This beautiful herring gull sat on a mooring post, drawing sharply against the canal water in the background.
With their wingspan of nearly 5 feet, it is an impressive bird, especially with that bright yellow eye that makes for a rather stern expression. Placing the eye in the center of the image certainly draws attention.
It is, of course, a common bird throughout the Netherlands. Nothing special about it. But still. if you start paying attention to the details like the eye, the heavy yellow bill, the crisp white feathers and their soft gradient to the gray mantle....
then it is still a beautiful creature.