Ring Billed Gulls at Christie Lake

 Back on October 16, I visited Christie Lake Conservation Area. The fall colours were in full vibrancy, reflecting off of the lake with beautiful orange, red and yellow hues. While there was little wildlife to be seen that evening, when I first arrived at the lake, I found it to be a resting spot for tens of ring billed gulls. With the fall toned trees in the background, I knew that it’d make an exciting backdrop for the birds. I had to squat down in order to be level with gulls, some of which were swimming away further out in the lake as I got my gear out while others continued to walk around. Crouched down to their height, I felt as though I was a part of their colony.


Usually when I see gulls I’m at a crowded beach in the summertime, where they are soaring low trying to scavenge for food. This setting, however, was very different. There was little wind that night, the sun was setting, and there was nobody else on the beach. Such peaceful nature allowed me to breathe and spend time photographing different gulls going about their everyday actions. From this, I gained a greater respect for the species of bird, as I was able to focus on their patterns, textures, expressions and features that I otherwise do not normally engage in. I believe that this says a lot about the importance of setting and atmosphere when taking photos and appreciating wildlife. Since the beach was free of disruption, the gulls were calm and collected, engaged in natural, human-interruption-free behaviour. When I arrived, some swimming away was most likely a sign of my presence startling their peace. But because I was the only body there, it was easy for them to adapt to my observation which created an environment free of tension or chaos - as beaches typically are. Henceforth, it is the stillness of the atmosphere that perpetuated my respect and appreciation for a species of birds I would usually be uninterested in. The photos I took aim to capture this peaceful atmosphere as if the camera was naturally placed amongst them. 








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