I enjoy beaches off season. Especially those like this one, which welcomes two million people each year – in Northeast Ohio, that means mostly the summer months. On this chilly early winter afternoon, it was mostly mine, shared with just a few gulls.

Located in Mentor and Painesville Township about a 25 minute drive east from downtown Cleveland, Headlands Beach State Park is home to the longest beach in the state and is visited by two million people each year.

It was chilly and windy during my brief stay, much colder than the -1 C temperature might indicate. During a brisk 20-minute stroll, I gained an entirely new and strong respect for American Herring Gulls like the one below, who took in the conditions, seemingly unfazed, as it sat on the shore.

Below is a brief series of another American Herring Gull I briefly followed as it fought the wind, all shot at 1/15sec, f/16, 135mm and ISO 500.

A few more shots below.

Photos from 18 December 2014; originally posted on a previous blog that no longer exists and moved here on 20 December 2020, and last updated on 30 May 2026.