{"id":109376,"date":"2023-01-06T04:18:04","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T11:18:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=109376"},"modified":"2024-11-14T18:37:31","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T00:37:31","slug":"immature-herring-gull-testing-the-ice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/01\/06\/immature-herring-gull-testing-the-ice\/","title":{"rendered":"Immature American Herring Gull Testing The Ice"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was January 6, 2021, when I photographed this immature American Herring Gull testing the ice at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge<\/span><\/a>. I’d left home while it was still dark and the stars were visible in the night sky. When the sun peeked over the Wasatch Mountains I had just turned west to head out to the auto tour loop at the refuge. It was a bright, beautiful, and serene morning. Or so I thought.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature American Herring Gull testing the ice \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Because I pretty much had the auto tour loop to myself, I took my time photographing the birds I found out on the marshes. I listened to the ice cracking, my tires crunching on the snowy road, and the calls of the birds that rang over the marsh.<\/p>\n

Before I found this young American Herring Gull I photographed a few Rough-legged Hawks, Common Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes, a few Northern Harriers and a single Barn Owl from a great distance.<\/p>\n

On the west side of the auto tour loop I found Ring-billed, California and American Herring Gulls feeding, resting, and congregating on ice shelves near stretches of open water. I had a blast photographing all of the gulls there that cold but peaceful morning. I love gulls and I\u2019ll photograph them whenever I have the opportunity. I believe that gulls are every bit as beautiful and fascinating as any other bird species I find in my viewfinder. I don\u2019t drive or walk past them without taking at least a few images of gulls.<\/p>\n

I came across this American Herring Gull image yesterday while looking at images I had taken on January 6th of past years and decided to share it today. I loved how the gull’s left foot was raised and how it looked like the gull was testing the strength of the ice at the water’s edge.<\/p>\n

After a wonderfully quiet morning spent on the marsh with the birds I headed home feeling calm, delighted, and rejuvenated.<\/p>\n

I didn’t know what was happening at our nation’s capitol on that date until after I returned home. When I got back home I felt terror as I watched the live videos of the January 6th insurrection at our nation\u2019s capitol. I was horrified.<\/p>\n

Today some of the people serving in public office still<\/em> support the actions of the violent insurrectionists that invaded our capitol on that infamous day. Those people aren’t patriots. They are traitors.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my American Herring Gulls photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was January 6, 2021, when I photographed this immature American Herring Gull testing the ice at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":109373,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1299,124,27,1148,26],"tags":[1589,3539,521,4064,4067,13599,13600,4317,4094,13598,3996,4095,373,4193],"class_list":["post-109376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-herring-gulls","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-utah","tag-herring-gull","tag-gull","tag-gulls","tag-ice","tag-immature","tag-insurrection","tag-january-6th","tag-larus-smithsonianus","tag-marsh","tag-testing","tag-water","tag-wetlands","tag-winter","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/herring-gull-immature-ice-mia-mcpherson-4236.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-ss8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":100028,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/02\/16\/herring-gull-walking-on-ice\/","url_meta":{"origin":109376,"position":0},"title":"American Herring Gull Walking On Ice","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 16, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I photographed this Herring Gull walking in ice from the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR on a bright but chilly sunny morning.","rel":"","context":"In "American Herring Gulls"","block_context":{"text":"American Herring Gulls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gulls\/herring-gulls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Herring Gull walking on ice at Bear River MBR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/herring-gull-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-0320.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/herring-gull-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-0320.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/herring-gull-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-0320.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/herring-gull-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-0320.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":107838,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/11\/08\/winter-california-and-herring-gull-comparison-in-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":109376,"position":1},"title":"Winter California And American Herring Gull Comparison In Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Since I frequently get asked which is which I thought this would be a good time to do a winter California and American Herring Gull comparison and ID feature post.","rel":"","context":"In "American Herring Gulls"","block_context":{"text":"American Herring Gulls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gulls\/herring-gulls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Herring Gull - California Gull Comparison and ID Features, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/herring-california-gull-winter-adult-comparison-mia-mcpherson-0305.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/herring-california-gull-winter-adult-comparison-mia-mcpherson-0305.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/herring-california-gull-winter-adult-comparison-mia-mcpherson-0305.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/herring-california-gull-winter-adult-comparison-mia-mcpherson-0305.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":136849,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/11\/15\/my-arkansas-american-herring-gull-sighting\/","url_meta":{"origin":109376,"position":2},"title":"My Arkansas American Herring Gull Sighting","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"This past week, I had my first ever Arkansas American Herring Gull sighting. I was outdoors when several of these gulls were high overhead, too high for photos.","rel":"","context":"In "American Herring Gulls"","block_context":{"text":"American Herring Gulls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gulls\/herring-gulls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Herring Gull in nonbreeding plumage flying by, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/herring-gull-flight-over-ice-mia-mcpherson-0716.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/herring-gull-flight-over-ice-mia-mcpherson-0716.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/herring-gull-flight-over-ice-mia-mcpherson-0716.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/herring-gull-flight-over-ice-mia-mcpherson-0716.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":119542,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/01\/06\/herring-gull-in-flight-close-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":109376,"position":3},"title":"American Herring Gull In Flight Close Up","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Three years ago today, I drove the auto tour loop at Bear River MBR alone. One of the birds I photographed that winter morning was this close-up adult Herring Gull in flight.","rel":"","context":"In "American Herring Gulls"","block_context":{"text":"American Herring Gulls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gulls\/herring-gulls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Winter American Herring Gull in flight close up, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/herring-gull-winter-flight-close-up-mia-mcpherson-4464.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/herring-gull-winter-flight-close-up-mia-mcpherson-4464.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/herring-gull-winter-flight-close-up-mia-mcpherson-4464.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/herring-gull-winter-flight-close-up-mia-mcpherson-4464.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":78164,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/01\/23\/third-winter-herring-gull-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":109376,"position":4},"title":"Third Winter American Herring Gull Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this month I was able to take third winter American Herring Gull photos at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on the ice from the auto tour route.","rel":"","context":"In "American Herring Gulls"","block_context":{"text":"American Herring Gulls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gulls\/herring-gulls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calling third cycle American Herring Gull, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/herring-gull-third-winter-mia-mcpherson-4393.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/herring-gull-third-winter-mia-mcpherson-4393.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/herring-gull-third-winter-mia-mcpherson-4393.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/herring-gull-third-winter-mia-mcpherson-4393.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":77626,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/01\/11\/first-winter-herring-gulls\/","url_meta":{"origin":109376,"position":5},"title":"First Winter American Herring Gulls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I recently wrote about my excitement that American Herring Gulls have started showing up in northern Utah. 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