BIRD IN FLIGHT ONLY -- share your BIF photos here

It's interesting that his wings almost touch water at the take-off moment. I wish our planes could be that flexible.
His wings actually seem to really touch the water... The way they take-off however appears so awkward that I do appreciate the relative grace of our planes taking off ;) I'd feel quite a bit less comfortable if a plane I was in would dip its wings in the water :eek:
Nice picture btw. :cool:
W.
 
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Laughing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla)
by Paolo Dolina, on Flickr

If one has ever heard a group of Laughing Gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla) calling, the English Name of this species is no surprise. They do indeed have a cackling laugh-like call. During the breeding season this is a black hooded gull with white crescents above and below the eyes; above it is mid-grey and white below including the tail. The primaries lack any white mirrors, and only show small white tips, so the wing pattern is a rather simple one for a gull. What is distinctive is the very long and drawn-out look of this species. The bill is long, and even looks to droop; the head, neck and body are also long. But what stands out are the very long legs, often looking like they stand on stilts, and the very long wings. In flight the long and skinny wings are distinctive. It is closely related to the Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) and shares many similarities in plumage with that species, although it may in fact be much more closely related to the largely dark Grey Gull (Leucophaeus modestus) and Lava Gull (Leucophaeus fuliginosus). Laughing Gulls are found in coastal regions with warmer water from Mexico to Peru on the Pacific, and the N United States to N Brazil on the Atlantic coasts. They are migratory but these migrations are complex. For example, they are found throughout the year on the United States Atlantic Coast, although northernmost ones retreat, while in the Lesser Antilles they are only present during the summer, the breeding season.

Source: https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/laugul/overview

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/aw5fUow7rrp
 
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ISO64

CR Pro
Jul 2, 2015
168
593
Common buzzard - buse variable (fr). Taking away a dinner. Anyone here who could help me identify the snake (?) by its pattern? Please zoom in. As you can see, the bird did the quick and safe job by removing the head of it. Photo shot in Ile de France area, heavily cropped and sharpened. Guessing the buzzard was flying at about 60 m overhead
Canon 7DMk2, 400/5.6L+1.4 ext, 1/800 s, f/8, ISO800 +1 1/3
ISO64 183887
 
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