City Gulls (1 Viewer)

Hi folks,

Interesting article in the Sunday Times today about the increase in Gulls in Cities, and their increasing attacks on people.

www.timesonline.co.uk/news/environment/article5424706.ece

Bill

Most seaside towns have hundreds of Gulls. Visiting Torquay last Summer, my Daughter & I watched the Herring Gulls, with their fledged, but still being fed, young, nipping in & out of the shops, one even pinched a packet of crisps from a by the door display. Most people seemed to like seeing them, even the shop assistants were tollerant. They don't seem at all aggressive there. Though I know they did get to be a problem at St Ives & Looe.

Interesting article Bill but I don't recognise the manacing opening paragraph here. I see black-headeds at home and in the town picking up bits of waste, but nothing more than that. There is a gull roost about 3 miles from me with the larger gulls, they must feed at some landfill. I know they are not popular around Berwick where they cause damage blocking guttering with falling nesting material. Lots of locals put nets or spikes on the roofs but the birds return to their traditional nesting sites anyway and end up getting injured. They have culls from time to time in Eyemouth. I suppose if I was having to pay someone to clear the guttering I wouldn't like them as much.

An interesting article, Bill. Strangely enough my daughter and I were discussing gulls in cities over the weekend. She was saying that she never sees any in Paris (where she is living this academic year) and she was surprised as there are always lots in Bristol where she is normally at university. There are always plenty in Bath (where we visit son) and of course, lots in London too.

I wondered about displacement of scavenging Gulls now that many refuse tips are recycling food. I did a little research (see environment thread)
My concern is where will Gulls scavenge next? Will the demise of food on refuse tips impact negatively on the environment? Gulls are efficient scavengers and high in numbers.
As recycling food is a new concept in my area, I guess it will be a long time before we know the answer.
Interesting Bill

In my opinion Richard Girling has gone massively overboard in his article - likening the gulls to tornados and volcanos with slashing of heads, killing of dogs etc etc. What is he describing, a siege of savage aliens descending from above? No - Gulls, doing what comes naturally. Just like the Starlings in my garden who chase smaller birds away, eat all their food and poo on my washing. It's nature.

Hi Bill

I've heard very little about attacks on people in this area, but the article makes my killer Starlings appear friendly in comparison. Perhaps the journalist was getting a little carried away at times whilst writing the article. Having said that, I don't suppose I would much like all these 'beasts' sat on my roof.

There was a bit of an outcry from residents who live on Newcastle Quatside about the Kittiwakes that we have and about the mess they made and other problems. I suspect the residents were concerned about loosing a few bob on there very expensive homes. Happilly the council ignored them and have made a tourist attraction of the Kittiwakes. As far as disease is concerned I am more concerned by the antics of and mess created by my fellow humans.