Meet Esmeralda the Baby Gull

The other morning we were woken up very early at 5.30am by the sound of something rattling around on the flat roof outside the bedroom.  Curious to see what it was, I looked out and saw a baby herring gull dragging around a half cocount shell with a piece of string tied onto it.

The neighbours next door are keen on feeding the birds and an empty coconut shell had somehow found its way on to our roof.  We'd noticed a fluffy little gull's head on our chimney top for a little while now so knew there was a youngster up there, and it has now fledged the nest.

We've decided it's a girl, for no other reason that she does look quite pretty (at the moment) and we thought as she'd probably be around for a while, we'd give her a name.  After a few random suggestions (Cleo, Josephine, Doris) we both said Esmeralda at the same time for some strange reason, and it suits her so that's now her name.  

Her territory involves lots of flat roofs and sheds, which is a good way for her to build her confidence and strengthen her wings.

We don't always see her in the day, but we know that she's back to roost at night and for the moment, she has taken over alarm clock duties as we are woken early to the pitter patter of flat feet and the coconut shell dragging on a rattly fibre glass roof, as the first thing she likes to do every morning is to play.