{"id":55545,"date":"2019-01-04T05:28:58","date_gmt":"2019-01-04T12:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=55545"},"modified":"2025-06-22T19:25:45","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T00:25:45","slug":"california-gull-on-ice-in-salt-lake-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/01\/04\/california-gull-on-ice-in-salt-lake-county\/","title":{"rendered":"California Gull On Ice In Salt Lake County"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull on ice – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/4000, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes I complain about the weather when I am out looking for and photographing birds because it can get so hot that I feel like I am melting or the wind blows hard enough that my eyes get dry or the winter cold hits me like a slab of ice has been shoved down the back of my shirt or I get soaked by pouring rain. The weather can be and is uncomfortable for me at times.<\/p>\n

Just yesterday my feet got cold and didn’t really warm up until about half way through the 90 mile trip home, that was my fault though because I could have worn my heavy, winter boots instead of hiking shoes.<\/p>\n

I can add or subtract clothing, turn the heat up or the AC on, I can roll up windows to block the wind and rain or the falling snow. I can put gloves on to warm my hands and add heat packs if that isn’t warm enough. I can do a lot to make myself more comfortable when I am out in the field.<\/p>\n

But my subjects live in all kinds of weather in temps above 100\u00b0 and below -0\u00b0. They live through hurricane strength winds, hail, driving rain, lightning, blizzards and heavy fog, they live through it all because they have to.<\/p>\n

While photographing a California Gull on ice two days ago I was reminded of how well these gulls survive the bitter cold we have here at times during the winter even when the ponds, lakes and rivers freeze over.\u00a0 They are tough and I have to admire that.<\/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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While photographing a California Gull on ice two days ago I was reminded of how well these gulls survive the bitter cold we have here at times during the winter even when the ponds, lakes and rivers freeze over. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":149256,"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":[27,520,187,709,26],"tags":[4004,4333,6926,3539,521,4064,4230,4246,1984,953,8018,373],"class_list":["post-55545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-california-gulls","category-gulls","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-california-gull","tag-frozen","tag-gull","tag-gulls","tag-ice","tag-larus-californicus","tag-nonbreeding-plumage","tag-pond","tag-standing","tag-urban","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-8475.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-erT","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":118823,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/12\/08\/california-gull-in-winter-plumage\/","url_meta":{"origin":55545,"position":0},"title":"California Gull In Winter Plumage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 8, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"While I was at my 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, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-5403.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-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-5403.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-5403.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-5403.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":55545,"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, 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I wandered down to my local pond to take in my first day of winter views of the Wasatch Mountains plus a few birds.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cloudy and gray Wasatch Mountains, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wasatch-range-winter-solstice-mia-mcpherson-6440.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wasatch-range-winter-solstice-mia-mcpherson-6440.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wasatch-range-winter-solstice-mia-mcpherson-6440.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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