My favorite nest site on the island; in a fish tote that washed up above the beach. Looks super cozy. |
Mama came right back to sit on her eggs once we moved on. |
Gulls can get downright dangerous if you venture too close to their nests. They mob us, swoop down on us, rake us on the head, scream in your ear, and poop with surprising accuracy. To protect ourselves, we move quickly, wear hats, hold up sticks above our heads (they go after the highest point of the intruder), and construct Gull Protection Devices. It all makes going for a walk downright unpleasant, and trying to do any research on the beach seriously difficult.
Two eggs hatching. The upper left one has a hole but it's hard to see. |
What a herculean effort it must be to break free from the shell. |
This chick was freshly hatched -- still wet. Welcome to the world, little gull! |
You really have to watch where you step. Babies can be hiding anywhere. |
A black back gull trying to take my head off. This is without magnification; he was dive bombing me! Sorry it's not in focus; I feared for my life when this was taken. |
A student wearing a Gull Protection Device. |
Damon's head; a victim of a gull attack during a run. Just another day at a seabird colony! |
The only kind of gull I trust. But he does look a little suspicious . . . . |
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