final smap entry of 2025: kicking off the new year

it's been a good year for photographing birds. some new species and lots of shots of the local birdlife, both in India and in Norway. i choose to close out the year with the birds we see most often in Norway, namely herring gulls. they are often good fun as they aren't shy and are often together in pairs or groups. for this entry i am posting a few shots of two gulls, not mates but companions in the local population around Stavern Harbor.

they often sit on top of the wooden railing of the footbridge over the entrance to the inner harbor

or on top of the various lampposts and the likes. here i was lucky to get this shot that looks like the gull with the spread wings is kicking off from the back of the one sitting on the lamppost. the size difference of the birds clearly indicates that this is merely a case of a coincidental angle. it was not possible to plan this shot, i just happened to be standing in the right spot and by luck, click at exactly the right time

and here's another shot that is impossible to plan. it is actually a cropped version of a larger photo with several birds. getting shots like these is lucky but it's not all pure luck. first of all i take lots of shots and end up deleting most of them. some few are good enough to use as is while others like this above improve greatly with selective cropping.

many people consider these gulls to be more of a nuisance than other birds but taking the time and interest and being able to photograph them helps me appreciate them all the more and keeps me enthusiastic about encountering them.

Happy New Year to all friends of our feathered friends.