Living In A Bird Nursery
Is keeping us sane
My family has been shielding for a year, and I’ve been using the opportunity to observe the wildlife in my garden.
I worked at home before the pandemic and didn’t expect to see any changes to the usual nesting activities, but this year there has been an explosion of fledglings.
Every year the herring gulls turn our rooftops into a scene from “The Birds,” and they can be ferocious. My daughter’s kitten once made the mistake of chasing a young gull. Not only was the kitten attacked, but every time my daughter left her house, she had to hold a tennis racket over her head for protection.
Last year I got dived bombed by the gulls nesting next door. Making friends by feeding them seemed the answer. Now they bang on my kitchen window, get a few scraps of fish, and after that, I’m safe in my garden. The added bonus, they see off any other gull.
The herring gulls live here all year, and watching the babies grow and finally fly, is a highlight of spring and early summer.
A pair of black backed gulls have nested on the roof opposite and produced two young yesterday. They’re not a breed we usually see here, and they keep to themselves unless another bird gets too close.
