Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Wildlife Wednesday - Pacific Gull

 For the next few months, I'll be sharing wildlife from my Western Australian travels.

First up today is a Pacific Gull. These guys are about twice the size of a regular seagull and have such poise and a debonair nature.

We were sitting at Geraldton beach eating fish and chips, and at the end I saved some chips for the seagulls (the regular one who had sat eyeing me off while I ate!). Then along came Mr Pacific Gull. I was excited. I'd only ever seen them in a book and he was so magnificent. So I lured him with a chip, took a few snaps, then fed him.

Mr E is looking dubiously at me. "It's a Pacific Gull," I say, quite breathless and in awe. He scoffs. "It can't be, we're on the Indian Ocean."

And it threw me. Damn it. I thought I knew this bird. I thought I'd seen a bird I've been waiting to see. And now I was wrong. I had some other bird mistaken for the magnificent Pacific Gull. Shattered, we left. And I wanted my Pizzey (a bird book I have right in the lounge room ready to look up whenever I see a new bird) but in a campervan, after flying across the country, you don;t have your bird book (but when we get our own campervan, I'm having a bookshelf for bird, plant and animal ID books!).

When we got home, I opened up Pizzey and to my complete relief, the bird was a Pacific Gull, even if he was wading in the Indian Ocean. Pacific Gulls are found in WA.

2 comments:

  1. Don't you love the curve of their breast? It's just the most magnificent shape in the world I think.
    I'll look forward to all the west aussie wildlife pics Cate.

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    1. Hey Lily,
      Hope your head is better now.

      I love their beak too. It's such an odd shape and colour, yet it must be that way for some reason.

      They're quite magnificent.

      Hope you enjoy the WA critters. Feel free to add stuff when I've no clue :)

      Cate xo

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