gull

Comparing Adult Ring-billed and California Gulls

By |2023-12-05T05:45:33-07:00December 5th, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For most of the year Ring-billed and California Gulls are some of the most common gulls here in northern Utah and for some people it might be challenging to tell them apart.

California Gull Hovering Over The Bear River in Winter

By |2021-12-11T07:35:02-07:00November 18th, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, California Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this California Gull hovering over the Bear River with the snow covered Promontory Mountains in the back ground while it looked for prey in the open water below.

Herring Gulls in Northern Utah

By |2023-10-23T03:17:50-06:00November 1st, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Herring Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

We do see Herring Gulls in northern Utah during the winter and I was able to photograph this one as it circled over the water with the snow-covered Promontory Mountains and sky behind it.

Ring-billed Gulls at Bear River MBR & How the Migratory Bird Treaty Act Saved Them

By |2023-10-31T06:19:11-06:00October 31st, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

There were at least 50 Ring-billed Gulls at Bear River MBR diving into the open water looking for fish that winter morning which gave me plenty of chances to photograph them.

Laughing Gull Sliding Across the Water

By |2016-12-07T12:05:29-07:00October 25th, 2016|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Of the images I took that day on the beach, and there were tons of them, this image of a Laughing Gull sliding across the water as it chased a fish in the shallow waves was one of my favorites.

Close Up Herring Gull in Flight with a Sea Urchin

By |2021-01-10T16:49:01-07:00October 7th, 2016|Categories: Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Herring Gulls, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was able to lock on to the Herring Gull in flight with a sea urchin in its bill when it was close enough to me to fill the frame, it was almost too close at that point.

Adult and Juvenile Ring-billed Gulls

By |2021-10-25T05:32:10-06:00August 23rd, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It will take several molts before this immature Ring-billed Gull looks like an adult but by now, a year after it was photographed, this juvenile should look more like the adult.

Franklin’s Gull and Laughing Gull Comparison

By |2021-05-30T06:14:18-06:00May 2nd, 2016|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Brine Flies, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Franklin's Gulls, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I know this isn't a complete Franklin's Gull and Laughing Gull comparison but I'm not a scientist, just a bird photographer and bird lover.

Winter California Gull at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

By |2021-12-11T07:36:51-07:00February 3rd, 2016|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, California Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Ring-billed and California Gulls are the typical gulls I find in Utah so it wasn't much of a surprise to find this California Gull at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Ring-billed Gulls in Flight in Varying Light

By |2021-09-20T04:39:26-06:00December 23rd, 2015|Categories: Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Over the past week I have been able to photograph several Ring-billed Gulls in flight in varying light and like the way they turned out.

Clark’s Grebe and Ring-billed Gull Skirmish – The Clark’s Grebe Wins

By |2024-03-23T06:29:19-06:00October 23rd, 2015|Categories: Birds, Clark's Grebes, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

I spent a few hours at Farmington Bay WMA yesterday and was able to witness a very brief skirmish between a Clark's Grebe that had a fish in its bill and a Ring-billed Gull that tried to steal the fish.

A Few Birds From Yesterday At Farmington Bay

By |2020-02-19T15:31:14-07:00October 21st, 2015|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Great Blue Herons, Northern Harriers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah, White-faced Ibises|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The light was beautiful yesterday morning at Farmington Bay WMA and I was able to photograph a few species if birds including this juvenile Northern Harrier flying over the marsh.

California Gull Up Close

By |2021-12-11T07:45:24-07:00May 19th, 2015|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

All this California Gull would need to get some people excited about it is talons instead of webbed feet and more of a hook to its bill and people would go absolutely bat-sh*t crazy over them.

Ring-billed Gull Age Progression

By |2021-10-25T05:25:02-06:00November 14th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

In February of 2011 I wrote about the age progression of Bald Eagles along with images to illustrate the ages, today I am doing the same but with Ring-billed Gulls.

Portrait of a California Gull

By |2021-12-11T07:54:40-07:00April 5th, 2014|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Over the past week I have seen California Gulls in breeding plumage flying to Egg Island in the Great Salt Lake with nesting material in their bills while on the north end of Antelope Island State Park.

Adult and juvenile Laughing Gulls

By |2021-08-07T03:52:10-06:00March 4th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Laughing Gulls are commonly seen at Fort De Soto County Park but novices to birding and bird watching might think they are three different kinds of gulls depending on their age and plumage.

Four Intimate Gull Portraits

By |2021-08-07T04:03:27-06:00January 25th, 2014|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Florida, Herring Gulls, Laughing Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I like gulls. I especially like being able to see them up close when the opportunities arise and will take advantage of my close proximity by taking portraits of these beautiful but often disliked birds.

Laughing Gulls in breeding and nonbreeding plumage

By |2021-08-07T03:54:27-06:00June 29th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Both of these Laughing Gull images were taken at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach in Florida, the image above shows a Laughing gull in nonbreeding plumage that was taken in September of 2008.

Bathing Beauty… er… California Gull

By |2021-12-11T05:25:06-07:00June 5th, 2013|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Okay, I admit it. I think gulls are beautiful and this California Gull sure looked that way bathing! Look at those bright white feathers, the dark sparkling eyes rimmed in red, the darker contrasting gray feathers, the color and shape of the bill. What's not to like about that?

Ruddy Turnstone and a Laughing Gull

By |2021-05-17T06:55:08-06:00April 18th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County, Ruddy Turnstones|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Five years ago today I was laying in the warm wet sands of Fort De Soto County Park's north beach as the salty water from the Gulf of Mexico soaked my skin while photographing a Ruddy Turnstone doing what they do best, turning things.

Three years ago today when it was actually Winter

By |2021-01-18T05:41:01-07:00December 6th, 2012|Categories: American Coots, Birds, Common Goldeneyes, Mallards, Pied-billed Grebes, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Three years ago today though the ground was covered in drifts of snow, the temps were below freezing, there was ice on the ponds & lakes and there was a sharp briskness to the air that can only be found in winter.

4 Years ago today when Hurricane Ike stirred things up at Fort De Soto

By |2020-01-25T05:56:45-07:00September 12th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Black Skimmers, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County, Reddish Egrets, Ring-billed Gulls, Willets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Four years ago today Hurricane Ike was out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico and the waves that it generated made a strong splash at Fort De Soto County Park.

Bathing Laughing Gull in breeding plumage

By |2021-08-16T13:30:07-06:00September 2nd, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this adult Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla) in breeding plumage while it bathed in the shallow waters of a tidal lagoon at Fort De Soto's north beach a few years ago.

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