Hi Tweets,

I've been watching our local Glaucous-winged Gulls Larus glaucescens and
confirming what seemed initially counter-intuitive: though one of the first
species to appropriate and pronounce nesting territory on downtown rooftops,
they are perhaps the last species to fledge young in our local bird community.

Even though on the lookout throughout the summer, I'd noticed earlier that
GW juvs don't seem to appear in Vancouver BC until summer's last gasp, often
at very least a month or more after the appearance of juv California Gulls
L. californicus and Ring-billed Gulls L. delawarensis, and had thought for
years that the apparent late fledging was merely an artifact of my
sometimes-questionable observational skills. Nope. They really *don't*
fledge young until mid-to late August. The first fledged, begging young
accompanying adults have been appearing only since Week 4 August. Kind of
crazy, since they become territorial on rooftops in downtown Vancouver in
April, and the downtown area literally resounds with their proprietary
trumpeting throughout mid-Spring.

I've been chewing on the possible advantages to the young of such a late
fledging, but none are convincing, and I've come up dry on why their
fledging chronology should be so delayed relative to all other gulls and
other species. Any ideas?

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)