by Dennis Plank
I believe this is a Herring Gull, but those who know gulls are welcome to correct me. The fish is a Sculpin. In addition to Bald Eagles and Great Blue Herons, the standard fishers of the oyster beds were crows and gulls. The Eagles were not above stealing from either given the opportunity. This one was flying inland and going just to one side of me, so I was able to get a series of flight shots and some after it landed.
7Dii, 500mm f4 ISL + 1.4TC, Jobu Gimbal on RRS legs, f/7.1, 1/3200, iso 500, manual exposure. Processed in LR5 & CS6. Removed a bit from the right side and added the same amount on the left side, so it's essentially full frame. Taken at 10:24 am on July 2nd.
I really appreciate your comments on the Swallow images and look forward to your imput on this image.
Thanks,
Comments
4 commentsA very nice in-flight shot of the gull, Dennis. The fish is a nice bonus plus I like the frelected light on the birds under side. The adjustment to the composition worked very nicely.
Good crop and adjust. The whites look well controlled. The BG is a bit busy, but what was there for sure. I wonder what the Gull does with the poisonous spines?
Hi Dennis
This is a good action shot and I’m in a quandary regarding the identity of the bird. In my native Devon, England the Herring Gulls are ‘two a penny’ but this one doesn’t exactly fill the bill. Adults have a pale lemon yellow iris and red to orange ocular ring. Legs and feet are pale flesh coloured. Your bird has a characteristic yellow upper mandible of an adult Herring Gull but appears to lack the typical red region extending upward from the gonys.
David
Looks like an adult Herring Gull to me, Dennis. The white tip on P1 is pretty clear. I'd say just starting to move from breeding to non-breeding plumage. Of course, in your part of the world hybrids are always a consideration; the Glaucous-winged Gulls will mate with anything. But this looks like a mostly American Herring Gull.
A good flight shot with prey. The background is a bit busy, but I probably wouldn't have gone tighter than f7.1 with that big a bird, either. Nice work on the whites.