Day 296: July 21, 2025 – Homer Spit, Alaska, USA
As we pull into the Alaskan port of Homer, I am awakened by the sound of a thousand seagulls screeching outside my window.
A large colony of Black-legged Kittywakes (in the seagull family) have made the pier their nesting ground. Both males and females incubate the eggs and feed and defend their little fluff-ball babies. Even people who had never taken a picture of a bird, couldn’t resist these little cuties.
Even though anti-roosting spikes have been installed to prevent them from perching (and pooping) on pier structures, they’ve managed to build nests on every available surface.
When not breeding, kittiwakes seldom come to land, foraging mostly over water. So it was a treat to see so many in such close proximity.
10 responses to “A Kittywake Awakening”
So cool that they get the red eye ring when breeding. You were able to catch that beautifully!
O Boy… What adorable little fluff balls!!!! Great great pics!!!
Amazing photos! I can’t believe they are willing to nest so close to human activity.
I was too! They didn’t seem too perturbed by us walking by.
wow- I have never seen a baby seagull… and the Mama and baby pictures are really sweet. Great job of taking pictures of birds I see more often than not at the beach . Very pretty white birds.
They were definitely entertaining, I walked around and watched them for hours.
Thanks Basia. Do you know i have never seen a baby seagull before. I have now thanks to you.
I very rarely see them, this was a real treat.
Great pictures. They were sure noisy!
Yes they were rowdy little guys!