Nesting in the debris of homes destroyed by the 9.0 Magnitude earthquake (now being dubbed the Great East Japan Earthquake) and subsequent massive tsunami on March 11, 201, the birds first began to appear in the coastal areas of Yamada-machi (Town of Yamada) and Rikuzentakata-shi (Rikuzentakata City) back in April.
According to the Miyako chapter of the Wild Bird Society of Japan in Iwate, it seems that the black-tailed gulls—which usually nest and lay eggs on islands and offshore reefs—must have felt threatened by the tsunami, and have hedged their bet for survival by moving closer to land.
Says 70-year-old Yamada female resident Kawaguchi Yuko (surname first): "This is the first time I've seen something like this. The birds are hanging tough, so we also have to work hard to rebuild."
In 2010, the city of Rikuzentakata a human population of 23,302, but following the earthquake, it was reported to be literally wiped off the map as every building lower than three stories in height was flooded, with all others partially flooded. Over 300 bodies were found in the town.
As for Yamada-machi, in 2003 the town had 20,413 people—but post-disaster, the town had been almost completely submerged.
Despite the destruction to life and habitat...
Somewhere, nature finds a way,
Andrew Joseph
