Yesterday I went out for the first gull nest survey of the season. This is the earliest I’ve started; I usually don’t venture out until the second or third week of June. Many of the regulars are brooding already, with a few nests unaccounted for as of yet.

The air was still crisp as I started and the distant calls of White-crowned Sparrows competed with the roar of passing buses. It was the first time I’ve brought my camera out with me for months, and I quite enjoyed it. Being able to share these images, even in our utterly saturated visual world, brings me some modicum of meaning.

Let’s get started with the nests.

Cambie Nest

The pair at Cambie Nest are always some of the earliest nesters and among the first pairs to have chicks.

Culinary Nest

Check out this bullshit. Someone has installed a wire deterrent right by the nesting location. It hasn’t dissuaded the gulls from nesting here (which they’ve been doing for years now), but appears to be making it much less comfortable. I contacted Environment and Climate Change Canada, as nesting Glaucous-winged Gulls are protected by the Migratory Bird Regulations of Canada. So far I’ve not heard back.

Corner Nest (new)

Here’s a new nest I discovered a week ago, tucked into a small balcony on the opposite side of the building Culinary Nest is located on. Something these photographs don’t catch is the noise. Not only is this nest about 30 feet away from a busy bridge, but there’s loud, droning machinery on the rooftop above them: the aural garbage of our city.

Pyramid Nest

I found a gull brooding at this nest. As I was watching, it seemed to get stressed and came off the nest. I quickly took a few photos to verify the colour-bands and promptly left.

Pyramid Nest - Banded Gull

This is at least the third year this gull nests here: 2025, 2024.

Clipper Nest #1

Both Clipper nests were occupied, in the same locations as always.

Clipper Nest #2

One of the first nests I saw on this survey, and this photo is a reminder I need to relearn how to photograph these birds. The brilliant white of their feathers easily overwhelms a camera.

Crossfit Nest

Another faithful nest.

Hornby Nest

Hornby Nest is always challenging to photograph clearly, but clearly there’s a nest and an adult bird present.

Grassy Nest

One of the most photogenic nests in the survey. We’ve got an adult brooding and trying to keep cool.

Engineer Nest

Right before I took this photo the adult birds switched turns brooding.

Chimney Nest

I was more caught up with the bird sleeping on top of the chimney, but if you look at the nest on the left between the chimneys, you can just see a bird brooding on it.

Rainbow Nest

Both Rainbow Nest and Fountain Nest below have brooding birds already as well.

Fountain Nest

Another nest that’s difficult to photograph, but we can see we’ve got a bird brooding on a nest here too.

Sake Nest

A nest I only discovered last year. Sake Nest is active again this season, and I suspect it’s been going on for many years before I found it. Look how large that nest pile is compared to other nests.

Continental Nest

Two gulls, one almost certainly brooding, on this nest I think I only found last year.

Map

I will be creating a new map for this year, but I have forgotten nearly everything I taught myself about QGIS! Give me a week or two.

Until next time…

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