Ring-billed Gull

One of the thing I learned on my trip around the state of Michigan is that not all seagulls are "sea" gulls. We saw quite a few gulls along the shores of the Great Lakes. This one was photographed on the shore of Lake Huron in Mackinaw City.

This is a Ring-billed gull. The website from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says that this bird is often found at inland lakes. His actual range covers the entire United States, migrating into Mexico for the winter and into Canada for the summer. 

According to the website, "Ring-billed Gulls often congregate around humans, at garbage dumps, parking lots, and freshly plowed fields. While the species is common on coastal beaches, particularly during winter, many Ring-billed Gulls lead inland lives, never setting eyes on the sea." Some birds will never know what they are missing!

It was very strange to walk along the shore, hear the waves crash onto the sand, and see the seagulls soar overhead, but not be able to smell the sea or feel the salty air. There was no scent at all. The Great Lakes are so large that they look like the ocean, but you know in an instant, they are not. 

I also missed the shells. There were plenty of beautiful rocks, but no shells.