Last year, a young seagull was learning to fly and landed with a thump on my front door step. Being a naive animal lover, I brought this wild teenager into my home and for the next 3 weeks, shared the nursing responsibilities with its suspicious mother, while I kept it on my patio. I fed it sardines, which I think was the right thing to do despite the stinky mess that her waste left on sheets of newspaper that I changed, daily.

After 3 weeks, my little noisy friend was attacked by a predator bird and died. I learned through a conservation organization that this whole experience was totally OK - the seagull was simply taking part in natures course, and I had intervened.

This year, I was drinking coffee in the morning when another seagull landed with a thump in the parking lot at my house. I saw it’s parents swooping around it while it made loud screechy noises, begging to be rescued. Again, my heart jumped - but this time I remembered. I quickly asked a friend who’s a birder for advice, and she told me to leave that bird alone. She said it is learning to fly, and it’s whining is part of being lazy. Within minutes of her telling me that, I saw a car driving toward the seagull, and lo and behold that teenage seagull took off in flight just before it would have been hit. And now it’s back on the roof of my house, a little older, perhaps wiser, and still very noisy.

Each of us has a journey. This is the story of the Teenage Seagulls.

20% of the proceeds from the sale of this piece will be donated to The Wild Salmon Defenders Alliance. A tax receipt will be provided.

24”x20”
Acrylic, chalk and alcohol ink on yupo.