{"id":62139,"date":"2019-12-19T05:28:29","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T12:28:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=62139"},"modified":"2025-06-24T07:46:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T12:46:13","slug":"california-gull-with-eyes-that-look-like-snowflake-obsidian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/12\/19\/california-gull-with-eyes-that-look-like-snowflake-obsidian\/","title":{"rendered":"California Gull With Eyes That Look Like Snowflake Obsidian"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull with snowflake obsidian eyes \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/640, ISO 200, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

It has been three years and one day since I took photos of a California Gull that had eyes that looked like snowflake obsidian. Typically California Gulls have dark irises but they do exhibit eye color variation at times. I was able to take portraits of this California Gull with unusual eyes because it was resting on the shoreline of the pond close to where I sat in a “mobile blind”. The gull also had a tiny snowflake on its bill.<\/p>\n

I haven’t been seeing California Gulls in large numbers at my local ponds yet but when or if the ponds start to freeze over they should arrive in large numbers and then I will be looking for unusual eye color variations in this species.<\/p>\n

\"SnowflakeSnowflake Obsidian necklaces – Samsung cell phone image<\/span><\/p>\n

Last night I dug into my jewelry so I could photograph these two snowflake obsidian and sterling silver necklaces that I created about sixteen or seventeen years ago while I was living in Colorado. The California Gull’s eyes do look just like these snowflake obsidian stones.<\/p>\n

Just a short post today, the clouds are moving east and I am hoping to get back out into the field this morning.<\/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 has been three years and one day since I took photos of a California Gull that had eyes that looked like snowflake obsidian.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":149307,"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":[27,520,709,26],"tags":[4004,4333,4142,5505,5567,3539,521,4230,8149,8150,1984,4046,8147,8148,8018,3996],"class_list":["post-62139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-california-gulls","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-california-gull","tag-close-up","tag-eye-color","tag-eye-color-variation","tag-gull","tag-gulls","tag-larus-californicus","tag-necklace","tag-necklaces","tag-pond","tag-portrait","tag-snowflake","tag-snowflake-obsidian","tag-urban","tag-water"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-snowflake-obsidian-eyes-mia-mcpherson-5305.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-gaf","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44007,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/12\/19\/eye-color-variation-in-california-gulls\/","url_meta":{"origin":62139,"position":0},"title":"Eye Color Variation in California Gulls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The typical eye color for California Gulls is a very dark brown that appears almost black in most cases but there can be variations in their eye color.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Close up showing eye color variation in a California Gull, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/california-gull-odd-eyes-mia-mcpherson-5297.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/california-gull-odd-eyes-mia-mcpherson-5297.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/california-gull-odd-eyes-mia-mcpherson-5297.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/california-gull-odd-eyes-mia-mcpherson-5297.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":122561,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/03\/04\/ring-billed-gull-and-a-heart-shaped-snowflake\/","url_meta":{"origin":62139,"position":1},"title":"Ring-billed Gull And A Heart Shaped Snowflake","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"It has been six years since I took this photo of a Ring-billed Gull and a heart shaped snowflake in the middle of a winter snowstorm at my local pond.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ring-billed Gull and a heart shaped snowflake, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ring-billed-gull-heart-snowflake-mia-mcpherson-5666.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ring-billed-gull-heart-snowflake-mia-mcpherson-5666.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ring-billed-gull-heart-snowflake-mia-mcpherson-5666.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ring-billed-gull-heart-snowflake-mia-mcpherson-5666.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":137703,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/12\/07\/its-weird-not-seeing-california-gulls\/","url_meta":{"origin":62139,"position":2},"title":"It’s Weird Not Seeing California Gulls!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I have to admit that, after living in Utah for nearly fifteen years, it feels weird not seeing California Gulls now that I've moved away. Really weird.","rel":"","context":"In "California Gulls"","block_context":{"text":"California Gulls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gulls\/california-gulls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"California Gull giving me the eye, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/california-gull-willow-pond-utah-mia-mcpherson-8945.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/california-gull-willow-pond-utah-mia-mcpherson-8945.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/california-gull-willow-pond-utah-mia-mcpherson-8945.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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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":62139,"position":4},"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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