Rescuing a Baby Gull

I was walking down Drake toward Café La Strada, in Monterey, a little while ago, and saw two women staring and pointing, so, of course, I stopped and looked. On the Mexican tile roof across the street, a drama was playing out. A baby gull was out of the nest, and being harassed by a Jay. Naturally, I started taking pictures, and the three of us watched with alarm as the fledgling started sliding down the rounded tiles toward the edge, the Jay continuing to dive bomb it. Finally the baby bird slipped off the edge, while the mother watched from the nest, bounced off the lower tile roof, and dropped to the concrete.

I walked over, followed by the two women, to see if it was OK. It was obviously stunned, and barely moving. I called 911 to see if I could get a number for animal rescue. They put me through to a bewildered Harbormaster, who took my number and called back a few minutes later with the number for the SPCA. The lesbian couple and I talked, studied the bird, fretting over it. One of the women, probably in her 30s, shaded the tan & black-speckled bird with her shadow. The bird started moving, pushing itself up, and eventually found some cool shade under a planter.

Sean, from the SPCA Wildlife Rescue squad, drove by in his shiny silver Toyota truck, and I met him and led him over to the animal. He gently picked it up, explaining that Jays typically will harass any animal that is not a Jay. He said that gull chicks fall regularly, and seemed to think he would be just fine.

The women and I parted, friends, after I did a little impromptu psychotherapy with one of them, who had to leave her partner and baby girl in Texas. As I was walking away, I saw Sean looking for a place to lean a ladder. They usually try to put the animals back in the nest, to “give the mother another chance at parenting.” I suggested maybe she could use some counseling.

The whole event lasted only about a half hour, but it brought four people together for a precious few moments, saving a life together.

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