My rounds on Sunday morning revealed that a majority of the nests now have chicks.

Clipper Nest #2

Three older chicks spotted right after feeding time.

Early July and many nests now have chicks. Walking my route through the early morning city, it’s difficult to comprehend these small lives coming into existence amidst the concrete void.

Pyramid Nest

Two chicks at Pyramid Nest, with a parent keeping watch nearby.

Despite being in my fourth year of nest surveying, the rapid events of late June never fail to take me by surprise. On this survey I spotted many chicks, as well as a new nest. Here we go…

Cambie Nest

By the time I arrived at Cambie Nest the day was heating up significantly. The two chicks we spotted last week – now around 8-10 days old – were hanging back in the shade, making it difficult to get good photographs.

Cambie Nest Chicks

I arrived at the Cambie Nest just as the parents were switching out their duties – and I spotted some tiny chicks, no more than a few days old. Worried that the adult would immediately start brooding, I unpacked my camera as quickly as I could. There’s still one unhatched egg – the egg in the background is broken, almost certainly the remains of the egg one of these two chicks emerged from.

Fortunately, the newly arrived gull stayed off the nest and tried to feed the chicks…