I have no idea what kind of gull this is but was pretty darned persistent trying to fish a local pond. While I waited for my favorite raptors to appear, I used it for a bit of camera target practice. I loved its bright white plumage against those beautiful, deep, blue Colorado skies.

Not a type of bird I would normally train my camera on but the Gulls were very active working this one small spot of open water recently and provided some good photo ops. I like this capture quite a bit as the back-lighting really gives the bird a bit of a glow to it and showcases its pretty plumage. This is a Ring-billed Gull, probably the most common type you would see here in Colorado.

It isn’t often that I train my camera on these common birds. They are noisy and can make quite a mess so I usually just ignore them. However on Sunday morning while out taking pictures with my son, a few came flying overhead. With the golden light of sunrise on them they looked quite beautiful and their graceful, soaring flight pattern allowed a few nice captures.

There were dozen’s of Franklin’s Gulls at this spot this past week, something I had not noticed in previous years although I may have just not been paying attention. 😉 You can learn more about these small gulls here.

Ring-billed Gull pulls a fish from the ice of a pond in Colorado. I watched it peck away at the thawing ice and eventually pull a shad from it. These gulls can be found across much of North America and are the most common type of gull found in inland areas.

 

Where these gulls draw their name from is pretty obvious. You will notice the red around its eye and at the gape (corner of the mouth). This indicates this particular bird has donned its breeding plumage. Spring must not be too far away. 😉

A nice looking gull flies overhead.  Normally these birds are viewed with disdain for the noise and mess they make.  Nevertheless, they are pretty when in flight.