Gulls

Early Franklin’s Gull at Bear River MBR on March 6, 2018

By |2021-06-19T04:31:46-06:00March 6th, 2019|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Beaverhead County, Birds, Box Elder County, Centennial Valley, Davis County, Franklin's Gulls, Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

While I had the Sandhill Crane and the Ring-billed Gulls in my view finder I heard a call and it only took a second for my brain to figure out that I was hearing a Franklin's Gull which surprised me because it was at the refuge much earlier than I have ever seen one there before.

Winter California Gull Splashing On Landing – Goodbye February

By |2021-12-11T07:00:39-07:00March 1st, 2019|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On one of the brighter afternoons I spent just 15 minutes at the local pond and came away with lots of photos of winter California Gulls bathing, flying and landing and among those I liked this image the most.

Calling Ring-billed Gull Close Up In Salt Lake County

By |2021-10-25T13:51:00-06:00February 15th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

It isn't all that often that I am able to photograph a calling Ring-billed Gull close enough that I can get a great view of the inside of its bill so when the opportunity presented itself earlier this week I took advantage of the situation.

Barn Owl, Immature Bald Eagle, California And Ring-billed Gulls

By |2021-12-24T14:34:50-07:00February 9th, 2019|Categories: Bald Eagles, Barn Owls, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

So, even though I didn't get great photos yesterday I was glad to get out and photograph a Barn Owl, Bald Eagle and these California and Ring-billed Gulls.

Two First Winter Ring-billed Gull Portraits Of The Same Gull

By |2021-10-25T13:47:59-06:00January 21st, 2019|Categories: Birds, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Both of these portraits of a first winter Ring-billed Gull are of the same bird taken one minute apart just as the light changed from okay to much brighter where the gull had changed its location but only slightly.

Focusing On A Ring-billed Gull Drinking Water From An Icy Pond

By |2021-12-04T07:17:34-07:00January 16th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I removed the "Just A" from the title for this post and added "Focusing On A" instead. Why? Because I was focused on observing and photographing this Ring-billed Gull drinking from an icy pond and I'm happy to say that I was.

One legged Ring-billed Gull Landing On An Icy Pond

By |2022-10-02T13:22:44-06:00January 9th, 2019|Categories: Birds, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

On January 2nd I noticed a Ring-billed Gull coming in for a landing on an iced over pond that was missing a leg and foot and I wondered how well it would handle the slippery ice while attempting to land on it.

California Gull On Ice In Salt Lake County

By |2021-12-11T07:02:37-07:00January 4th, 2019|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

While photographing a California Gull on ice two days ago I was reminded of how well these gulls survive the bitter cold we have here at times during the winter even when the ponds, lakes and rivers freeze over.

New Year’s Day Neotropic Cormorant Sighting

By |2021-06-25T17:17:57-06:00January 2nd, 2019|Categories: Birds, Neotropic Cormorants, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

What caught my eyes was that one of the cormorants was smaller, sleeker and darker than the other two birds and before I even scoped it through my lens I knew that I had found an out of season Neotropic Cormorant.

2018 Year In Review For On The Wing Photography

By |2024-03-20T09:27:33-06:00December 31st, 2018|Categories: Baltimore Orioles, Birds, Brewer's Blackbirds, California Gulls, Cedar Waxwings, Northern Mockingbirds, Peregrine Falcons, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Say's Phoebes, Tundra Swans, Wild Turkeys, Yellow Warblers, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

All in all, as 2018 comes to a close I realize how fortunate I am to see all the birds that I do throughout the year as a bird photographer, to be able to do what I love and to love my feathered subjects too.

Portrait Of A Winter Ring-billed Gull With Snow On Its Bill

By |2021-10-25T13:53:05-06:00December 8th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm not sure how this Ring-bill Gull got the snow on its bill but when I looked through my viewfinder I liked all of fine details I had in the snow, the bill and the white plumage of the gull and I felt I had to take photos of it.

Low Light California Gull In Flight During A Snow Storm

By |2021-12-11T07:06:37-07:00November 30th, 2018|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

During the winter I have opportunities to photograph California Gulls in flight in snow storms in low light and while images like this one aren't appealing to everyone's tastes I like them a lot.

Some Of The Joys Of Photographing Birds Close To Home

By |2024-02-13T15:20:13-07:00November 19th, 2018|Categories: American Coots, Birds, California Gulls, Canada Geese, Pied-billed Grebes, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent some time at one of the local ponds yesterday afternoon and came home with photos that made me smile and for a little while I forgot about the long hours I spent getting skunked on the road earlier in the day.

Ring-billed Gull In Flight – Changing Backgrounds From One Frame To The Next

By |2023-09-08T02:54:21-06:00November 18th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , |

On New Year's Day this year I had a Ring-billed Gull in flight in my viewfinder as it flew quickly over my local pond, I knew that from one frame to another the background would change and that the exposure might too

Ring-billed Gulls – I Like Photographing Them Year Round In Northern Utah

By |2023-09-28T06:01:26-06:00October 4th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I like gulls, I like the way they look, I like the way they fly, I like the way they try to steal food from each other and other birds, I like the challenges of photographing them and I really like how scrappy they are.

Great Salt Lake Brine Flies – Important Food Source For California Gulls

By |2022-11-08T16:00:33-07:00July 14th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Brine Flies, California Gulls, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Brine flies that live in the Great Salt Lake are an important food source for California Gulls and watching the gulls feed on the flies is fascinating as they use several techniques to catch them.

Some of the Birds That People Love to Hate

By |2024-03-27T06:40:14-06:00March 11th, 2018|Categories: American Crows, Birds, Black-billed Magpies, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Common Ravens, Double-crested Cormorants, European Starlings, Fish Crows, Florida, House Sparrows, Laughing Gulls, Mallards|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Okay, that is enough for now, there are more birds that people love to hate but I can only deal with so much of it before I feel the need to get out and photograph all the birds I see, even those that other people despise.

Winter California and Herring Gull Portrait Comparisons

By |2022-11-07T18:51:26-07:00March 3rd, 2018|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Herring Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

We have the Ring-billed and California Gulls in northern Utah year round but the Herring Gulls are only winter visitors to this area.

Farmington Bay Ring-billed Gull Immediately After Bathing

By |2021-12-11T05:27:47-07:00February 17th, 2018|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As much as I like the first photo where the Ring-billed Gull has its wings spread and its feet still in the water I like the second photo even more because of the action and how the bird is suspended over the water.

Salt Lake County Winter California Gull Portrait

By |2021-12-11T07:29:23-07:00January 25th, 2018|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Two days ago this California Gull flew in and was so close to me that I felt I had to take portraits of it because the gull looked so handsome against the blue of the water.

Unusual Behavior – Ring-billed Gull Preening In Flight

By |2021-10-25T08:01:04-06:00January 22nd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three frames later I was glad this Ring-billed Gull's rotund belly caught my eye when through my viewfinder I could see the gull preening while in flight which is unusual behavior in my experience.

Ring-billed Gull, Great Blue Heron & a Stormy Sky

By |2017-12-26T05:23:26-07:00December 26th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Great Blue Herons, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I really wanted some nice bird photos to remember Christmas Day 2017 and I found them but just a few blocks away from home at the local pond.

For The Love Of All That’s Birdy, There Is No Such Thing As A Seagull

By |2024-03-27T04:25:13-06:00November 26th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

One of the things that make my feathers ruffle though is when I see people post a bird photo and call it a "seagull" because there is no such thing as a seagull.

Franklin’s Gulls at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |2021-07-25T05:37:55-06:00October 14th, 2017|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Franklin's Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Franklin's Gulls are only here in northern Utah during the breeding season, during the winter they spend their time along the west coast of South America.

Go to Top