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Black headed Gull


Black headed Gull
Photo Information
Copyright: Gert Paassen (Gert-Paassen) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1210 W: 2 N: 4568] (13816)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-08-01
Categories: Birds
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/6400 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-10-01 20:49
Viewed: 206
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [Dutch]
Today another picture from the black headed gull.
I hope you like it, I am very busy so I write not to long.
I hope you like tis one, thanks for visiting and critiques.

Latin name - Larus ridibundus

Description
The Black-headed Gull is a medium-sized gull and our commonest inland gull.

The range of plumages that they have depends on their age and time of year, as it does for most gulls, and so they are not the easiest birds to identify.

year round the adult Black-headed Gull has silver grey upperparts and white underparts, and dark red bill and legs. The wings have black wing-tips and a white edge along the forewing (which separates it from the Common Gull).

In the summer, the adult has a dark chocolate brown head (but not nape and neck), but in the winter it has only a small black smudge to the rear of each eye.

Juveniles have ginger-brown mantle, shoulders, and wing feathers, but over the space of two years become more like the adults.

The scarcer Mediterranean Gull is very similar in appearance, but is a paler grey, lacks the black wing tips, has blood-red bill and legs and a truly black head that extends from the nape into the neck.
Feeding
They will feed on insects, worms, small fish, carrion and scraps, scavenge on household and industrial waste, and steal food from other birds.

Nesting
They nest in colonies on cliffs, the ground, or on buildings. The nest is usually a scrape in the ground or a pile of dead plant material.

The light greenish-blue eggs have dark blotches on them and are smooth and glossy. They are about 52 mm by 37 mm in size. Both birds share the duty of incubating the eggs and feeding the precocial nestlings.

Movements
The birds leave their colonies in July when the breeding season is over, returning in March the following year. Most UK birds are resident, but may fly great distances within the British Isles. The winter population includes many Icelandic, Scandinavian and northern European birds.

In the winter, they often form large flocks, sometimes with other gull species: roosting on lakes and reservoirs at night, feeding on farmland, fields and landfill sites in the daytime, and flying in large formations between the two.

Conservation
The Black-headed Gull is an extremely successful species, adapting to man-made change to its environment very well. The species has to be controlled in some areas as they harass and predate higher risk species. Nonetheless, there numbers have declined sharply in recent years and so they are now amber list species of conservation concern.

My Garden
We often see Black-headed Gulls flying overhead, circling on thermals, or flying in search of them, but none have ever landed in the garden.
boreocypriensis, marianas, nasokoun, siggi, ferranjlloret, Noisette, valy67 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Good Morning Bro gert,

Excellent capture of this lovely faced black headed gull in a lovely pose with great details on plummages and fine composition.
TFS and have a nice day!

Bayram

very nice pose and scene for this Larus ridibundus.
also good exposure.

greetings
Matteo

Gert
Wonderful capture, lovely colors, great details.
Mariana

What an awesome shot, gert!
Wow!
Simply superb!
Goldy

hello Gert
very beautiful scene,with thiw POV very fine result,excellent colors and details
TFS thanks for sharing
Nasos

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1978 W: 6 N: 5527] (19673)
  • [2009-10-02 1:39]

Hi Gert,very impressive pic,a beautiful portrait whit a great quality of sharpness and natural colors too,the best light for the best result.My best compliments,have a nice day,LUCIANO

Hellow Gert,
Nice sharp image with contrasty red beak and leg and fine detail of the gull.Well done, TFS,
erwin...

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1376 W: 56 N: 4736] (16296)
  • [2009-10-02 5:38]

Hello Gert,
A nice image of this Black-headed Gull , the photo has a good composition, sharpness and nice colors. Thanks for sharing.
Best regards Siggi

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2392 W: 94 N: 5536] (17620)
  • [2009-10-02 10:27]

Hallo Gert,
Prachtige pose van deze Kopmeeuw tegen de donkere achtergrond. Vanuit een uitstekend standpunt genomen. Goede scherpte en mooie heldere kleuren. Prima compositie.
Goed weekend,
Peter

Hi Gert,
Excellent close-up pf this gull, perfect compo and POV, very good sharpnees and BG.
Have a nice weekend. Ferran

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 4 N: 3262] (14691)
  • [2009-10-02 11:03]

Gert, Superb shot and with lovely eye catch. Sharp picture and with lovely tone. Ganesh

Hello Gert
This is a very great shot from this Black Headed Gull, she is standing so nicely on this wood and shows his beautiful profil and sharp details on his plumage
Superb colors and wonderful contrast with the BG
Anexcellent image
Have a great WE
Jacqueline

  • Great 
  • valy67 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1880 W: 59 N: 2915] (8733)
  • [2009-10-02 21:49]

Hello Gert !
Nice to see that you are posting a picture even if you are busy ! And what a picture ! The gull looks so 'real' I have the impression I could almost touch it. Splendid details, very natural colors, great composotion and POV, wonderful pose of the bird against a nice blurred BG. Very well done !
Valérie.

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