This weekend, Ine looked out the apartment window to see the neighbour’s cat harassing a baby seagull – chasing it up and down the path, backing it into a corner. It looked terrified.

I went out and shooed away the cat and the bird ran out to the front of the house and into the road. So, I scooped it up before any cars hit it and popped him in my basement for safe-keeping from the cats and cars.

When you find a bird, you aren’t really meant to take them in. Whilst it is a myth that once you have touched a bird the parents will reject it, you are meant to leave them where they are for the parents to find and protect.

The intention was to put the bird back when the neighbour’s cats – yes, multiple – weren’t around. But they always were. So we kept it in the basement overnight.

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During the day we have been putting the bird back outside and spends the day in the garden whilst we go to work. We’ve seen two seagulls circle overhead as we observe from our apartment, but they never come down to feed.

The little bird flaps its tiny wings sometimes, but is way too young to fly and last night came to our front door, looking a little terrified, to spend the evening in the basement.

So, I guess now Ine and I are parents of a seagull. Named Otto.

We’ll continue to feed the bird a diet of fish, berries, and cat food. Come nightfall, we will pop it in the basement if it’s around the garden and bring it back out during the daytime. And hopefully the little birdy will make it’s new mamma and daddy proud by learning to become independent and fly away soon.