Baby Gull 2.0

In 2020, around this time, I noticed that a pair of seagulls had made a nest in our apartment complex and were spending time in the communal pool. And they had a baby — who hung out around the small fountain in front of our building. I shared this story with the readers — those were scary days of the pandemic lockdown. 

Well, the seagulls have returned and have a new baby gull — who, instead of hanging out around the fountain, is making itself cozy in and around the communal pool. You can hear its screeches when parents return with food. You start to notice that parents make noises and body movements to control the behavior of the baby gull. 

Since seagulls mate for life, it is likely the same pair that made their first appearance in 2020. Seagulls return to the same place to nest if left undisturbed and feel relatively safe. Given that no one bothered them during the 2020 lockdown, it doesn’t surprise me to see them return to their nest in our complex. 

The decline in seafood sources has pushed gulls (and other animals) to more urban areas for nesting. They are omnivores and eat everything, including human refuse. My apartment is pretty close to the baseball stadium, and it is not unusual to see hundreds of birds descend upon it after the game. 

The new baby gull is a reminder of the passage of time. Three years into the future, the world is open. There is more ambient noise. A new variant of the coronavirus is doing the rounds. August is slowly inching its way to September. 

As Taylor Swift says: 

"August slipped away into a moment in time, 'cause it was never mine."  

August 14, 2023. San Francisco