This is a hard time of the year to come across birds to take pictures of. This little character will be here year round. It is a juvenile Ring-Billed Gull. I spotted him loitering in the McDonalds parking lot, clearly hoping for a handout ... french fries, no doubt. The juveniles are very pretty ... their mottling is brown against the white background with the black on their tail feathers and the tip of their beaks.
This pair of Sandhill Cranes is probably long gone. We spotted them in a yard not far from our house about two weeks ago.
I have seen groups of Sandhills flying overhead on their migration to warmer climates for several weeks. To me it seems late but strangely we also have Great Blue Herons on the lake. Hopefully they will all be gone soon because they certainly won't be able to survive our winters.
I plan is to be able to get out and find some more interesting birds that will be here for the winter ... Meanwhile, hope the birding is good in your neck of the woods :)
Happy WBW!
26 comments:
shows you how mad the birding world is..... you get a Ringed Bill Gull in McDonalds, their scarce visits to the UK set alarm bells ringing... pardon the pun! and a twitch usually ensues.
The Cranes are just superb
HI Andrea How wonderful to have had Csand Cranes near to your home. Great photos before the cold hits you.
The sandhill crane is very rare here, but I believe a group of birders is trying hard to get their numbers up. If I saw one in my yard, I'd faint! Lovely shots of the gull. :)
Those Gull images are superb, and the Cranes wonderful as well!
Great photos and the Sand Cranes are very beautiful. Your winters sound far too cold and I even wonder how people survive them :-) !!
Great to have cranes in garden, you are very lucky.
Thank you for showing my birds I will probably never see. And happy birding to you too.
I've been patiently awaiting the Sand Hill Crane arrival here in our area. You made me jealous. :o)
The cranes are gorgeous! A lot of our birds are gone too, but not all.
The cranes have found their way into our RV park here in central Florida.
such attractive gulls and I love the cranes
Great shots of both the gull and the pretty cranes. Have a happy week!
The cranes are just lovely--I always think they look quite regal. Love the other shots, too.
The gulls are often overlooked but can certainly offer a great variety of plumages to appreciate! Migrating Sandhill Cranes are arriving here in Florida in good numbers. I love to hear their trumpeting across the marsh early in the morning.
I enjoyed your post!
Excellent gull shots, and the cranes are cool!
Great shots of the gull! We get them here during the winter. I've never seen a crane. They do show up in the western part of the state.
Good to see the juvenile Ring-billed Gull Andrea, a timely reminder to check all the gulls here. Ring-bills occasionally get blown across the Atlantic and end up in the UK. A bit like a needle in a haystack but worth a look now and again.
Great shots of the bird. I like the little one.
The gulls are one of my favorite birds to photograph because they are so willing to pose. All they ask is a French fry or something and they will do all sorts of antics for you. I love the cranes. I was lucky one year to get some great photos of them in Florida. They really are quite lovely and regal. I hope they all leave for the warm weather before the snows and icy cold hits our Northern areas. Now I'm off to rustle up some breakfast for Pogo. You and Izzi have a wonderful day. Hugs, Edna B.
The background totally matches the gull. I saw quite a few cranes this summer. But too far away to photograph. Thanks for following!
P.S. I'm following already!
Such a pretty juvenile gull! Nice shots.
Hi Andrea,
Ring bills are the most common gulls on the north side of Lake Ontario. Yes, they do indeed like French fires and many haunt McDonald's parking lots. I agree the juveniles are quite attractive.
Even in late November, Sandhill cranes can be seen flying overhead a few miles from here (central Ontario). As for the Great Blue Herons, I saw one on New Year's Eve Dat last year. ;))
the Sandhll crane is a bird I´d love to see. Great shots. :)
The gull does have lovely plumage. Hope you find some winter birds.
Those are some yard-birds! The only cranes I see are on building sites!
Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
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