Hi Today I found a seagull sitting in the road near the gutter, I saw a young boy take a picture of it , he touched its head and walked off. I was concerned that the gull never moved. I walked over to it and touched it, it just kept turning its head, I picked it up, it spread its wings but made no attempt to get away and dint make a sound, when I put it back down it seemed unbalanced, I thought it may have an injured leg, I picked it up again to check its legs, it was moving its legs and I couldn’t see any injuries. I put the bird down in the bottom of my back garden as I feared it been near the road. I was worried that it was vulnerable, I gave it some water and some tuna fish. It ate only a little and drank only a lot.I was thinking how odd, I began wonder if he was dazed or maybe flown into something, suddenly it stood up, I was thinking well it can stand so what’s wrong, then to my shock it laid an egg. I was stunned, would it have laid an egg in the road. It still made no attempt to move, I left it in my garden but then my neighbours cat showed an interest in it, I made a box out of wood and left opening for it but cat wasn’t stupid. I put piece of wire by door to protect it , Imvworried now for its safety and obviously could lay more eggs if they only lay one a day, It moved when cat came near it but didn’t look as though it would fight the cat off. I’m not sure if it’s in a trance because it still has eggs to lay, will it leave egg and go look for food or will it lay all eggs then go look for food, once babies come along I fear of cat getting hold of them.There’s no where high near me to put them except the house roof and there’s no way I can reach or get up there. As for my little garden shed the cat can climb on that roof quite easily. Would appreciate some advice.
Wow, that is tough. I'm not really sure what to advise, but I think everything you've done so far is good. Has she made a nest?
I kept the gull in the box till today and put fish and water in box the gull sat on the egg and wasn’t moving when I came home today 5/5/24 at 8.30 I checked on gull she was standing up but more alert, she came out from under box and started walking around garden, I followed her around, she then went out gate around to front garden, she spread wings but made no attempt to fly, she started stumbling and falling forward I didn’t think she was strong enough to release so I picked her up and carried her back to my back garden, I let her walk around she kept cocking her head as she could hear the gulls above calling and flying overhead, some sat on rooftops, she made no attempt to call back. Suddenly I saw neighbours cat on fence, it jumped off fence and started to move slowly towards gull, that’s when the gull took off and flew away. I couldn’t see where it went but it’s gone. Question now is the egg. Is it fertile, if gull is not in right frame of mind would she abandon egg. By this time it was 9.05 pm when she left, I was worried about egg as she had been with it up till then, so I put gloves on and put it in pot with straw, I have heated clothes dryer so can incubate that way, she hadn’t come back by midnight either and I’m doubting she’ll come back. I was going to put her back in box for couple days as I didn’t think she was quite ready to go. Whether egg will hatch or not I don’t know as gull didn’t seem to be acting naturally, she wasn’t making any sound or making any attempt to try attack or bite me, the way she fell forward couple of times still makes me wonder what or if something was wrong. I’m also wondering if she will survive in the condition she was in. If she doesn’t come back then I’ll never know. I’m hoping she found somewhere safe to rest up where she can get access to food and water. I know birds can abandon eggs for various reasons but nobody has mentioned whether a bird has abandoned a fertile egg due to been hit or injured in anyway. The question is , is the egg fertile, has she just abandoned it, did she lay other eggs nearby prior to been injured and suddenly remembered she had another nest somewhere I don’t know. As she was injured when she lay this egg does she remember laying the egg or does she suddenly think it’s not hers. I don’t really know what to make of it now either. It’s also only 10 degrees outside now and with no bird to sit on egg bringing it in is only option, whether it will hatch or not only time will tell, was most unusual experience for me.