cross-posted from: https://piefed.social/c/birding@lemmy.world/p/2425536/the-handsomest-ring-billed-gull

Cross-posted from "Seagirl" by @fossilesque@mander.xyz in !science_memes@mander.xyz

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/48992206

Great Lakes region, USA. June 2026.

This little grebe had quite the haul until this gull swooped in.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/48847983

Grand Marais, MI. June 2026.

I was walking the beach in the morning and caught these, what I believe to be, ring-billed gull tracks in the sand and snapped a few pics. I kind of like how these turned out.

The culprits

Great Lakes region, USA. June 2026.

I was walking by the river's edge and spotted this ring-billed gull looking for a meal. It was surprisingly comfortable with me getting close.

Great Lakes region, USA. June 2026.

Great Lakes region, USA. May 2026.

A small flock of ring-billed gulls had congregated on a walking bridge and they let me get quite close.

Just up at Whitby for a few days in the flat, and Steve turns up! I gave her a few little bits of cake (not too much) and we chilled together for half an hour.

Great Lakes region, USA. April 2026.

These ring-billed gulls were all about the waves.

I even found this cool hollowed out stump with a mini beach in it!

Not everyone's cup of tea. But I still find it to be inspiring even after all these years.

Great Lakes region USA. September 2025

Great Lakes region, USA. September 2025.

One of my first photos with my cheap Oly 75-300mm lens. I was quite impressed. I recently re-edited these with Darktable.

Great Lakes region, USA. September 2025.

Juvenile gulls will find sticks to play with, just like we do. They'll pick them up, drop them and pick them up again. This dude was getting some practice in. It was fun to watch.

Guuuuuuuuuulllsssssssss!!!

This was from October of last year. I was headed out to a nature preserve a few miles out of town and there is this nice spot overlooking the bay. The water had receded a few feet creating these low spots. My boy was out there showing his moves like a dancing queen. He had a great style.

You are no match for his shtyle!

Maybe my gull photos will get some love here? My birding friends don't seem to appreciate them, lol. I took this last week after an ice storm.

Oly E-M1 @ 264mm, f/8, 1/800s ISO 200.

During breeding season the ring-billed gull's skin around their eyes turns red to signify their ready for mating. It's their most beautiful look of the year IMO.

I took a picture of a gull.