Inside view of a Ring-billed Gull’s bill – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Just a simple post today of the colorful insides of a Ring-billed Gull’s bill that I photographed yesterday morning at Farmington Bay WMA as it yawned. I wanted to photograph the gull because it was on a pole where in the past I have photographed Bald Eagles, American Kestrels and Northern Harriers perched on, I am fond of the pole because of the memories that I have of those birds in my viewfinder.
For a long time the Bald Eagles stopped perching on it because a bat box was installed too close to the top of the pole and they seemed to avoid using the pole as a perch. I liked the bat box because it could provide shelter for the bats but hated it at the same time because it kept the birds from perching on the pole. The bat box eventually fell apart over time, disappeared and now birds seem to be using the pole as a resting spot again.
Okay, back to the Ring-billed Gull…
The morning light looked wonderful on the gull and I took a few photos of it resting on the old wooden pole and then the gull started to yawn with its bill wide open. At first the gull was facing towards the south east which put most of the inside of the gull’s bill in shadow but then it turned its head more towards the north which gave me a great view of the colorful insides of the gull’s bill and its tongue. The Ring-billed Gull actually filled the frame but in post processing I cropped in close to show the inside of the bill in more detail. This is a view of a Ring-billed Gull that not everyone gets to see or pays attention to. Aren’t birds fascinating?
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Ring-billed Gull photos plus facts and information about this species.
They are indeed fascinating. And beautiful.
Now THAT is a shot! 🙂 I can just hear, “Mine! Mine!”
True not many see this view. I find the inside of birds mouths fascinating. When you learn the function of everything in there it is neat!
I am unhappy some of the posts of old are now gone, I wish they would put a few up for the birds, possibly haul in an old dead cottonwood or two.
OK, I had to chuckle when I looked at this image, the chuckle was at myself because I did not realize that Ring-bills have red on the inside of the mouth. And, YES birds are fascinating, in fact all nature is fascinating!