Early morning and the streets are still empty; it’s Canada Day and most people are off work. Trudging around the city with my binoculars and camera is not an enjoyable experience. Concrete, car exhaust, and the soulless architecture of Vancouver leave me depressed. Being able to witness and share the lives of these birds – the next generation of fry-stealing gulls – is what gets me out despite it all.
A majority of the nests now have chicks, so let’s get a start.
Cambie Nest chick
All three chicks were out at Cambie Nest. One of the chicks was already testing their wings, hopping and flapping.
Cambie Nest
An overview of the nest, with the three chicks watched over by a parent.
Cambie Nest chicks
A closer photo of the chicks.
Grassy & Chimney Nests
Here you can see Grassy Nest in the background, with Chimney Nest up front. The variation of net site sizes is remarkable.
Grassy Nest chicks and adults
The three chicks and their parents.
Grassy Nest chicks
I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s astonishing that every season the chicks seem to congregate in the same places. Is it an innate knowledge of the safest, most sheltered location? Do the parents shepherd them there?
Engineer Nest chicks
What looks like three chicks hidden down in a corner at Engineer Nest.
Culinary Nest chicks
The two chicks from Culinary Nest hiding out on the opposite side of the balcony.
Corner Nest
I was relieved to see the two chicks still present at Corner Nest. The unhatched egg is still there.
Umbrella Nest
Hard to see, but there’s possibly three chicks at Umbrella Nest.
Crossfit Nest
I only saw one chick at this nest last week, but here we can see there are three young ones.
Clipper Nest #2
The adult is off the nest, which is a good indication the chicks have hatched. Is that the back of a chicks’ head peeking above the wall?
Clipper Nest #1
Looks like two chicks at Clipper Nest #1.
Pelagic Cormorant
This lone Pelagic Cormorant was on a rooftop where I’ve seen them collecting nesting material in previous years.
That’s all for this update. The next survey should see even more chicks.
Until next time…