California Gull with nesting material

California Gull with nesting material



A little over a week ago I was photographing a perched Loggerhead Shrike on Antelope Island when I noticed a California Gull (Larus californicus) flying towards me with a bill full of something that didn’t look like food.

California Gull with nesting material
California Gull with nesting material – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/4000, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

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.

california gill mia mcpherson 9401
Perched California Gull – Nikon D200, f8, 1/1250, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

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.

Mia McPherson, OntheWingPhotography.com

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Mia McPherson

Mia McPherson is a nature lover, wildlife watcher and an avian photographer. Mia first become serious about bird photography when she moved to Florida in 2004. Her recent move to the Salt Lake area of Utah was a great opportunity to continue observing their behavior and photographing them. With so many birds species there easily accessible it wasn’t long before she was hooked. By learning more about each species, she can anticipate their behaviour and create opportunities to obtain ever better images of those species.

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Mia McPherson

Mia McPherson is a nature lover, wildlife watcher and an avian photographer. Mia first become serious about bird photography when she moved to Florida in 2004. Her recent move to the Salt Lake area of Utah was a great opportunity to continue observing their behavior and photographing them. With so many birds species there easily accessible it wasn’t long before she was hooked. By learning more about each species, she can anticipate their behaviour and create opportunities to obtain ever better images of those species.

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