Rock Stars

Most of the herring gulls have flown south already. I'm hoping that they didn't get a head start because a really hard winter is on the way. I do wonder about that, though, because last year, they stuck around through the cold months and they are really smart birds. They might just know things.

 

Not long ago, I took a walk along the shoreline and noticed that the seagulls that were still around were standing on rocks out in the bay.

 

I loved the reflections on the water. 

I also learned that the darker gulls are youngsters and the white ones are adults of breeding age. It takes gulls four years to reach adulthood and, during those years, the immature birds slowly lose the mottled brown feathers. First, they lose the speckles, then, they turn from brown to more gray with their heads turning white first and then finally the rest of their plumage becomes white with the classic black and gray wing and tail markings.

This fellow couldn't find a rock that rose above the surface of the water, but seemed happy to have wet feet as it watched the world go by. 

I picked up a couple of other fun seagull facts during my research. These adaptable birds can drink both salt and fresh water. They have a special gland that helps them secrete the excess salt. Another interesting thing is that they have the a very keen sense of smell and can sense food from up to three miles away. I thought that vultures were the only birds able to do that. It just goes to show how little I know! And it's great that there's always something new to learn.