Common birds, even the "dirty" ones that crowd the plazas of urban areas, can be quite beautiful when seen in the right light. Here are some ring-billed gulls - one of the most common species in Washington - that I photographed recently.
Adult and first-winter gulls bask in the late-afternoon sun.
A first-winter gull.
An adult inspects the photographer. In basic (winter) plumage, adult gulls have very finely-streaked heads.
An adult in winter plumage.