SHORELINE SHAG...

 Shoreline Shag…

It appeared to be snorkelling, somehow, 

Moving in the extreme shallows

With an occasional, 

Purposeful

Dip of its dark head with lemon gape

Into the weedy shuffles of moving sea.

Then suddenly, as if tumble-turning in a swimming race,

It disappeared,

Resourceful…

It reappeared again from the tide’s flow,

Thrashing wildly in its wallows

With a seminal,

Artful

Whip of its black neck and yellow gape

Into the murky swirls of an eddying sea.

Then suddenly it held prey which flailed at its face  

And appeared

Revengeful…

It reappeared several times,  

Tussling in its attempts to swallow

With an irrepressible,

Terminal

Grip by its lurid beak with the corn gape.

Into its keen throat the fish slid, all at sea

Then suddenly the catch with minimal grace,

Had disappeared.

A mouthful… 

Pete Ray

23rd June 2022

Mousehole, 23rd June 2022…

The shag was fishing very close to the shore and lifted out a large struggling fish, which the bird really struggled to hold onto, constantly dipping it into the sea in its tussle.

Eventually the swallow was made and the shag hunted for more…