Lazy Laughing Gulls at North Beach

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I headed to Fort De Soto in early June. It’s always magical to walk along that beach in the early morning with the cool breeze in my face and the warm sand between my toes. You can take pictures of the beautiful birds and laugh at their antics, like when this Laughing Gull landed on the Brown Pelican. I guess it’s easier to steal a fish from a pelican than catch it yourself…

Laughing Gull Landed on Pelican's Back
Laughing Gull Landed on Pelican’s Back

I walked around Outback Key. As usual, I ran into “Big Red” the Reddish Egret along the ocean’s edge. He posed for a picture and then flew off. This is actually a composite of two images because the bird was too close and he didn’t fit in my frame!

Reddish Egret
Reddish Egret

You already read about my Snowy Plover family in my last post, but I can’t resist including another image of this beautiful bird. They were all over the beach that morning!

Snowy Plover (Adult Female)
Snowy Plover (Adult Female)

The gulls were also all over the beach. A lunch bag left over from Memorial Day kept a big flock of gulls very happy that morning. They flocked in and gave me plenty of flight shot opportunities…

Laughing Gulls
Laughing Gulls

…then a gull would take off with a bit of food, and all the other gulls chased it. Just like with the pelican, it’s easier to steal your food than to find it yourself! Sometimes one of the birds would drop the food in mid-flight, and another gull was always there to grab it!

Laughing Gulls
Laughing Gulls

After a walk around, I settled down in the sand to photograph the nesting birds. See if you can find the subject that captivated my camera for the rest of the morning! You’ll have to wait for another post to read more. :)

Don't Step on Me!  Least Tern Chick on Beach
Don’t Step on Me! Least Tern Chick on Beach

Want to learn more about nature photography at Fort De Soto?

Check out my Fort De Soto page with more information about the location, map, website, photography tips, etc. It is archived by date so you can see my images from previous visits. Maybe you'll be inspired for your own trip!

Planning a trip to Florida? Don't miss my Central Florida Bird Photography Locations reference guide!