Monday, December 22, 2014 Inspirational Glaucous-winged Gulls

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 10:01 am, sunset 3:51 pm for a total day length of 5 hours and 49 minutes. Tomorrow will be 17 seconds longer.

After a few flakes of snow yesterday, the temperature rose to 33ยบ and any hope of white vanished in the light winter rain. The forecast covers the gamut from snow showers, rain, mostly cloudy, partly sunny, back to snow.

This noon I enjoyed watching a very determined GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL dive for a salmon carcass at the Lagoon. The glimmering white carcass lay on the bottom, much too deep to easily reach from the surface. So the gull took a flying leap to plunge down and grab whatever it could. Bits floated away, snapped up by a very interested MALLARD hen.

The reflections of the gull’s outstretched wings on the green water were stunning. Soon, the tide rose too high and the gull retreated to the shore to preen and digest the meager meal. An immature GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL and its reflection splash-landed on the same dining spot, but was not able to eat, and left. I also departed, inspired by these common and ordinary gulls that illuminated an otherwise very gray day.

Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter








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