Let’s celebrate the lesser black-backed gull

I wonder if this picture of a lesser black-backed gull taking a duckling from Dublin’s Herbert Park pond will feature on many wildlife charity Christmas cards this year.

I suspect not, as we’re squeamish about some of the realities of the natural world, and certainly choosey about which nature metaphor we use as a template for human living.  And we are very selective when it comes to the predators that we valorise: owls are fine, it seems; as are hawks and big cats; but gulls? magpies? foxes? – and so on, and on …