Close encounters of the avian kind

What appears to be a juvenile Brandt’s Cormorant and perhaps a young Laughing Gull meet on the cliffs along the Pacific Ocean. High ISO and large crop.

Specific Feedback Requested

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
ISO 5000, 400+1.4 X, F6 .3, 2000th, handheld, around 25% of full frame

Very nice double, David. You must have had an interesting point of view to get this at eye level. The over and under wing details and spread really hold interest. I would ID the gull as either a first year Western or California Gull. Laughing Gull would be very rare in the Pacific. The young gulls are so very difficult. I like the quiet stare down look by the Brandt and it looks like a well used perch location. Also like how the short tail helps the perch position Given the white whiskered plume and silky black neck and nice iridescence, I think this one might becoming into breeding plumage. I really like the shot.

Yes, the only gull that looked close in Sibley was a Laughing Gull but iBird has a 1st year California Gull that looks closer so I agree with you. I agree that Gulls can be difficult to ID, especially the younger gulls.

Very good, I use Sibley v2 and they show both with a picture very similar to your image

Hello, David, a nice image showing the habitat very nicely. Always nice to have two species in one frame, and I love the overall setting. Greetings, Hans

Very nice image. I love seeing the two different birds. The crop is good, but I wonder how it would look if it was cropped to show more of the rock and the environment. Those cliffs are huge, I’m sure, and I’m amazed that birds can nest and rest on them.

HI David, nice twofer here. Primary focus seems to be on the gull which is fine. They seem to be checking each other out.