The gulls are back….

Published on by Liz

Early April, but you wouldn’t know it from the temperatures and weather we are having here in Edinburgh. It’s more like early January on both counts.

Nature is unpredictable. She keeps us on our toes. This is our view on a sunny day:

This is how it looked this morning (it’s snowing now as I type!).

 

I am in no way complaining. I find these changes endlessly fascinating.

And I am also captivated by those events which remain regular and routine. Nature is the ultimate paradox – plus ça change plus c’est la même chose.

Take ‘our’ gulls, for example. Every year, these greater black-backed gulls* return to the roofs of the houses opposite us.

Our regular neighbours (with apologies for the terrible photo)

 

With spring comes, of course, mating. They seem to enjoy many weeks becoming reacquainted before getting on with the business of creating life. This involves spending a lot of time together on the right-hand roof, before they build a nest which, appropriately enough, nestles among the chimney pots of the roof on the left.

Right roof = courting; left roof = nesting!!

It has become such a pleasure, over the five years we have lived here, to get to know their routine. Waking up to their soft cawing and cackling as an added dimension to the dawn chorus. Watching their courtship, home-making and in due course incubating. And most excitingly of all, watching the chick-rearing. That comes later. But it will come – of that we can be certain.

 

*of course, we have no way of knowing whether they are the same gulls. But I like to think they are… 🙂

 

 

23 thoughts on “The gulls are back….”

  2. It seems like spring is reluctant to come no matter where we live in the world. Of course, your city is so beautiful, it can be forgiven for its rough start to April. Edinburgh remains one of my favorite cities. Was there for two days and would love to go back.

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  3. It is so lovely to observe the gulls, great to see them coming back (home). I would think they are the same. Well here in Germany it was 20 degrees yesterday. What a jump from the nights 0. The sun is very strong and so p!easant. I think Spring has come here. It will come over the channel too. 😊

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  4. It’s lovely to know that there are other gull watchers out there. Down here they are still at the standing on the roof staking their claims stage, and jackdaws are coming in the garden every day to see if we have put out any more of Briar’s hair.

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  8. I too am endlessly fascinated by the ways in which nature stays the same and changes. What a lovely view you have to look out on! In times where I have lived along coastlines, I’ve enjoyed the somewhat melancholic cry of seagulls waking me up.

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    1. I give daily thanks for our lovely view. No two days are the same and it is a wonderful part of our lives. I have read plenty of complaints from people about feeling bothered by the gulls, so it is lovely to be in touch with fellow fans! 🙂

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  11. Pingback: Nature is Home: the joys and pleasures of birdwatching – LEAPING LIFE

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