{"id":22246,"date":"2015-04-21T04:48:30","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T10:48:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=22246"},"modified":"2025-06-22T15:19:45","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T20:19:45","slug":"california-gulls-on-a-clear-april-morning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/04\/21\/california-gulls-on-a-clear-april-morning\/","title":{"rendered":"California Gulls on a Clear April Morning"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull Portrait – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/2500, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I know that California Gulls are “just gulls” and many people think they are trash birds but I like them simply because they are birds and because I think they are beautiful and elegant too. Maybe if they had a hooked beak and talons on their feet people would think differently about them.<\/p>\n

Anyway, while photographing Long-billed Curlews, Willets and an out of place Marbled Godwit yesterday on Antelope Island a flock of California Gulls flew in to feast on what appeared to be a grasshopper hatch.<\/p>\n

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull in breeding plumage – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/2500, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The California Gulls and the Marbled Godwit came in close and I decided to do some portrait images of the gull. I like seeing the dark eyes and red orbital ring against the pure white feathers on the gull’s head along with the red gape and the black and red markings on the bill.<\/p>\n

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull in flight on a clear April morning – Nikon D810, f9, 1\/2500, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I was also able to take several flight shots of the gulls as they flew in to feed on the grasshoppers. Not long after the curlews, willets and lone godwit left the gulls lifted off and landed on the dirt road probably to feast on more grasshoppers.<\/p>\n

Clear April mornings can be perfect for bird photography on Antelope Island. Well, that is if you can stand the biting gnats which are out and biting like there is no tomorrow!<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my California Gull photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

California Gulls are the official State Bird of Utah, see why here<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The California Gulls and the Marbled Godwit came in close and I decided to do some portrait images of the gull.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":149184,"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":[511,27,520,1022,26],"tags":[4004,4053,4333,4142,11978,4052,4122,3540,3539,521,4230,4046,165],"class_list":["post-22246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-california-gulls","category-davis-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-california-gull","tag-close-up","tag-desert-island","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-grasshopper-hatch","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-adult-mia-mcpherson-9359.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-5MO","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":119650,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/01\/13\/california-gull-a-misnamed-gull-species\/","url_meta":{"origin":22246,"position":0},"title":"California 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"Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Antelope Island State Park California Gull portrait, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/california-gull-utah-mia-mcpherson-7284.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/california-gull-utah-mia-mcpherson-7284.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/california-gull-utah-mia-mcpherson-7284.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/california-gull-utah-mia-mcpherson-7284.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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local pond three days ago, I was happy to photograph this California Gull in winter plumage that had just landed on the water.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult California Gull in winter plumage, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/california-gull-winter-plumage-mia-mpherson-8918.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/california-gull-winter-plumage-mia-mpherson-8918.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/california-gull-winter-plumage-mia-mpherson-8918.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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California Gull","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","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":"Portrait of a California Gull, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-filaree-mia-mcpherson-3366.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-filaree-mia-mcpherson-3366.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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