If I ask you what a seagull tornado is, what would you say? Perhaps I should make this multiple choice and give you some options. Here we go.

What is a seagull tornado?
A: The shape of flight seagulls make when swooping down for food.
B: A swirling pattern the birds make to ward off a predator.
C: A tornado with winds strong enough to pull in birds.
D: A seagull will vomit their food for their young in the nest that looks like a swirl or tornado coming out.

Please make your choice before reading further.

Alaska is beautiful, a unique blend of nature and the power of the earth. Our trip to just a few places there this past week was beyond all my expectations. How could I go my lifetime without seeing a Bald Eagle, then spend a week seeing eagles every time I hit land? They have both a nonchalance and a fierceness that begs us to leave them alone, yet people and vehicles pass by them with great frequency. We are not in their food chain and they are not in ours. You might have guessed that this is where seagulls come into this perspective. Almost.

Viewing the wonder and magnitude of a glacier can penetrate deep into our souls. Our brains can comprehend the science, but seeing is still not believing. As glaciers receded, what they created or left behind was barren sheared off rock forming jagged cliffs. A completely uninviting habitat, unless you are part of a seagull colony. Seagulls are at the top of their food chain, though their eggs are a delicacy to other animals, including Bald Eagles.

Canoeing across lake Mendenhall which was formed entirely from melted glacier ice, we passed a jagged cliff which was left behind by the glacier. It was littered with seagull nests. Both high and low, the nests were tended by watchful parents. Suddenly our guide called out, “There is a tornado.” When we looked towards the cliff, about ten seagulls flying in circles could be seen. Quickly, another ten to twenty launched from various heights on the cliff to join the growing swirls. There was a speckled tube of white in front of the cliff that intensified like ice in a blender.

The guide explained that there was a curious eagle overhead looking to steal an egg lunch. The seagulls rapidly flew to dive just over the nests of the entire colony preventing the eagle from considering the tenuous path into the blender. The eagle made a wise decision and continued past the cliff in search of a free lunch.

Thus, answer B was correct. A seagull tornado is a swirling pattern to ward off a predator from reaching their nests. Sorry for answer D. I ran out of good ideas for fake responses.

May your Friday B a Happy Friday.