{"id":4981,"date":"2012-05-12T03:55:28","date_gmt":"2012-05-12T09:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=4981"},"modified":"2024-09-21T05:06:56","modified_gmt":"2024-09-21T10:06:56","slug":"california-gull-with-nesting-material","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/05\/12\/california-gull-with-nesting-material\/","title":{"rendered":"California Gull With Nesting Material"},"content":{"rendered":"

A little over a week ago I was photographing a perched Loggerhead Shrike on Antelope Island<\/span><\/a> when I noticed a California Gull flying towards me with a bill full of something that didn’t look like food.<\/p>\n

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull with nesting material – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/4000, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

As the gull came closer to me I could see that it was some type of vegetation and I knew then it had a bill full of nesting material. California Gulls nest nearby on Egg Island and that is the direction that the gull was flying towards. It was the first time I have been able to photograph a California Gull with nesting material so I was quite pleased. though I wish I had backed up my zoom all the way, I might have been able to fit the whole bird in the frame.<\/p>\n

\"PerchedPerched California Gull – Nikon D200, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I photographed this California Gull along the causeway to the island last year, it looks like it is in the middle of a molt because some of the feather on the wing are a touch ragged.<\/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":"

It was the first time I have been able to photograph a California Gull with nesting material so I was quite pleased.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":134817,"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":[4004,4053,4073,4333,11978,12632,4005,3539,521,5993,4230,4182,4104,4921,165],"class_list":["post-4981","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-breeding-season","tag-california-gull","tag-desert-island","tag-egg-island","tag-great-salt-lake","tag-gull","tag-gulls","tag-hypersaline-lake","tag-larus-californicus","tag-nesting-material","tag-perched","tag-rock","tag-spring"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/california-gull-nesting-mia-mcpherson-0785.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1il","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14698,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/05\/portrait-of-a-california-gull\/","url_meta":{"origin":4981,"position":0},"title":"Portrait of a 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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-filaree-mia-mcpherson-3366.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-filaree-mia-mcpherson-3366.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":100954,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/21\/urban-california-gull-in-soft-morning-light\/","url_meta":{"origin":4981,"position":1},"title":"Urban California Gull In Soft Morning Light","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I spent a few minutes focused on photographing an urban California Gull in soft morning light at a pond close to home.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult California Gull in soft morning light, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/california-gull-adult-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-2145.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/california-gull-adult-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-2145.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/california-gull-adult-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-2145.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/california-gull-adult-morning-light-mia-mcpherson-2145.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":119650,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/01\/13\/california-gull-a-misnamed-gull-species\/","url_meta":{"origin":4981,"position":2},"title":"California Gull – A Misnamed Gull Species","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"As I photographed a winter California Gull at my local pond two days ago, I thought about how these gulls are a misnamed species for the umpteenth time.","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 calling in spring, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/california-gull-calling-mia-mcpherson-2671.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/california-gull-calling-mia-mcpherson-2671.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/california-gull-calling-mia-mcpherson-2671.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/california-gull-calling-mia-mcpherson-2671.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13782,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/01\/25\/four-intimate-gull-portraits\/","url_meta":{"origin":4981,"position":3},"title":"Four Intimate Gull Portraits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 25, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I like gulls. I especially like being able to see them up close when the opportunities arise and will take advantage of my close proximity by taking portraits of these beautiful but often disliked birds.","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":"Peaceful Laughing Gull portrait, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/laughing-gull-portrait-mia-mcpherson-5874.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/laughing-gull-portrait-mia-mcpherson-5874.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/laughing-gull-portrait-mia-mcpherson-5874.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/laughing-gull-portrait-mia-mcpherson-5874.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":4981,"position":4},"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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-8153.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":4981,"position":5},"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":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}