{"id":14698,"date":"2014-04-05T05:44:33","date_gmt":"2014-04-05T11:44:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=14698"},"modified":"2025-06-22T15:30:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T20:30:22","slug":"portrait-of-a-california-gull","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/05\/portrait-of-a-california-gull\/","title":{"rendered":"Portrait of a California Gull"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PortraitPortrait of a California Gull – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/5000, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 257mm, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span><\/a>. Egg Island has California Gulls, Great Blue Herons and Double-crested Cormorants all building their nests right now on the rocky little spit of land that juts up from the Great Salt Lake near Lady Finger Point.<\/p>\n

I must not have been paying attention to my settings on the morning when I photographed this California Gull because I certainly didn’t need and ISO of 640 with the available light and with a static subject I didn’t need a shutter speed of 1\/5000 either. Live and learn.<\/p>\n

During breeding season the heads and necks of California Gulls are a snowy white which contrasts very nicely from their dark eyes, red orbital rings and gapes and the yellow of their bills along with the black and red spots on it.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

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

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. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":149197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,520,26],"tags":[4004,4053,4333,4142,3981,11978,3539,521,4230,4046,165],"class_list":["post-14698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-california-gulls","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-california-gull","tag-close-up","tag-davis-county","tag-desert-island","tag-gull","tag-gulls","tag-larus-californicus","tag-portrait","tag-spring"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-filaree-mia-mcpherson-3366.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-3P4","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4981,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/05\/12\/california-gull-with-nesting-material\/","url_meta":{"origin":14698,"position":0},"title":"California Gull With Nesting Material","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 12, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It was the first time I have been able to photograph a California Gull with nesting material so I was quite pleased.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"California Gull with nesting material, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/california-gull-nesting-mia-mcpherson-0785.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/california-gull-nesting-mia-mcpherson-0785.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/california-gull-nesting-mia-mcpherson-0785.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/california-gull-nesting-mia-mcpherson-0785.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":99085,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/01\/19\/three-california-gulls-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":14698,"position":1},"title":"Three California Gull Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"While taking a short break yesterday morning I went down to my local pond for a few minutes and took a few California Gull photos while I was there.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"California Gull going into breeding plumage, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/california-gull-going-into-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-0797.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/california-gull-going-into-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-0797.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/california-gull-going-into-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-0797.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/california-gull-going-into-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-0797.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14597,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/03\/22\/a-california-gull-on-the-wing\/","url_meta":{"origin":14698,"position":2},"title":"California Gull On The Wing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 22, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Photographing this California Gull on the wing was a highlight of my morning the day I took this photo. I love to photograph gulls.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"California Gull on the wing, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-8153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-8153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-8153.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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photographed this California Gull back in May on Antelope Island State Park in falling rain and like the streaks of rain in the frame.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"California Gull portrait in falling rain, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-rain-mia-mcpherson-4729.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-rain-mia-mcpherson-4729.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-rain-mia-mcpherson-4729.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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