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
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.
I waited and watched, and soon enough the chick arose to stretch and wander around the nest. Last year Cambie nest had two chicks, this year there seems to be only one chick present.
A yawn before the chick returned to napping beside the nest.
Culinary Nest
All three chicks at Culinary nest were fast asleep with one of their parents resting nearby.
Restaurant Nest
No sign of chicks yet at Restaurant nest.
Grassy Nest
Absolutely lovely to see the pair at Grassy nest have three chicks again this year. Look at the little one on the right already trying to flap!
Another view of the three – note the egg that was knocked out of the nest onto the ledge.
I spent a fair amount of time watching these little buddies.
Chimney Nest
There seems to be no chicks at Chimney nest yet. Certainly we’ll see some at the next visit.
Engineer Nest
Another nest that I could tell had chicks – the adult was not on the nest, but resting nearby on top of an HVAC unit. Looking closely at the original nest location, I spotted two chicks resting together.
Design Nest
Design nest has two chicks that look to me like they probably hatched within the last day or two. Note the egg remaining in the nest. Chances are it will be hatching shortly… we’ll see if there are three chicks on the next visit.
I’m looking forward to when these chicks start moving around the rooftop as they’re challenging to photograph in their current location.
Crossfit Nest
Every time I check up on a nest and see it empty, I can’t help but get worried. But, there was an adult hanging out on a nearby ledge, which made me suspect the chicks were around somewhere. Checking out the rooftop from a few angles (like most nests, I’m quite limited in the vantage points) I finally spied the chicks nestled on the left side of the chimney structure. I count two chicks, which matches last year’s count.
Brewery Nest
No sign of chicks at this nest yet, although it’s possible they’re very young and still being brooded. The adult didn’t leave the nest during my observation, so I couldn’t tell.
Umbrella Nest
Still on the nest, no sign of chicks yet. It’s going to be hard to document this nest accurately since the view is so obstructed.
Fountain Nest
I saw two adult birds active on this small rooftop, and so immediately guessed there must be chicks around – and indeed there are. They’re not easy to spot, but look closely at the bottom right of the green vegetation, near the centre of the photo, and you can see two or perhaps three chicks.
Clipper Nests
While writing this and checking last year’s data, I noticed I mixed up the numbering on these nests. So what I’ve been calling Clipper Nest #1 is actually Clipper Nest #2, and vice versa. I’m reverting back to that numbering for consistency with my previous data.
Clipper Nest #2
There’s at least one chick at Clipper Nest #2. Given the nest in tucked away in a hidden corner, it’s possible there are more. Last year both this nest and Clipper Nest #1 each had three chicks.
Clipper Nest #1
The original nest location was empty but I quickly spotted the adult near the cinder blocks they seemed to call home last year. You can see at least one chick hiding under the right wing, and chances are there are one or two more tucked away.
Hornby Nest (New)
Here’s a new nest location I spotted on the rooftop of a building at the foot of Hornby Street. The first photo is taken from the Burrard Street Bridge and the second from the Granville Street Bridge. I think the gull in the background of the second photo is the other parent keeping watch from a distance.
Beach Ave Nest
On this visit I found one of the adults resting on the opposite edge of the balcony from the original nest location. I’m willing to bet the chicks have hatched and the adult had them tucked under it’s wings in this new location.
Silver Sea Nest (Unconfirmed)
Look closely at the centre of the photograph and you’ll just see the head of an adult gull that’s apparently brooding on a nest site. A pair of birds nested on this building last year, although their nest was on a lower part of the building – the same area where I spotted the Pelagic Cormorants gathering nesting materials last visit.
West Third Nest (Unconfirmed)
Once again I found an adult gull resting on the ledge of the West Third Nest. I’ve labelled this nest as unconfirmed, which I’m going to do for all the locations I think there might be a nest but can’t definitively verify yet… and then we’ll see how accurate my hunches are if and when I spot fledglings.
Other Nest updates
Burrard Nests #1, #2, & #3
Nests #1 and #2 both had a bird brooding on the nest. Nest #3 was unoccupied with an adult standing close-by, suggesting the chicks have hatched, although I was unable to visually confirm any.
Pyramid Nest
An adult bird on the nest, no sign of chicks.
Brigade Nest
Despite the distance, I am still certain I see an adult still on the nest.
… and a few unconfirmed nests
Apartment Nest (Unconfirmed)
A nest from last year – no sign of chicks, but I saw an adult bird resting on a ledge that made me suspect this nest is active again.
University Nest (Unconfirmed)
While walking on the Granville Street Bridge on-ramp, I saw an adult bird with a beak-full of nesting material landing on the roof of one of the University Canada West buildings. Due to construction taking place at the foot of the Granville Street Bridge, I was unable to find a location where I could get a clear view of the possible nest location.
Icon Nest (Unconfirmed)
This potential nest is on a building near the Silver Sea nest. While it’s much too high for me to view the rooftop, I saw a pair of gulls behaving as though there was a nest there.
Pine Nest (Unconfirmed)
Located close to my workplace, I’ve seen a pair of gulls present here for weeks now. Their behaviour makes me think there’s a nest here. Again, there is no vantage point where I can see the rooftop, so we’ll have to wait until the chicks are large enough to spot.
Banded Gull
Finally, here’s a young banded gull I saw on Burrard Street Bridge. I am always on the lookout for these gulls that were banded by the Salish Sea Gull Project. If you spot a colour-banded gull, please try and report it on this website.
There isn’t a lot of information on the Salish Sea Gull Project online, but here is a PDF of their 2023 Field Report.
Until next time.