Well now I ve got a dilemma

He’s looking like a proper seagull now he’s lost his fluffiness!

Could you catch him and tie a string to him and try to fly him like a kite until he gets the idea of how to fly? *

* that is not a serious suggestion just in case anyone thinks it is!

I think Stephen doesn’t realise he’s a seagull Bluebelle!Either that or he likes his surrogate mum providing him with his food in a bowl everyday!

I m thinking about it ......???

Come on Stephen you know you want to just that first flap and you’re up up and away

This could make a great children's book. Imagine the illustrations.

I hope not suedomin he’s costing me about £2 a day ?as soon as I see him take his maiden voyage hes on his own haha
But he has been fun to follow for the last two months

Oh Bluebelle Stephen Sebastian is leading you a merry dance, isn’t he? I’m beginning to think you’ve got a lodger for life.

BlueBelle I half expected to read that you reached over and ended up in the bin yourself! You deserve a ?for your kindness and perseverance!

I so hope that Stephen is going to make it and that you are able to watch him take his maiden flight.

Some children take longer to leave home than others!

Bluebelle to the rescue yet again! ha ha poor old Stephen, he needs a bit of help, so lucky you are there. Perhaps you should stand in the back garden flapping your arms and jumping up and down?

Yep that’s exactly what I think MissA he’s not got anyone to push him and also he’s a bit low down to get the necessary purchase to take off so I m hoping if I can keep him safe for anther week he should be strong enough
His wings were blooming big today when I grabbed him

I wonder if he's a bit of a late developer because of being parted from his mum?

If anyone is still interested Stephen had another adventure today, I came down for breakfast, got his sardines ready to take out but no sign of him, anyway his mum was around sitting looking left, right, up and down but not a sign of him I did my clucking noises, but nothing, I got ready for work and before I went I tried the garden again but same thing no sign he wasn’t anywhere his mum was still around on the chimney, then on the flat roof, turning her head one way then the other I presumed Stephen had had his maiden flight and took off and she was waiting for him to turn up
I went to work when I came back I went to have another look and I could hear some flapping noise went to where I heard it looking down into the neighbours ‘full of rubbish’ garden I could see two big wings in a kind of skip with all sorts of rubbish in it and there was Stephen, obviously fell off the roof into the rubbish bin and was flapping his wings to try and get out I stood on a big pot and managed to reach over into the neighbours garden,( hoping nobody was watching) I grabbed a wing as gently as possible and got my arms around his body and pulled him back onto the roof and he’s been there ever since
He definitely should be flying by now and I’m thinking perhaps when he fell off into the rubbish he may have been trying to take off anyway he’s back on the flat roof now and mum is nowhere in sight She’s obviously happy he’s safe
Hes had his tea tonight and he’s been playing with the feeding pot throwing it around
I ll be glad when he takes off I wonder if he’s later because he’s not got a mum to push him out the nest !

I was briefly at a seaside town yesterday, and observed the seagulls quite closely! Many of the babies seem able to fly now and lots of others can apparently swim. ?

I hope Stephen is flying now.

Oh, I wasn't implying you were wrong, Bluebell, far from it! He can’t get food for himself where he is so I think you’re doing a good thing. It was more that it said that mother seagulls don’t really feed their young at all, they have to fend for themselves from the start and that they jump out of the nest, too.

Stephen has done a good job in looking after himself - he’s got you well-trained!

I understand I shouldn’t be feeding him suedronin but he’s on a plastic roof there is nothing for him to peck or get any goodness from If I didn’t put food and water out he would perish
I see the mother very occasionally drop onto the roof for just a few moments but she never brings him any food
As soon as I know he can take off I will stop putting anything out for him he can find his own way but I can’t just let him die after all his adventures can I ?

Oh, this is lovely! (Sort of)
It looks like it's Stephen back again.

This article is in my local paper today.

I’m so pleased - and relieved - that Stephen’s still around. It’s thanks to your loving care BlueBelle. I hope he pops back from time to time when he’s a Proper Adult! This is a truly heartwarming saga ♥️?

It would be lovely if, when he does get going, he pops in from time to time to say hello.
As long as it's not down the chimney of course.

Get flapping, Stephen!

He could get very used to this, Bluebelle. room service every day.

Oh what a great update thankyou Bluebelle. Stephen is looking pretty grown up now. Does his Mum ever come back, or has she left him in your care?

He’s getting to be a BIG boy now, Bluebelle! ❤️ I’m still so ‘invested’ in Stephen and I hope he’s got a good chance now. He needs to get those wings working, though, lazy lad.

Don’t know if anyone’s still interested but a week on stephen (or his sibling) is still with me after his second visit a week ago
Here’s a picture of him having his breakfast under the overhanging branch from my pear tree

I do put out water hetty but it will die if I don’t feed it there is nothing for it to eat on a plastic corrugated roof and it can’t fly so I m not going to watch him slowly starve to death
As I explained in my post above I ve found a secluded part where a big leaf hangs over and that seems successful to Him being left alone when he feeds

BlueBelle, the advice is to put out water but not feed them outside - as it puts them in danger:

wildlifeambulance.org/advice/gulls/