{"id":8526,"date":"2013-06-05T03:40:59","date_gmt":"2013-06-05T09:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=8526"},"modified":"2025-06-22T14:47:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T19:47:15","slug":"bathing-beauty-er-california-gull","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/06\/05\/bathing-beauty-er-california-gull\/","title":{"rendered":"Bathing Beauty… er… California Gull"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull bathing<\/span><\/p>\n

Okay, I admit it. I think gulls are beautiful and this\u00a0California Gull\u00a0sure looked that way bathing! Look at those bright white feathers, the dark sparkling eyes rimmed in red, the darker contrasting gray feathers, the color and shape of the bill. What’s not to like about that?<\/p>\n

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull lifting up<\/span><\/p>\n

Yeah, I know. Some folks think they are trash birds. I don’t. I think they have grace when they are in flight, on the beach or bathing like this one was.<\/p>\n

\"FlutteringFluttering California Gull<\/span><\/p>\n

I sort of agree their calls can be loud and harsh but they aren’t always calling. Yeah, they frequent dumps but I reckon we sort of gave them those dumps because there weren’t any for the eons that came before humans arrived in North America. Yeah, they scavenge but so do Bald and Golden Eagles and who hates them?<\/p>\n

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull shaking the water off its wings<\/span><\/p>\n

I had fun photographing this California Gull, it was interesting to watch it bathe to see the various poses it took and the wing positions that I saw. This pose reminds me of the one Kate Winslet had when she portrayed Rose DeWitt Bukater on the bow of the Titanic. I’ve never seen the movie by the way but I am familiar with the iconic scene from the Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.<\/p>\n

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull – One final flutter<\/span><\/p>\n

But I digress… This was a puddle in a dirt road that the gull bathed in, it only existed because of the rains we’d had for a few days before I took this series of the gull bathing. It is bone dry now though.<\/p>\n

\"CaliforniaClifornia Gull goofy pose<\/span><\/p>\n

And who can resist goofy bird images? I can’t and this is a pretty goofy looking image. I didn’t know a gull’s head could twist that far.<\/p>\n

\"CaliforniaCalifornia Gull drinking water after a bath<\/span><\/p>\n

After the gull was done bathing it took a few drinks from the puddle before it flew away. Yes, it was a bathing beauty.<\/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":"

Okay, I admit it. I think gulls are beautiful and this California Gull sure looked that way bathing! Look at those bright white feathers, the dark sparkling eyes rimmed in red, the darker contrasting gray feathers, the color and shape of the bill. What’s not to like about that? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":149168,"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":[4004,5109,4373,4053,4333,11978,4464,6048,730,3539,521,4230,12631,5112,4502,3996],"class_list":["post-8526","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-bath","tag-bathing","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-california-gull","tag-desert-island","tag-drinking","tag-flutter","tag-goofy","tag-gull","tag-gulls","tag-larus-californicus","tag-lifting","tag-puddle","tag-shaking","tag-water"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-bathing-mia-mcpherson-7732.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-2dw","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39116,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/05\/02\/franklins-gull-and-laughing-gull-comparison\/","url_meta":{"origin":8526,"position":0},"title":"Franklin’s Gull and Laughing Gull Comparison","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I know this isn't a complete Franklin's Gull and Laughing Gull comparison but I'm not a scientist, just a bird photographer and bird lover.","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":"Franklin's Gull chasing Brine flies, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/franklins-gull-feeding-brine-flies-mia-mcpherson-8201.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/franklins-gull-feeding-brine-flies-mia-mcpherson-8201.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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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, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/california-gull-winter-plumage-mia-mpherson-8918.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44240,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/01\/05\/ring-billed-gulls-bathing-on-new-years-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":8526,"position":3},"title":"Ring-billed Gulls Bathing on New Year’s Day","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Ring-billed Gulls up close to me were bathing frequently so I focused on them for a bit to catch them splashing and dipping their heads and bodies into the water.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ring-billed Gull bathing in winter, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ring-billed-gull-bathing-mia-mcpherson-0417.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ring-billed-gull-bathing-mia-mcpherson-0417.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/ring-billed-gull-bathing-mia-mcpherson-0417.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ring-billed-gull-breeding-mia-mcpherson-7689.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ring-billed-gull-breeding-mia-mcpherson-7689.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ring-billed-gull-breeding-mia-mcpherson-7689.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ring-billed-gull-breeding-mia-mcpherson-7689.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8739,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/06\/29\/laughing-gulls-in-breeding-and-nonbreeding-plumage\/","url_meta":{"origin":8526,"position":5},"title":"Laughing Gulls in breeding and nonbreeding plumage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Both of these Laughing Gull images were taken at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach in Florida, the image above shows a Laughing gull in nonbreeding plumage that was taken in September of 2008.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Nonbreeding Laughing Gull, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/laughing-gull-non-breeding-mia-mcpherson-0216.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/laughing-gull-non-breeding-mia-mcpherson-0216.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/laughing-gull-non-breeding-mia-mcpherson-0216.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 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