Appledore, along with the other Isles of Shoals, is one of the largest breeding colonies of Greater Black Backed and Herring Gulls in the Gulf of Maine.  We were on the island during the period when the chicks were hatching.  On the one hand, this was wonderful because we could observe nesting and foraging behavior and get great close-ups of the chicks.  On the other hand, this was a bit of a challenge since the gulls are extremely protective of their nests and chicks...

This black backed nest was moved by the human residents of the island	Herring gull on its nest	Black backed gull chicks	Herring gull nest with eggs and chick
Herring gull nest right next to the dock	Herring gull family	Carrying a stick encourages irritated gulls to hit the stick rather than your head...	Black backed gulls are the largest in North America
Herring gull chicks	Students vs gulls... walk softly, make no eye contact, and carry a really big stick!	Black backed gull density.  Each gull in this picture has a separate nest.	On a hot summer day, parents make nice sunshades!

This page was last updated on 08/31/2006

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