Story Behind the Photo: Laughing Gull
Laughing Gulls are very common throughout Florida, and do have quite a distinctive “laugh” in their call. The Tampa Bay area is home to some of the largest nesting colonies of laughing gulls in the state with the more remote islands along the shore hosting thousands of birds. In the summer, the mature adults are very easily recognizable by their all black head, white underside and slate gray back and wings. During the winter, however, it becomes a little more tricky as their head plumage loses the black “hood” of the summer. This photo was taken a few years ago after a great shelling trip to Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin, FL. It was close to sunset and on the twenty minute boat trip back to the marina, a flock of gulls followed for a little while, hoping that someone would throw them a snack.
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