Photograph and text by Ken Arni
From the July 2019 issue

I enjoy paddling my kayak out to the Point of Cedars Island in Little Assawoman Bay. In early nesting season, the great black-backed gulls are there in force, along with a few other species of birds nesting on the island. Egrets, green herons, and American oystercatchers always seem to be actively protecting their nests so other aggressive birds (and photographers) are kept at a distance.

Sitting at a distance with a long lens is a great way to see the nests and to watch the newborn chicks come out to enter their first chapter of life on the island. This little great black-backed gull was an early arrival.