lifeguard has his left arm extended, covered with a towel and holding a ....... seagull!  A rather large seagull!  I sit and watch in amazement as he continues to hold the bird on his arm as he talks to it. 

"Twitch," the seagull preparing to land.

Then the bird lifts its wings, flaps them a few times, takes flight and quickly returns for another treat. Wow ..... and I don’t have my camera.  A few people stop to take photos and finally I have had enough.  I rise from my beach chair, tell my wife, “I’ll be back,” and head back to the house for my camera, hoping that the bird will be there when I return to the beach.  Ten minutes later I was standing to the rear of the lifeguard stand snapping away.  I just had to hear the story behind what I was watching, so when the large seagull finally took flight for the last time, I walked over to the lifeguard to question him.  Name was Brendan and he had quite a tale to tell.  The bird arrived seven years ago and he began feeding him. 

The friendship continues!

Between Memorial Day and the end of September for the last 7 years he has visited with Brendan on the 117th street lifeguard stand.  Brendon tells me he calls him “Twitch.”  “And, how do you know it’s the same bird every year?” I ask him.  “He has these little dots on his head and a small red mark under his beak, different from all the other birds,” he says.  I gave him my blog address and told him to check in to see the photos I just took.  So, thanks for the amazing entertainment and information, Brendan.  Enjoyed our visit.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary day.