Ring-billed Gull in flight in front of an incoming storm – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1/1600, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
After a long, dry, smoky, and sunny summer autumn weather in northern Utah seems very erratic to me. Cool one day and hot the next. From sunlight filled skies to dark and foreboding clouds in a matter of minutes. Calm to extremely windy in a quarter of an hour. In autumn I can even see snow falling when the temps are above 40°F.
But the change is good. We’ve gotten some rain over the past week and we desperately need it. Last night when I moved my Jeep into the driveway I looked east at the Wasatch Mountains and noticed through the clouds that the mountain tops have turned white from the snow that has fallen on the high country.
This morning as I sit writing this post the wind is howling and when I looked outside of my living room window into the dark street I can see thick clouds scuttling past overhead which are illuminated by the lights of the city. Autumn weather here is changeable.
Changing weather is what was happening when I photographed this Ring-billed Gull last month flying over the marsh at Farmington Bay WMA. It was bright and sunny where I was sitting in my Jeep photographing the birds in front of me yet there were storm clouds moving in from the north which is why the clouds behind the gull appeared dark and slightly ominous. I liked the contrast between light and dark in this photo a lot which is a good thing because until summer arrives next year I can expect to see skies like this more frequently while I am out photographing birds.
The changeable light plus the erratic weather challenges me and my photographic skills and I like that.
It is going to be very windy and cloudy here for most of the day but perhaps I will head to one of the local ponds to see what birds I can find on the wing.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Ring-billed Gull photos plus facts and information about this species.
We are in Spring – which is also very changeable. Like you we have had some very welcome rain.
Autumn. An interesting concept. Your description sounds delightful. The gull photograph reminds us we are all connected in so many ways.
Meanwhile, in central Florida, our “green” season is slowly giving way to our “brown” season.
Fortunately, our avian migrants don’t seem to care as long as there are plenty of bugs. There are.
Lovely and brought back memories of the Texas coast. When the northers would approach across the the bay the clouds would be almost black and the gulls would be very white flying in front. Don’t get that in the Ozarks.