Ivory Gull

[Axel Hildebrandt]

This is another image of the Ivory Gull I photographed on Cape Cod. Today I read that an Ivory Gull has been seen in Georgia, which makes me wonder if it is the same bird. And I thought Massachusetts was out of range.

http://www.pbase.com/axelhi/image/121422995/original.jpg

1D4, 500f/4, 1.4x, 1/1600s, f/8, ISO 400, manual

[Marina Scarr]

Your exposure is so on the money that your whites are just shining! The blue BG really shows off the bird and the HA is a huge plus.

[Todd Frost]

You are doing well with this bird. Exposure and detail look good. Beautiful bg to shaoe this bird off. TFS
Todd

[Grace Scalzo]

All right, Axel. You've outdone yourself with this one. What Marina said, plus a top side and and an underside of the wings with no shadows. These whites look like satin they are so good. Beautiful blue with the breaking surf at the bottom.....it gets no better than this.

[Martin Wallis]

Dito all, technically perfect, as above love exp, HA, BG & wing position.

[Steve Maxson]

Perfect flight pose and a good flight angle. Sharp, well exposed, and the bird stands out nicely from the blue background.

[Fabs Forns]

Cool Super, I love the sheen on the underwings, great IQ!

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

So white it makes me almost want to put my sunglasses of man! Lovely pose and perfect exposure. Love the sea as BG. :) So you are heading to Georgia now Mr Twitch?

[Ed Schneider]

Axel-

I saw and photographed the GA bird today (700 mile round trip). Looks like a different bird to me, though both adults. Incredible experience, though I didn't have quite the luck you did;)

I'll post one tomorrow, SOOOOOO tired now. Wonderful image here, and wonderful bird:)

Ed

[Axel Hildebrandt]

So white it makes me almost want to put my sunglasses of man! Lovely pose and perfect exposure. Love the sea as BG. :) So you are heading to Georgia now Mr Twitch?

Thanks, Ákos! No, I might have gone if the bird would have stayed here, though. :)

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Axel-

I saw and photographed the GA bird today (700 mile round trip). Looks like a different bird to me, though both adults. Incredible experience, though I didn't have quite the luck you did;)

I'll post one tomorrow, SOOOOOO tired now. Wonderful image here, and wonderful bird:)

Ed

Ed,

I'm glad you got to see this species, I'm not sure there have been sightings this far south before. I look forward to an image of this bird. Maybe the coloration of the bill could show if it is the same bird or not.

[Krijn Trimbos]

What I find really great about this shot is the absense of shadows on the birds wings which normally happens unless the perfect light angle/sun angle are chosen. Nicely done here! Exposure looks good as well as HA! Love the wing position. If anything I would clone out the strip of surf at the bottom. Otherwise a fine shot!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

All right, Axel. You've outdone yourself with this one. What Marina said, plus a top side and and an underside of the wings with no shadows. These whites look like satin they are so good. Beautiful blue with the breaking surf at the bottom.....it gets no better than this.

Thanks, Grace and Krijn! There was a little bit of shadow on the far wing which I lightened.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

What I find really great about this shot is the absense of shadows on the birds wings which normally happens unless the perfect light angle/sun angle are chosen. Nicely done here! Exposure looks good as well as HA! Love the wing position. If anything I would clone out the strip of surf at the bottom. Otherwise a fine shot!

Thanks, Krijn! I was wondering about the surf but left it in because it shows that the bird was flying along the shore.

[Myer Bornstein]

Ed,

I'm glad you got to see this species, I'm not sure there have been sightings this far south before. I look forward to an image of this bird. Maybe the coloration of the bill could show if it is the same bird or not.

This is the furthest south that an Ivory Gull has been Reported
Fromthe Mass birding list "The record of Ivory Gull from Southern California in 96, which at the time
was billed as the most southerly record ever, is north of the Georgia record. If that record had not already fallen, it has now. The Georgia bird is at the same latitude as Tripoli, on the northern edge of the Sahara."

[Bill Dix]

Axel - absolutely stunning! This surpasses the others IMHO. It's all been said - wing position, HA, detail, eye contact, color, surf; and a gorgeous bird. Love it.

[Ed Schneider]

Axel-

Yes, TN has one State record, I believe from 1996 in West TN, probably Shelby Co. or surrounding. I wasn't sure latitudinally about the the CA record, thank you Myer Borstein for the info.... amazing, yet worrysome. Attached is the GA bird, which I'm quite confident is the same as in your stunning image, Axel!!! I unfortunately had to shoot from a Dam at a 45 degree angle, but for a bird this rare I'm hardly complaining:D

Ed

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great light and a very good-looking specimen. I'm not sure that it is the same bird, the lower mandible looks more yellow than the Cap Cod bird if I'm not mistaken.

[Ed Schneider]

Thanks Axel, you may be right. I just talked with Scott Sommershoe, TN State Ornithologist and friend (we drove down to see the bird together), and he says that with such a bird (no field marks) it's impossible to be sure it's the same individual. Exciting stuff!!!!

Ed

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Thanks Axel, you may be right. I just talked with Scott Sommershoe, TN State Ornithologist and friend (we drove down to see the bird together), and he says that with such a bird (no field marks) it's impossible to be sure it's the same individual. Exciting stuff!!!!

Ed

If someone has a closeup of the bird in GA, they could compare it with the portrait I made: http://www.pbase.com/axelhi/image/121291267/original.jpg

If it is true that the GA bird has been around for two weeks, it can't be the same bird, though.

[Ofer Levy]

Awesome shot Axel!! Great techs and pose with lovely BG - very well done!

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

Cool looking bird. Love the white and blue that predominant the picture. Love the wing position. A fine image and species for sure, TFS.

[Stu Bowie]

Good placement of the bird in the frame, and I like the angle too. Exposure couldnt have been better, and just love the wing detail. Well captured.

[Mark Dumbleton]

Love the image Axel. Great Exposure, comp, and love the white against the blue.

[Myer Bornstein]

The Mass/RI Ivory Gull was sighted again yesterday in Middletown RI So the Georgia Gull is a separate bird

[Axel Hildebrandt]

The Mass/RI Ivory Gull was sighted again yesterday in Middletown RI So the Georgia Gull is a separate bird

I just read that, too. Sounds like good news to me, maybe there will be another chance to photograph it.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Axel, enoyed all your ivory gull photos...but this one is my favorite of the lot. like how the whole bird is sharp and entire BG is blurred. Nice head angle to go with beautiful wing position. exposure spot on as usual.

[Kris Mortensen]

Such a gorgeous bird. I was greatly saddened to read that the GA bird might have been injured by a predator recently and was taken to a hospital where it died from it's injuries. Be grateful you were able to see one, they are beautiful!