On the way to church Sunday, we saw a huge flock of gulls in the parking lot behind the bank and stopped for a couple of shots.
They were all hunkered down resting peacefully.
I believe that I'm safe in saying they are Ring-Billed Gulls.
After church we realized they had moved over to the McDonald's parking lot and Target's adjoining lot. Now we had more time so we stopped to take more photos.
Food fight!
"I had it first!"
People kept driving up and stopping to watch them. I wanted flight shots, but they were swarming so and the gloomy sky and busy background were defeating me on focusing on any one bird in the air.
Here are some photos of them stirring around that show the wings and tails in different positions. Best we could do.
A woman came from somewhere with a bag of food and stood there feeding a bunch of them. I would have been afraid of being swarmed by all these hungry mouths!
There is one on the left side that is more "spotty"....a juvenile?
I wish the sun had been shining. This is two Sundays in a row they have been in that area. The first Sunday we saw them, they were all in a field near the railroad tracks, with only a few in the parking lots here.
They were all hunkered down resting peacefully.
I believe that I'm safe in saying they are Ring-Billed Gulls.
After church we realized they had moved over to the McDonald's parking lot and Target's adjoining lot. Now we had more time so we stopped to take more photos.
Food fight!
"I had it first!"
People kept driving up and stopping to watch them. I wanted flight shots, but they were swarming so and the gloomy sky and busy background were defeating me on focusing on any one bird in the air.
Here are some photos of them stirring around that show the wings and tails in different positions. Best we could do.
A woman came from somewhere with a bag of food and stood there feeding a bunch of them. I would have been afraid of being swarmed by all these hungry mouths!
There is one on the left side that is more "spotty"....a juvenile?I wish the sun had been shining. This is two Sundays in a row they have been in that area. The first Sunday we saw them, they were all in a field near the railroad tracks, with only a few in the parking lots here.
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24 comments:
They're a quarrelsome bunch, aren't they? We usually have masses at the beach and they have been known to steal a piece of fisch from betreen hand and mouth!
you got some nice squabble shots anyway.
Ya gotta love the Gulls! One time when we were in Forida I had a loaf of bread in the wrapper, and a couple of them tried to steal the WHOLE loaf !
Around here when the gulls come inland there most always will be a storm out on the Lake.
I was watching the radar this morning, and I see you are in for some inclement weather. Take care.
B.
Look at all those Dumpster Chickens Mary!!! Ha Ha Ha!!
Arija:I thought that woman very brave to stand there offering food!
Becky: A parking lot just seems like the wrong place for them! We are due for 2-4 inches of snow. Got to get out early and get some things I need!
Eve: LOL! That's a good name for them! Mostly just they wanted to sit in the parking lot in a large group, but people kept driving through them. Maybe they were soaking up the sun on our "asphalt beach"....except there wasn't any sun.
We see them here occasionally even tho we are far inland. Terrific cleanup crew;)
Marnie
How exciting to see so many gulls at one time!!
Marnie: Evansville is on the Ohio River, so I guess they follow the river, but I don't usually see them in the parking lots that far from the water.
Dorothy: I imagine the businesses were less happy about them, but I thought they were interesting.
Wow Mary.. This reminded me of our days at the beach. Once you start feeding one ----then hundreds come along to get some also!!!!! Beautiful shots of the gulls.
Hugs,
Betsy
Mary, you got some good pictures of the gulls swirling around. I usually don't think of gulls in Evansville, even if it is on the river.
They are a quarrelsome bunch over food! Funny - I think they frequent the stores w/ the best shopping deals. I'm just saying....
:)
Gulls are so funny.Where there is free food there will be gulls.It looks like they have gotten used to humans.
Blessings,Ruth
wow, what hungry creatures! Great shots. I actually prefer shooting with no sunshine, its' nicer than the sharp contrasts...(IMO)...
Everybody must have a Macdonalds and Target in their area. Such a common thing, eat at MD and shop at Target. LOL.
We are such creatures of habit...and so alike all over the nation.
I love this session of photos Mary. I have a soft spot for gulls. They may be quarrelsome, but they're great characters as well. The adult Ring bill is such a lovely clean looking bird.
Betsy: It was rather like a beach scene, but not on a beach. Maybe they know the bad weather is coming.
George: I think it must be a migration thing or something.
Shelley:Well, I know that a McDonald's "Happy Meal" and a visit to Target always makes me happy :-)
Ruth: I don't usually see them in the parking lot...this was unusual behavior.
Sandy:Oh, yes...McD and Target...a favorite everywhere...even for the birds :-)
Jenny: I thought they were rather pretty and I don't usually see gulls much, so it was a treat for me to get any photos!...and check them off the life list!
We are over 100 miles from the ocean here in Raleigh, but there are hundreds of gulls at the county landfill, and often in supermarket parking lots. Not sure how they end up here, but they're around.
Wow! I have never seen anything like that! Great captures.
tarheelrambler: I don't know enough about their behavior to know if this was unusual or not.
Rose: Weird, huh?
Oh my ... what a wonderful series of photos! I see flocks of seagulls like this at the beach, but I don't recall seeing so many in parking lots of McDonald's and Target.
Hugs and blessings,
I can't imagine trying to feed them. At the beach they will take food straight out of your hand.
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Brilliant pics Mary. I love the way you have captures them in flight.
Storyteller: It isn't normal here all the time. Don't know if it is a migratory thing or has to do with the large snowstorm coming through right now.
Leedra: It looks like she dropped the bag...or had it ripped out of her hand in the last photo. I was focusing on the birds and didn't see what happened.
Joan: Thanks!
I really enjoyed this post. I really like the action shots of the birds flying around. My attempts usually come out a littel blurred. I got swarmed once at the beach and I'll never do it again. :-D
This is a common sight in our neck of the woods too... :-)
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