Ring-billed Gull Ballet – Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 320, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 310mm, natural light, not baited
I can’t ignore the grace or beauty of gulls and I don’t even try. I know people think they are trash birds and flying rats but for me it is as simple as they are birds and I love and I am fascinated by them all.
In September 2008 when Hurricane Ike was heading towards Texas we felt its effects hundreds of miles away from its eye on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The wind was strong at Fort De Soto County Park and the waves were high and that caused a bit of a feeding frenzy as the waves pushed small bait fish up to the shore. Reddish Egrets chased the bait fish all over with Laughing Gulls flying after them trying to swipe the fishing from the dancing wading birds.
Among the bait fish skirmishes one solitary Ring-billed Gull stood out to me and as it flew after the Reddish Egret and Laughing Gulls I kept my lens trained on it. It seemed to dance in the wind especially as it landed or took off and it mesmerized me with its fluid movements, grace, and beauty.
A Ring-billed Gull Ballet.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Ring-billed Gull photos plus facts and information about this species.
Nice image. I think it’s good that there are birds to help with all the trash and road kill.
Trash birds? Sigh. The people who categorise them that way couldn’t dance in the wind, walk on air, or feed themselves is their resources were cut back to those of the gulls.
Stunning image.
What a beautiful, graceful image! Looks like an Olympic World Class skater landing a difficult jump, or about to make one I love to watch the gulls feeding, soaring, wheeling, diving, sizing up who has food and who doesn’t– strategizing when and how to steal stuff, how to get at it, even when it’s covered or still packages…they are SMART!!!
Who is anyone to define another living creature? Everything has a purpose and fits perfectly into the scheme of things. Mia, this is simply stunning. I can feel the winds and smell the ocean—and yes, I can even hear the birds calling. 🙂
Beautiful photo Mia.