gulls – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

California Gulls – The 1848 Heroes of Utah’s Pioneers

By Mia McPherson|April 26th, 2011|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Utah|Tags: 1848, adult, breeding plumage, California Gull, close up, fabricated, fiction, grasshopper plague, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, Mormon Pioneers, portrait, Salt Lake Valley, spring, trivia, Utah State Bird|

Huge flocks of California Gulls allegedly descended onto the grasshoppers in the valley and made tasty meals of the insects thus preventing the total loss of the crops as the story is told.

1

Reddish Egret, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls

By Mia McPherson|January 17th, 2011|Categories: Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County, Reddish Egrets, Ring-billed Gulls|Tags: adult, bait fish, baitfish, beach, coast, coastal, egret, egrets, Egretta rufescens, feeding frenzy, fish, Gulf of Mexico, gull, gulls, Hurricane Ike, Larus delawarensis, Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, Reddish Egret, Ring-billed Gull, water, waves|

There were quite a few Laughing Gulls on and near the shoreline, a few Ring-billed Gulls and two Reddish Egrets hunting on the beach that day.

1

Laughing Gulls

By Mia McPherson|December 17th, 2010|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County|Tags: beach, bird ID, breeding plumage, coast, coastal, gull, gulls, lagoon, Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, nonbreeding plumage, portrait, sand, water|

Laughing Gulls are quite common on the east and Gulf coastlines of the US, during breeding season they are usually found near saltwater but in nonbreeding season they are known to wander widely.

2

Pinto Bean Laughing Gulls

By Mia McPherson|September 8th, 2010|Categories: Bird ID, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Leucistic, Pinellas County|Tags: abberant, anomalous, bare skin, bird ID, Gulf of Mexico, gull, gulls, Laughing Gull, leucism, leucistic, Leucophaeus atricilla, odd, Partially leucistic, pigment issues, strange|

On several occasions I have seen and photographed Laughing Gulls that have strange colored markings on their bills and legs. I have assumed that they are partially leucistic though I could be wrong.

Comments Off