With the First Rays of Sun

Over the past few weeks, this place has became a place of gathering where many residents of Bear River MBR meet the sunrise.  

The migration is about to begin and my favorite birds will soon leave the Bear River MBR. I really don't want to part with them, parting has always been hard for me. 

Generally, life is good.

Franklin's Gulls in Flight

 

Franklin's gulls are at the Bear River MBR and will remain there for a while. 

These birds arrive in early April from as far away as Chile, along the shores of South America.  Thousands nest here in Norther Utah and leave our state by late September or early October.  How wonderful it is to have these birds at least for a while.

Generally, life is good.

They are Fun to Watch

To watch how Ring-billed Gulls behave and interact with each is delight.  They yawn when they are bored, showing their red mouth. When Gulls get  angry with each other, they express their displeasure very loudly.

Ring-billed don't care where they land and how others would react to their landing.

and, of course, these birds are very graceful in flight and landing.

Generally, life is good.

What Was It?

 

When I saw two Ring-billed gulls calling in unison my first thought was, that they were in the process of courtship, which usually begins in April and lasts untill September.  

But as I watched them longer, I began to think that the gulls were so noisy because they were trying to scare away the potential predators, perhaps their chicks were ready to leave the nest. 

I have never observed Ring-billed gulls with such unusual behavior before, so I leave two possibilities.

Generally, life is good.

"Roll Camera!"

 

You arrive on the icy shore expecting to see a gathering of Great Blue Herons but instead you see Ring-billed gulls. 

You tell yourself: don't be disappointed, because seeing gulls near the shore is good luck. 

You wait patiently for the gulls to act like actors and you become the spectator of their amazing performance or, if you prefer, the "director" of a short documentary who didn't have enough time to shout "Roll Camera!"out loud.

Generally, life is good!

Powerful and Beautiful in Flight

 

I have a soft spot for Ring-billed Gulls and if you ask me why, I will tell you that they are devoted parents.  Males care for their young along with females.  That includes sitting on the eggs during incubation.

These birds have found a way how to survive in a harsh and unforgiving world and this is also admirable. 

And of course, it's interesting to watch these birds in flight. Sometimes they can glide and soar in the air for a long time and at these moments they look so powerful, so beautiful.

Generally, life is good.

Franklin's Gulls in Flight During the Dawn

 

The sun was slowly raising over the mountains when I noticed a chaotic group of birds circling over the Bear River.  From afar, I couldn't tell what kind of birds they were, but as I got closer I was glad to see Franklin's Gulls.  I haven't photograph these birds for a long time.

Franklin's Gulls are a mystery. They arrive in early spring on the Bear River MBR, stay for a short time and disappear. I know that they nest in marshes of Great Basin but why they don't nest in the Bear River MBR I have no idea.

Franklin's Gulls are transit migrants who visit the Bear River MBR in early spring and then leave somewhere else.

Generally, life is good.

Ring-billed Gull is Flying Over Salty Desert

 

I often just watch gulls without even trying to photograph them, but when they rise up and fly, I envy and admire them. The gulls are so beautiful in flight. 

Life goes on.

Busy Ring-billed Gulls

 

The gulls are always interesting to observe. Sometimes they get bored and yawn with their beak wide open, like the Gull in the photo above. 

There are times when they are busy looking for fish and often have to fight for it. This especially happens in winter, when their food supplies are scarce. 

Successful catch. Now the most important thing is to find a safe place so that the fish will not be stolen.

A few sips of water and you are good to go fishing again.

Life goes on.

Ring-billed Gull is Landing on Ice

I love gulls, love their appearance, their calls, I love to watch them and especially to photograph these incredible birds in action.  These incredible birds are graceful in flight, they are fearless when they are fighting and very smart. 

Life goes on.

Ring-Billed Gulls Fighting Over Fish

 

That early frosty morning I was lucky enough to photograph two Ring-billed Gulls fighting for fish. Their fight started when one of gulls caught a fish (it's on the right). Fishing in winter especially hard because the rivers, lakes and ponds are mostly frozen.

The Ring-billed gull (on the left) was an obnoxious thief, it furiously rushed into fight hoping to steal a fish.

The thief-gull was successful and its aggressiveness ended in a catch.  

It's not  so easy to give up your hard-earned catch.  

The fish is taken back but the chase continues by inertia.

It's unlikely that the thief-gull will try to steal this catch again.  It lost its fight but eventually it may succeed with another victim.  

Life goes on. 

 

November Sketches

 

Today the Bear River pleasantly surprised me. I was sure that immature White-faced Ibises have already migrated but they were on Bear River despite the fact that the nights are frosty and the river is covered partially with ice.

Rough-legged Hawks have already arrived for wintering.

Life goes on.

Ring-billed Gulls Are Already at Bear River MBR

 

This morning, for the first time after two incredibly difficult months, I finally was able to get to the Bear River MBR.  The morning was freezing cold and windy.  Two days ago we had snow and the mountains dressed up in winter snow-white attire.  

I didn't expect to see many birds, many of them had long since departed but the Ring-billed Gulls were already at Bear River. These birds made my day unforgettable and I am very grateful for that.

From time to time, the Gulls rushed into the water headlong and emerged from it with fish.

When you look at the mountains you know that winter is just around the corner.

Life goes on.

Laughing Gulls on the Great Salt Lake

On that unforgettable morning Avocets, Willets and Laughing Gulls gathered on the shores of the Great Salt Lake.  They were pretty chaotic and I had to wait when one or two birds would be away from others.  Three Laughing Gull were the first to do it.

Generally, life is good! 

Antelope Island at Dawn

Dawn on the Antelope Island. Hundreds of Franklin's Gulls on the salty shore. They were so inaccessible and very loud. And amazing light, fleeting and changing.  This early morning the Island was amazing!

Generally, life is good!

Laughing Gulls

 

The end of July.  Several Laughing Gulls decided to visit Bear River MBR.  I have never seen these birds before and never heard their laugh-like calls.

While photographing Laughing Gulls (breeding adult has a black head) I was listening to a laugh that was echoing across the river.  It was a continuous, raucous "ha-ha-haah-haah-ha-ha" call that resembled of human laughter. 

The echo intensified the effect of this laughter, and at some point it felt that some ominous mythical creature was laughing eerily at me.

Generally, life is good!

Notes to Self - XXVI.

 

A gull circled in the sky, the clouds floated across the sky like a long iridescent silk scarf.  One fleeting moment that lasted until the sun broke through the clouds and everything changed in instance.  Magic always fades so fast.

Generally, life is good!