Sunday’s gull nest survey happened to fall on June 30th, which is my birthday – and I was gifted with many new chicks that have hatched since last weekend’s visit. There’s a lot to get through, so I’ll try and keep the writing compact and to the point.
Cambie Nest
Cambie Nest
Until the eggs hatch, there is always a bird brooding on the nest. So, seeing the nest unoccupied and an adult resting nearby I knew that there had to be chicks. While the chick is quite visible in this photo, from my vantage point I could only see an empty nest and I was worried.
While out surveying gull nests I often see Pelagic Cormorants flying up to their nests underneath the Granville and Burrard Street Bridges, many returning with a beak-full of nesting material.
I was curious where they were gathering it from -– with their legs far back on their body and adapted to swimming, they are awkward while on land. You won’t see them waddling around much since it’s a risky endeavour for them.
Last Sunday I spotted a handful of them gathering vegetation from the ‘green’ rooftop of a building on False Creek and spent quite a while watching them.
