The Whimbrel that had been reported daily at Carlos Pointe for nearly a week prior to my visit was of course not guaranteed to be there. The Whimbrel was difficult to identify as it was found to be loafing with its bill hidden in its right wing while surrounded by Marbled Godwits and Willets. The […]
Tag: Laughing Gull
Whimbrel At Carlos Pointe: Part I
Although there was a very welcome breeze at dawn on the morning of 11 August, I was not prepared to walk miles from Carlos Pointe at Big Carlos Pass along Little Estero Lagoon with the temperature already at 78 degrees. The primary purpose of my visit to the freshwater pool at Carlos Pointe was to […]
Gaviota Reidora Americana (Laughing Gull) Leucophaeus atricilla
Durante mi viaje a Cuba y en los días de estadía en Varadero he podido conocer y fotografiar a esta Gaviota, creo que junto al Chichinguaco, fueron las primeras aves que ví cuando salí de la pieza del hotel para irme a desayunar. Ya en la playa estas gaviotas hacían de las suyas, muy audaces […]
Summer Florida Birding Beach Tour: Part I
A very rare setting full strawberry moon was observed on the summer solstice this week with the occasion not to return again until June 2062. The moonset above (image 1) was photographed at Siesta Key Beach in June 2016. Celebrating the occasion was my birding expedition to Access #5 at Siesta […]
Bunche Beach Preserve: Sunrise West End
Recent days, weeks, and months have offered great birding possibilities at Bunche Beach Preserve in South Fort Myers. The Reddish Egret with prey above (image 1) was photographed at Bunche Beach Preserve in April 2016. An early April visit to Bunche followed my January visit when an American Flamingo was […]
Laughing Gull Season is Almost Over
I keep noticing laughing gulls, Leucophaeus atricilla, around New York and thinking about how they will soon be gone for the year. Laughing gulls that breed in the northeast fly south for winter to the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and to Central and South America.I bet they are beginning to feel the pull. We […]
Reflected Gull
This laughing gull was bobbing up and down on swells in the East River near the Brooklyn shore. The moving surface of the water distorted and redrew its reflection. “Silence. How long it lasted, I couldn’t tell. It might have been five seconds, it might have been a minute. Time wasn’t fixed. It wavered, stretched, […]
Winter Plumage
I took this photo of a laughing gull in non-breeding plumage at the end of September in southern New Jersey. Laughing gulls, Leucophaeus atricilla, loose their sleek black hoods as summer ends.Breeding season is over by then and they no longer have to look their best to impress potential mates.If you didn’t know better you […]