It was sunny (but cold) today. I headed down to Celoron Park to practice some more with the 500mm lens Norm loaned me. I only saw Canada geese and gulls. The geese were floating out on the waves. The gulls were closer and very cooperative – just sitting there waiting for their portraits.
And here’s a juvie:
I’m no Jim Gilbert (*sigh* My Hero). But I’m improving, wouldn’t you say?
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Oh, very very nice, Mether. I like them.
Without a doubt these are stunning!
Lighting does make a world of difference to a picture. Great shots.
Jennifer – I love how you caught the eye on the first photo. Wow! And I would say it is a ring-billed. Your juvie is so cute. He/she looks like it is surveying the world around him/her.
Great photos!I wish warblers would cooperate like gulls. I have a hard time trying to get pictures of those little buggers.-Don’t even know what 500 mm lens means.I’ve just got one of those idiot proof cameras and still find it a challenge.
Nice photos of an adult Ring-billed Gull and a first-winter (I think) Ring-billed Gull! Definitely improving – keep at it!
Thanks all! I’m pretty proud of these two pix, too.
@Adam – I wasn’t sure about the species on the juvie… it seems weird that eye color would change from juvenile to adult, doesn’t it? (I’m so ignorant about birds… I really should study more…)
Weird maybe, but common – a quick look through Sibley shows that virtually all juvenile gulls have dark eyes, even though a good number of gull species have light eyes as adults.
Lots of info about RBGU, including mention of eye color, and a photo of a 1st winter juvenile that looks much like yours, at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Ring-billed_Gull_dtl.html