Recent photo adventures...

I've been quite active of late, though only on the photobirding front. The moths in my back yard are all but non-existent so I've had to concentrate on other things... oh yes, on work too.

A few days ago I was on Toronto Island on a particularly gloomy and windswept day. There were a few grounded migrants but it was not the fallout I had hoped for and was generally disappointing. However, at about midday the sun peeked through creating perfect light for something or other. And as luck would have it there was a small gang of American Herring Gulls feeding very close in the surf. I'd wanted to capture some Herring Gull images so I was well pleased with this turn of events, as you might imagine.

I rattled off hundreds of images in a few minutes while the birds crashed around in the surf and wheeled overhead. I was pleased with many of the photos. The above bird is a typical first-summer individual, though some were decidedly scrappy-looking and in various stages of moult.


A rather fetching adult American Herring Gull...


And an equally nice-looking adult Ring-billed Gull. I've always been amazed that many birders don't really like gulls that much. "Too difficult" they say. Well, take a closer look and you'll be amazed by these superb creatures. Many species may be ubiquitous but that doesn't stop them from being both interesting and attractive.