One of my favorite things about birding Jones Beach is how even if there aren’t rare birds around there is still plenty to see. Even when the beach is crowded with swimmers there are still gulls and terns and plovers living their lives, and because they are relatively used to people one can often observe them up close and personal. Such was the case with these adult and juvenile Great Black-backed Gulls.
A big dead fish is apparently a prize worth fighting over. The adult had possession and the juvenile moved in, trying to get a bite. I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story, though there are roll-over captions.
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
Great action shots!-It’s always nice when you don’t have to rely on rare birds to enjoy a day of birding.