In Vancouver the start of summer marks the beginning of nesting season for our resident Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens). While many nest in colonies on rocky islands and beaches, some have taken to nesting on rooftops around the city.
I recently revisited four locations where I spotted nests last year while helping out with a census of gull nests in the city.
As the photo below highlights that these gulls are fairly indiscriminate in their nest-building, using moss, sticks, pine-cones, and whatever else they can gather.
Some kind soul placed a container of water near this nest for the parents and future chicks. You may be surprised to learn, fresh water is not a concern for most gulls as they possess a salt gland that allows them to drink salt water.
This is one of the nests I’m most excited about, as its exposed and easily photographed. I got some great photos of the chicks from this nest last year.
And this gull is nesting in the same building as the gull in the previous photo, but with much more space. These gulls had three chicks last year, and I think they all fledged.
I’m planning to revisit these nests for the rest of the summer so expect a lot more posts tracking the progress of their chicks.
I’ll spare you my arguments about why you should care about gulls and why they’re fascinating birds to watch and study. That’s another post.