Jordan Lake is a winter home for a huge number of gulls. Most of the birds here are ring-billed gulls. Next in number are the Bonaparte’s gulls. There are a few herring gulls in the mixture and a few lesser black-backed gulls. The birds spend the night floating mid-lake – it is safer there away from predators on the shore and their numbers help keep everybody safer from the bald eagles.
ring-billed gull
TagJordan Lake: Christmas 2019 Greeting
Jordan Lake: Christmas Day 2019
Blessings to all of you this bright clear day!
Oh, and if you look closely you can see momma bald eagle Godiva flying just above the feathered cloud of gulls.
Jordan Lake: Fancy Footwork
A ring-billed gull uses his feet to help adjust his flight path as he goes fishing.
Jordan Lake: Black Friday the Gull Way
Jordan Lake: Black Friday the Gull Way…
Gulls often try to steal each other’s fish and this can lead to some spectacular aerobatics. There are 2 sequences. Keep your eye on the fish … that is what each gull is doing too. In the 1st sequence the gull with the fish is an immature ring-billed gull. The huge dark brown gull that eventually shows up is an immature herring gull. In the second part, the gull with the fish is a ring-billed gull and the fish, ah, well, sometimes the fish gets a second chance.
Jordan Lake: Fish Are Slippery
The ring-billed gull caught a fish a mite too big for his beak…
JL Neighborhood Visit 6 photos 02/07/2018
Its time to see what other birds, um, non-bald eagles are in the neighborhood.
Accipiters are fast hawks that chase other birds.
This is an immature Cooper’s hawk.
Just how many fish does this crow have in its beak?
Sometimes going away gives a spectacular view – this is a ring-billed gull.
The waters of the lake make a beautiful backdrop for this male eastern bluebird.
The American pipit is a winter visitor and a new bird for my Life List.
I almost always hear a killdeer before I see it and I better be looking quick for they zip past in a hurry.
doc ellen's journey 