Ross's Gull

[Rich Steel]

Hi

Ross's Gull are very rare vagrant visitors to the UK, as their normal home is up in the Arctic. An adult bird was report on a beach about an hour's drive north of where I live so thought it worth a visit. I only occasionally go after a rare bird as I am not one for the crowds which usually result when one turns up. Sure enough the bird was easy to locate by the group of around 30 people on the beach with spotting scopes and cameras on tripods.

One of the nicest looking gulls I have seen. This bird had not developed the thin black neck ring but was taking on the pink flush on the breast feathers.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/squidfish_2006/rossgull2.jpg

Taken with 1Dmk3 and 500mm lens (hand held whilst laying in some mud!!) at ISO125 F8 and 1/640s

Cheers

Rich

[Peregrine Craig Nash]

Very Nice Richard. Its a shame it wasnt over here.

[thomasryan]

Wow, I love this shot! Looks too sweet to be a gull. Some great light on this sharp, well exposed bird.
...tom

[Gus Cobos]

Very nice Rich,
Like the image and the background...:D

[John Chardine]

This is marvelous! One of the rarest gulls in a place it shouldn't be and you create a really great image of it. Very nice that you have retained the pinkish breast this species develops in the early breeding season. I really like the way the image captures the shape of the head and the tiny size of the bill. The only down side for me is the head position. It would have been nicer to have the bird looking up a bit more and a little more to its left. I must admit that head angle is a gut feeling with me as I don't know the "rules". I may be wrong about this one here.

[Jeff Nadler]

What the $%^%^^^? This incredible shot and bird deserves far more replies than exists! Super congrats!

[Bonnie Block]

Wow! Very sweet, indeed!

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Love the perspective. You handled the whites really nicely.

[Rich Steel]

Thanks for your replies and comments.

cheers

Rich