Day Twelve

This afternoon I wandered down to the marshwalk to see what might be available to shoot. The tide in the inlet was fairly low and that often draws hungry birds looking for small fish. Today there was a plethora of Ring-Billed Gulls.


A medium-sized, white-headed gull, the Ring-Billed Gull appears similar to the Herring and California Gulls, but is smaller, with a shorter bill that has a broad black ring around it. The Ring-Billed Gull is slightly larger and bulkier than the Mew Gull. The white body and tail, slate-gray back and wings, and black wingtips with large, white spots (windows), typical of most gulls, are all present on the Ring-Billed Gull. The juvenile is mottled brown mixed with adult plumage characteristics. It has pink legs and a pink bill with a dark tip. As the bird matures, the legs turn yellow and the bill becomes yellow with a black ring. The adult's eye is also yellow. The adult in non-breeding plumage has brown streaking on its head. The Ring-Billed Gull takes three years to reach maturity.


Here are two for your enjoyment!