I walked the Back Cove Trail Saturday afternoon and for the first time in all my years in Portland I didn't pass a single other person in the entire 3 1/2 mile circuit. Could have been the 42-degree temperatures and cold, wind-driven rain I suppose. Hard to say...

Despite the lack of human company I was entertained by a variety of gulls along the way. The gulls weren't much for conversation so I left them be. Or maybe it was vice versa.

And unfortunately, beyond the ubiquitous herring gull, I couldn't identify a single other one. Time to get the bird book out again and start brushing up.

Along Portland's Back Cove Trail on Saturday.