July 22, 2019. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Gulls.

Last evening at about 6:30 I sat on the deck all by myself. The air was warm but the breeze was cool so a perfect time to sit on the deck. As I was enjoying watching the sea I spotted a raft of birds just bobbing up and down as the waves came to the shore. There were at least 40 or more birds. At first I thought they were Eider ducks because I could see white. I finally decided they were Gulls, probably Lesser Black Backed Gulls. But I needed Alice Anne to identify them. I was happy to see theI like gulls. We live on the shore of Gull Bay. When we moved here in 1999 there were thousands of gulls on the cobble beach. Every evening, we got to see the fly by. 20 or more at a time of gulls would fly along the shore. After a few minutes another group would fly by. I liked watching them. After a few years we began to see the arrival of Cormorant who were much more aggressing than gulls. 20% of birds were cormorants and the rest different types of gulls. After a few years it was 50/50. Soon it was 20% gulls. Several years ago, we began to spot a pair of bald eagles, which were beautiful. This was the first time in many years that a bald eagle had been spotted at Western Head. The eagles nested at the end of Lake Victoria. Bald Eafles are huge. The gulls or cormorants were no match. The eagles ate the eggs and the chicks. One day Mary spotted a bald eagle carrying a full grown gull. Gill reported that another pair of bald eagles had nested and raised young in the top of a big tree next to her home. Just this evening an eagle flew along the shore in front of my house. It was a beautiful sight. Most gulls and cormorants have gone. While driving into town we see many gulls at Scotts Bay. But we see few at Gull Bay. The bald eagles have driven them away. I suspect the gulls I saw last evening were getting together to begin the journey south. I hope they leave soon.