An early morning walk on the beach in Port Aransas, Texas, gave me a view of seagulls interacting with one another as the sun was rising. That is a rare event for me since I’m not a morning person. However, when traveling, I sometimes force myself to capture a sunrise.
A large group of seagulls was in this area when I saw one take off and fly away. I stopped and waited, for I knew it was just a matter of time before others would do the same. I like this shot very much because it shows the seagulls in three different stages of flying.
Also, I couldn’t help but think of the words in Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn’s song “Come Fly with Me.”
Once I get you up there
Where the air is rarefied
We’ll just glide
Starry-eyed
Once I get you up there
I’ll be holding you so near
You may hear
Angels cheer, ’cause we’re together
Although we tend to associate seagulls with the ocean, they do appear in other habitats, such as inland lakes, rivers, and even in city landfills. They are opportunistic eaters and will annoy you on any beach you try to chill out. If they see food, they will hover over your area. They are expert scavengers and will even steal food from other birds — and humans! They tend to mate for life and can live up to 30 years.
This last photo was captured as this seagull was approaching landing. The late afternoon sunlight gave it a darker appearance.
I have found four seagull species on the Texas coast: Larus argentatus, Leucophaeus atricilla, Larus delawarensis, and Chroicocephalus philadelphia. When I uploaded a couple of these photos to iNaturalist, it was confirmed these were Laughing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla).
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked these photos, you might also be interested in other posts featuring Bird of the Week, Port Aransas, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
For I.J. Khanewala’s Bird of the Week CIV.
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I. J. Khanewala
Great photos. I don’t know anything about birds in Texas. Could this be a little gull, Hydrocoloeus minutus?
Egidio Leitao
There are four types of seagulls in Texas: Larus argentatus, Leucophaeus atricilla, Larus delawarensis, and Chroicocephalus philadelphia. I don’t know which one I have photographed. I’ll see if iNaturalist can shed a light on that.
Egidio Leitao
I.J., I updated my post with the proper identification of these seagulls. They are Laughing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla).
niasunset
The first one so beautiful with the blue sea.. And wing actions too. Beautiful flight in the dark one, you did great. I noticed that its beak longer( than our seagulls in here…) Thank you, have a nice day, Love, nia
Egidio Leitao
Thank you for these kind words, Nia.
Anne Sandler
Great commentary and photos Egidio! We have wild turkeys here and it’s fun to watch them play and argue. I usually see them when I’m walking my dog and don’t have a camera with me.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Anne. Shore birds are interesting to observe.
margaret21
Stunning photos of birds it’s sometimes hard to like on account of their poor table manners!
Egidio Leitao
I totally agree with you, Margaret. They clearly need better parents to teach them some manners. Thanks for the feedback.
markwayup
amazing photos – love the reflections in the water!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for your kind words, Mark. I appreciate the feedback.