Guest Commentary: Where seagulls dare, fascination and amusement follow

This time of year at La Jolla Cove, there are babies everywhere.

Seagulls, which mate for life and return to the same nesting spots each year, have their nests all along the craggy cliffs and on almost every rooftop in what the parents deem safe spots from predators.

Sea lion pups are nursing, playing and learning to swim and there are baby pelicans and cormorants all along the cliffs.

We live in a tall building right by the ocean and look down on many rooftops. This past week or two we have been fascinated by watching the young seagulls learn to fly and eventually leave the nest.

The babies, usually two or three to a family, start as small, fluffy creatures with dark, mottled spots on their heads and webbed feet much too big for their bodies.  They would fit in the palm of my hand and are adorable, although even at this age their beaks look dangerous.

The parents spend an inordinate amount of time bringing them food and keeping a close eye on them. However, within a few weeks they appear almost as big as an adult bird, although their feathers are still brown/gray and fluffy, thanks to all the good food their parents have provided.

Around six weeks after birth, the babies start to practice their flying lessons.  Watching them from above they are hilarious. At first, they flap their wings madly but only manage to rise like a helicopter straight up for a foot or two before coming back to earth.

Usually one bolder baby initiates this, and the others watch with great interest. Usually by the following day, the sibling(s) will also be practicing this maneuver, and after this there is no stopping them.

Several times a day they will practice intensely for 15 minutes, seeming to cheer each other on and get into huddles to discuss what they can do to improve. Between these bouts they are exhausted, and after getting fed, sleep until the next all-out effort. Meanwhile, at least one of the parents is constantly watching but keeping a distance.

After a few days of this, they will have one day when they really do nothing, resting up for the next stage. But then they come out running! And flapping! At this stage, they manage to take off, rise a foot or so and propel themselves forward. They will eventually be able to go all the way across a flat roof this way, never rising more than a foot and touching down many times but keeping going.

The one that does this first is the envy of the other nestmates, which practice even harder and are soon able to follow the leader.

Maybe during this time their flying wings are not quite developed, but soon they are flying around the rooftop and maybe even getting onto a chimney or another higher object.

At this point they can’t really control where they go, and the siblings may crash into each other or get their wings tangled. They are still huddling together a lot, figuring out what they need to do next.

Finally, the boldest, or maybe the first to hatch, soars into the sky. The bird is probably terrified and gets tossed in any wind current that may be around. My guess is it is also exhilarating, something like being on a roller coaster.

However, now it must get back to its family. The landing is a very wobbly affair to return to the home rooftop, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be on a plane piloted by that bird. The feet come down hard, and I have seen a bird limp across the roof after one of these early landings. However, once it has flown, off it will go again and again until it is time for a very long nap.

This is a dangerous time for the nestlings. For the first couple of flights, one of the parents will go up in the air with the baby, watching from a distance, and if the baby does not make it back to the rooftop but crash-lands on a road or sidewalk, many grown seagulls will gather to help it get out of danger.

Sometimes they will strut around on the road so cars are forced to slow down, or they will circle above, making a tremendous racket, which I’m sure is encouragement for the baby.

Back on the rooftop, the other nestlings greet the bold flier and gather around to learn the tricks they hope will launch them, too. Soon they will be soaring off as well, and before too long we will see them slouching like disgruntled teenagers around their parents because at some point food is no longer being provided for them!

Monica Deeks is a La Jolla resident.