Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) in flight viewed from the deck of the MV Explorer on the North Sea. Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. Several of the Great Black-backed Gulls followed the ship hunting for a meal using the ships thermal wake as it crossed the North Sea. More images of Great Black-backed Gulls are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
A pair of American Wigeons (Mareca americana) observed near a pond along the Auto Loop in the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado. The Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is among the highest wildlife refuges in the continental United States situated at an elevation between 8,100 to 8,700 feet and sitting in an interglacial plain between two mountain ranges. It encompasses diverse habitats, including sagebrush steppe uplands, grassland meadows, willow riparian zones, and wetlands. This 23,464-acre refuge was established in 1967, primarily to provide suitable nesting and rearing habitats for migratory.
Gadwall (Mareca strepera) observed leaving a pond along the Auto Loop in the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado. Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge was a 2+ hour drive from Boulder, Colorado. I would visit the refuge several times on weekends while I was working part time in Boulder. The Auto Loop provides many opportunities for viewing wildlife in central Colorado. Additional images of Gadwall are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) with a mouth full of something fluffy for a nest, or food for a hatchling? Morning walkabout at the nearby Sourland Mountain Preserve. This was a new bird for me.
European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus). Observed while on a Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage field trip in Balloch, Scotland. Image reprocessed using Topaz AI (super focus). More images of European Herring Gulls are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
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