Gull

the eating must be good along the shore here. But apparently no left-over pizza or anything like that in sight or buddy would be there. Sorry -- I was babbling until I figured out why I like this. It's the colours; very calming. The white bar also provides a second point of interest to keep the eyes moving between it and the gull. Further tension provided by the grey detail, the horizon etc.

This was the balcony of our room. Buddy or Budette, was perhaps hoping for some leftovers, but more likely enjoying the view, though for different reasons than we did.The least people-shy seagull I've met. More than one of them would conjure up Hitchcockian nightmares.
Thanks for the lovely analysis. I'm always gratified to find that what I did with no apparent system has some merits.

Not, I hope, a skua....

An immature gull, probably Western or California (I can never tell the two apart) in his/her first winter coat.