Common Sea Birds

Gulls are the most common sea birds found along the shores of Long Island Sound.  While it is clear even to the untrained eye that there are many varieties, I have to admit to having never taken the time to learn to discriminate one from another.  They are so ubiquitous that we rarely consider them at all.  When we do, we simply think of them as the crows of the sea, responsible for disposing of any once animate debris which washes ashore.

 

The next most numerous sea birds along the north central shore of Long Island are various kinds of ducks.  The most easily identified of these are the mallards.   In the spring they travel in pairs with the spectacularly colored males contrasting sharply with the subdued colored females.

 

Finally, at least at this time of year, there are a large number of loons.   They seem to be more solitary than most sea birds but on early quiet mornings, you frequently hear their ululating cries echoing across the water as they call to each other.  I believe that the variety we see here so often is, without wanting to insult them, the common loon.

 

The second of these pictures shows a loon which is significantly less colorful around the head and throat.  This I believe to be an indicator of its lack of maturity.  All pictures were taken by a Canon EOS 7D camera with an EF 70-300 mm 4-5.6 L IS lens.