Franklin's gull catching insects on the wing.

When most of us think of gulls, we have a mental image of them on a body of water or beach, possibly even a score of them at an active landfill site going after scraps.  We don't normally associate them with precision flying, intense aerial acrobatics, and catching flying insects during their maneuvers.  Yet, this is exactly what Franklin'g gulls do on warm summer days.

I have to admit to being surprised to come across such a situation a couple of days ago.  At first, I thought the aerobatic display could only be accomplished by the bird's cousin, a tern.  Its narrow silhouette and stunning mastery of the air were reminiscent of such a bird.  After photographing it I later found that it was in fact a Franklin's gull and that they do indeed catch flying insects on the wing (see inset).  Suddenly, I had a new understanding of the roll gulls play in the ecosystem.  

Franklin's gulls will take a wide variety of foods, but insects, both aquatic and aeral, and fish form the foundation of their diet.  They will also eat seeds and have been known to take leeches, crayfish, and even earthworms.  Isn't that interesting?

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com