Continuing the story of the pair of Lesser Black-backed Gulls that were ground nesting near where I live…
Bozenka writes about her experience with the Gulls – pics and story by Bozenka
What a couple of emotional weeks. When Rog and I moved here 22nd April we were amazed by how many seagulls there were here. Imagine our amazement when one gull laid an egg one morning just below our patio on a public foot path. Next day 2 more eggs followed. Unfortunately, the parents didn’t seem to sit on the nest all the time and the eggs got crushed. A few weeks later the same birds made a beautiful new nest in the same spot. The gull laid 2 eggs and this time sat on them 24/7 changing shifts every so often. The male bird would come to my patio door banging on the window when he wanted food or a pecking fight through the glass with our ” in door” cat Boogie. We became very attached to both birds and Roger even named the male Gregory Peck. About 3 weeks later both eggs hatched l saw the chicks tiny beaks breaking through their egg shells. By 6pm that evening both chicks where gorgeous fluff balls causing their parents havoc moving in nest and calling to be feed! The birds seemed settled for the night when we went to bed 11pm . During that night I heard load noises but was unsure what they were. To our horror next morning both chicks had disappeared apparently taken by a fox during the night. To me it is absolutely tragic that they’d only lived a few hours after hatching. Yes that’s nature but an awful thing to watch. We both feel sorry for the parents after all their hard work we’re hoping they’ll nest in a safer place next time. They are very missed by us both.
Bozenka
