escargot
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R4's Saving Species today was about those pesky thieving herring gulls, whose numbers are in decline.
Attacks By Seagulls
- Thread starter escargot
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GNC
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I was watching BBC Alba's Rock 'n' Roll Years type thing, and they included an article from 1989 about Nairn's seagull problem, so there you go, people have been attacked by gulls for over twenty years now. Or it's been a problem worth reporting on the news for that length of time anyway.
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They've been a problem probably for as long as gulls and humans have existed. They've followed fishing boats for generations, and the bolder individuals would even try their luck on deck if they thought they could get away with it.gncxx said:
Not for nothing do fishermen call them Shite Hawks! Back in the 70s, there was a fishing boat in Salcombe called Shy Talk!
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The problem seems to have started with urban rubbish dumps. (Sad to say, it's another side-effect of the human population growth problem.)gncxx said:
I posted about this here:
http://www.forteantimes.com/forum/viewt ... 587#843587
The original Sunday Times article is no longer available, however.
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Winged warden helps scare off seagulls at Helston College
5:00pm Friday 29th June 2012 in Helston
A winged warden is watching over the children at Helston Community College by scaring off nuisance seagulls that are dive bombing students and stealing snacks.
“Tweaky” the Harris Hawk is just one of several birds of prey that falconer Richy Hicks brings in to the college during term time.
By flying around the school grounds once a week, these imposing predators keep seagull numbers down and prevent them from hassling students and staff.
College bursar, Lois Horn, first invited Richy to fly his hawks last year as an experiment.
She said: “The problem we have here is we have an awful lot of flat roofs, which the seagulls obviously enjoy and we have an awful lot of students, who eat outside at times.
“Last year in particular the problem became acute with rather better weather than we have had this year.”
Not only would the seagulls mob pupils and steal food, but they would also attack caretaking staff who were trying to access the roofs, Lois said.
She added: “We can provide the caretakers with helmets and encourage the students to dispose of their litter more carefully, but that in itself does not solve the problem.
“Inviting in a falconer is quite an expensive outlay, but it ticked some boxes for me in terms of potential educational advantages - plus it's a far more humane way to deal with them, far more so than those bird scarers.
“The bird of prey does not attack the seagulls, if anything it's the other way around.
“What the bird does is it's a predator, so the seagulls see it as a threat and they gradually move away - but it's quite a long process.”
While the hawks have been known to pin seagulls down if violently attacked, they won't aim to kill them because they don't see them as a food source.
Speaking about “Tweaky,” Richy said: “She knows I'm the food source so she flies with me.
“The youngsters do like it. Some of them are a bit nervous when she flies over their heads but it's a bit of an experience for them.
“With the amount of gulls that are here it can take up to three years to slowly move them out.
"It's moving them slowly but they are eventually going. They are getting the message,” he added.
http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/he ... ge/?ref=ec
5:00pm Friday 29th June 2012 in Helston
A winged warden is watching over the children at Helston Community College by scaring off nuisance seagulls that are dive bombing students and stealing snacks.
“Tweaky” the Harris Hawk is just one of several birds of prey that falconer Richy Hicks brings in to the college during term time.
By flying around the school grounds once a week, these imposing predators keep seagull numbers down and prevent them from hassling students and staff.
College bursar, Lois Horn, first invited Richy to fly his hawks last year as an experiment.
She said: “The problem we have here is we have an awful lot of flat roofs, which the seagulls obviously enjoy and we have an awful lot of students, who eat outside at times.
“Last year in particular the problem became acute with rather better weather than we have had this year.”
Not only would the seagulls mob pupils and steal food, but they would also attack caretaking staff who were trying to access the roofs, Lois said.
She added: “We can provide the caretakers with helmets and encourage the students to dispose of their litter more carefully, but that in itself does not solve the problem.
“Inviting in a falconer is quite an expensive outlay, but it ticked some boxes for me in terms of potential educational advantages - plus it's a far more humane way to deal with them, far more so than those bird scarers.
“The bird of prey does not attack the seagulls, if anything it's the other way around.
“What the bird does is it's a predator, so the seagulls see it as a threat and they gradually move away - but it's quite a long process.”
While the hawks have been known to pin seagulls down if violently attacked, they won't aim to kill them because they don't see them as a food source.
Speaking about “Tweaky,” Richy said: “She knows I'm the food source so she flies with me.
“The youngsters do like it. Some of them are a bit nervous when she flies over their heads but it's a bit of an experience for them.
“With the amount of gulls that are here it can take up to three years to slowly move them out.
"It's moving them slowly but they are eventually going. They are getting the message,” he added.
http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/he ... ge/?ref=ec
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Cornwall Council trials new 'seagull proof' rubbish bag
A "seagull proof" rubbish sack is being trialled across Cornwall.
The "tough, durable" woven polypropylene and hessian sacks will hold up to three plastic bin bags.
Cornwall Council said they will be tested to "establish effectiveness" at stopping seagulls attacking waste during a three-month trial.
About 1,500 homeowners in Porthleven, Looe, Newquay, Polperro and St Austell will be included in the pilot which will begin in the next two weeks.
Cornwall Conservative cabinet member for environment and waste management Steve Double said: "The bags will be trialled to see if they work, or whether they can be improved, before we go any further with this, to make sure they are fit for purpose for keeping seagulls out."
If the trial is successful the sacks will be available to town and parish councils across Cornwall at cost where it will be up to them to decide whether to offer them for free or to charge residents.
If town and parish councils do choose to charge residents for the 1.5 metres (5ft) long and 60cm (23ins) wide sack, it will cost about £3.
Independent councillor Andrew Wallis, although in favour of the scheme, said he could not understand why people did not buy a bin which "last for years".
He said: "We can sell bags to the public, but if they are not willing to use them then the problem is still going to be there."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-19574250
A "seagull proof" rubbish sack is being trialled across Cornwall.
The "tough, durable" woven polypropylene and hessian sacks will hold up to three plastic bin bags.
Cornwall Council said they will be tested to "establish effectiveness" at stopping seagulls attacking waste during a three-month trial.
About 1,500 homeowners in Porthleven, Looe, Newquay, Polperro and St Austell will be included in the pilot which will begin in the next two weeks.
Cornwall Conservative cabinet member for environment and waste management Steve Double said: "The bags will be trialled to see if they work, or whether they can be improved, before we go any further with this, to make sure they are fit for purpose for keeping seagulls out."
If the trial is successful the sacks will be available to town and parish councils across Cornwall at cost where it will be up to them to decide whether to offer them for free or to charge residents.
If town and parish councils do choose to charge residents for the 1.5 metres (5ft) long and 60cm (23ins) wide sack, it will cost about £3.
Independent councillor Andrew Wallis, although in favour of the scheme, said he could not understand why people did not buy a bin which "last for years".
He said: "We can sell bags to the public, but if they are not willing to use them then the problem is still going to be there."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-19574250
amyasleigh
Abominable Snowman
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Didn't British soldiers in India also use the expression "shite hawks", for the local ubiquitous and enterprisingly scavenging kites (Brahminy Kites??) -- a pun on "kite-hawk"? It would seem very probable that the "shite hawk" is a bird with numerous sub-species throughout the English-speaking world.rynner2 said:gncxx said:They've been a problem probably for as long as gulls and humans have existed. They've followed fishing boats for generations, and the bolder individuals would even try their luck on deck if they thought they could get away with it.
Not for nothing do fishermen call them Shite Hawks! Back in the 70s, there was a fishing boat in Salcombe called Shy Talk!
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'Fire' gel on Bath buildings to deter gulls
A gel that dupes urban gulls into thinking that buildings are on fire is being trialled in Bath.
The roof and parapets of the council owned Guildhall and Roman Baths Kitchen are to be painted with the clear gel in an effort to deter the birds.
The gel emits an odour the gulls dislike and an ultraviolet light that is perceived as a fire by birds.
Councillor David Dixon said: "We're just trialling it at the moment on a few buildings to see whether it works."
About £6,000 has been spent on deterring gulls by Bath and North East Somerset Council in the past year, including a trial of gull proof rubbish bags, and a recent report found urban gull numbers in the city centre had declined for a third year running.
"A lot of the buildings already have got spikes, but of course in a heritage city putting spikes and netting on all the buildings isn't really what you want," said Mr Dixon.
"So something like this fire gel - which is quite a discreet gel - is something that has less of a visual impact."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-22950411
A gel that dupes urban gulls into thinking that buildings are on fire is being trialled in Bath.
The roof and parapets of the council owned Guildhall and Roman Baths Kitchen are to be painted with the clear gel in an effort to deter the birds.
The gel emits an odour the gulls dislike and an ultraviolet light that is perceived as a fire by birds.
Councillor David Dixon said: "We're just trialling it at the moment on a few buildings to see whether it works."
About £6,000 has been spent on deterring gulls by Bath and North East Somerset Council in the past year, including a trial of gull proof rubbish bags, and a recent report found urban gull numbers in the city centre had declined for a third year running.
"A lot of the buildings already have got spikes, but of course in a heritage city putting spikes and netting on all the buildings isn't really what you want," said Mr Dixon.
"So something like this fire gel - which is quite a discreet gel - is something that has less of a visual impact."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-22950411
OneWingedBird
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I believe so, my elderly neighbour recalled them as one of the more memorable things about being there, he reckoned that if you used some cord to tie food to a plate, they would take it plate and all.
Funnily enough, I've tried to discuss them with various Indian people I've known who have always denied all knowledge of them.
amyasleigh
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OneWingedBird said:
Interesting. At the risk of "stereotyping", maybe overall, people from the Indian sub-continent tend to be less wildlife-conscious than people from Britain?
Back to the seagulls issue -- on an Internet site which I frequent -- US-based, not essentially about wildlife, but all manner of things discussed thereon: there was a lengthy thread on said site a couple of years ago, about people visiting seaside resorts on the Atlantic coast of the US, and having bits of their takeaway food stolen by gulls. The site features largely, kind and humane folks, many of them big animal-lovers; general consensus was, "you go to the seaside, you encounter gulls which do what gulls standard-fashion do -- what do you expect?"
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Perranporth mail deliveries suspended after gulls attack
Postal deliveries to a road in Cornwall have been suspended after a delivery woman was attacked by gulls.
Royal Mail said the "frightening attacks" from nesting birds had resulted in deliveries being suspended to some addresses in Liskey Hill Crescent, in Perranporth.
It said the postwoman had experienced swooping attacks from the gulls and apologised to those affected.
Residents have been told they can collect mail from a nearby post office.
Val Bodden, from Royal Mail, said: "The safety of our people is paramount and these swooping attacks have made it difficult for her to continue to do her job.
"These kinds of attacks do occur at this time of year across the country, as gulls are nesting.
"We apologise to those customers affected and we will resume deliveries as soon as it is safe for us to do so. We are continuing to monitor the situation."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-23083949
Postal deliveries to a road in Cornwall have been suspended after a delivery woman was attacked by gulls.
Royal Mail said the "frightening attacks" from nesting birds had resulted in deliveries being suspended to some addresses in Liskey Hill Crescent, in Perranporth.
It said the postwoman had experienced swooping attacks from the gulls and apologised to those affected.
Residents have been told they can collect mail from a nearby post office.
Val Bodden, from Royal Mail, said: "The safety of our people is paramount and these swooping attacks have made it difficult for her to continue to do her job.
"These kinds of attacks do occur at this time of year across the country, as gulls are nesting.
"We apologise to those customers affected and we will resume deliveries as soon as it is safe for us to do so. We are continuing to monitor the situation."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-23083949
ramonmercado
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Coincidentally, I witnessed a seagull attack in Falmouth this afternoon.
This wasn't a gull protecting its young - it was in fact just a fledgeling gull itself. I don't know whether it can fly - I only saw it on the ground.
Shortly after nearly being run over by a car, it appeared on the opposite pavement, vomited up what looked like two helpings of worms, and then attacked the legs of a passer-by!
I didn't see where it went next...
This wasn't a gull protecting its young - it was in fact just a fledgeling gull itself. I don't know whether it can fly - I only saw it on the ground.
Shortly after nearly being run over by a car, it appeared on the opposite pavement, vomited up what looked like two helpings of worms, and then attacked the legs of a passer-by!
I didn't see where it went next...
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Colander used as protection from seaside seagulls
15 August 2013 Last updated at 08:01 BST
[Audio]
Seagull attacks have been particularly rife this summer because of a late breeding season and the unusually hot weather.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has been inundated with the highest number of calls from the public about gulls for eight years, and 2013's figures are double those for last year. :shock:
People are asking how they can be stopped from stealing food and nesting on houses.
Sima Kotecha reports from St Ives in Cornwall for Radio 4's Today, as she hears how the birds steal food and peck people, and how one Yorkshire woman now wears a colander to keep the birds away, :shock:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23708485
15 August 2013 Last updated at 08:01 BST
[Audio]
Seagull attacks have been particularly rife this summer because of a late breeding season and the unusually hot weather.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has been inundated with the highest number of calls from the public about gulls for eight years, and 2013's figures are double those for last year. :shock:
People are asking how they can be stopped from stealing food and nesting on houses.
Sima Kotecha reports from St Ives in Cornwall for Radio 4's Today, as she hears how the birds steal food and peck people, and how one Yorkshire woman now wears a colander to keep the birds away, :shock:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23708485
ramonmercado
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escargot
Disciple of Marduk
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escargot
Disciple of Marduk
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None at all, sorry, it's just one of those collections of photos people put on Facebook.
Gulls though - we see a lot of them round here, 30-odd miles from the sea. I often walk past them on the work car park. They don't look much bigger than pigeons, but on the coast I've met huge ones that stood above my knee height.
I'd expect to slap away the smaller gulls but not those big ones!
Gulls though - we see a lot of them round here, 30-odd miles from the sea. I often walk past them on the work car park. They don't look much bigger than pigeons, but on the coast I've met huge ones that stood above my knee height.
I'd expect to slap away the smaller gulls but not those big ones!
amyasleigh
Abominable Snowman
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I probably have too much time on my hands; but, can't resist "bumping" this thread to contribute a bit of trivia which I came across a day or two ago, on a US-based message board dealing with a great range of subjects. Was informed there, that there are no seagulls in Hawaii. (The poster did not reveal whether their ecological niche, occupied by some native species -- be it still around, or extinct: Hawaii's native fauna, chiefly avian, has taken a most terrible bashing since the arrival in the islands of man, and the non-native species which have come with him.)
Anyhow -- for those feeling beset and bedevilled by seagull attacks, a place to dream about moving to...
Anyhow -- for those feeling beset and bedevilled by seagull attacks, a place to dream about moving to...
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'Super falcons' to deter 'nuisance' seagulls in Devon
"Super falcons" are being used by three coastal towns to try to stop "nuisance" seagulls disturbing people.
Councils in Exmouth, Sidmouth and Seaton are splashing out £15,000 in an effort to stop the gulls nesting.
Falconer Jonathan Marshall said: "The birds are crossed between a peregrine, gyr and saker falcon.
"Peregrines are the fastest, gyr are the largest and saker are very aggressive and persistent, which make a manmade super falcon."
Simon Pollentine, chair of tourism committee in Sidmouth, said: "The gulls are a nuisance and disturb people who are eating in any of the seaside pubs and foul on buildings.
"If we can deter them it's all for the best. We hope it will encourage them to go and nest along the cliffs instead of on the roofs of the hotels."
Mr Marshall said of his falcons: "Seagulls are petrified of them, but the birds don't kill the gulls, that isn't the idea.
"The very presence is enough to scare the seagulls and prevent them from nesting."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-26519429
"Super falcons" are being used by three coastal towns to try to stop "nuisance" seagulls disturbing people.
Councils in Exmouth, Sidmouth and Seaton are splashing out £15,000 in an effort to stop the gulls nesting.
Falconer Jonathan Marshall said: "The birds are crossed between a peregrine, gyr and saker falcon.
"Peregrines are the fastest, gyr are the largest and saker are very aggressive and persistent, which make a manmade super falcon."
Simon Pollentine, chair of tourism committee in Sidmouth, said: "The gulls are a nuisance and disturb people who are eating in any of the seaside pubs and foul on buildings.
"If we can deter them it's all for the best. We hope it will encourage them to go and nest along the cliffs instead of on the roofs of the hotels."
Mr Marshall said of his falcons: "Seagulls are petrified of them, but the birds don't kill the gulls, that isn't the idea.
"The very presence is enough to scare the seagulls and prevent them from nesting."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-26519429
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The birds that plague the Eternal City
By Alan Johnston, BBC News, Rome
Rome has been invaded by thousands of gulls - the birds boldly steal food, make a mess on statues and have even attacked the Pope's doves of peace.
I was on the bus the other morning, drowsily heading for work, but through the window I spotted something that woke me up - a rather gruesome scene.
On the pavement a big, powerful gull was standing over a pigeon it had killed. Then the gull grabbed the carcass in its beak, launched himself over the top of my bus, dropped into a piazza and starting to tear the pigeon apart.
I suppose I still expect gulls to do the sort of things they're supposed to, like ride the wind on lonely shorelines, follow trawlers, live off scraps of fish - not devour pigeons on city streets.
But in many places these birds are giving up on the sea, and moving to town. Rome is no exception.
For thousands of years it had no nesting gulls. They only began coming in the 1980s, lured by bins and dumps groaning with food chucked away by modern Romans. Now there are tens of thousands of gulls here and this latest invasion of the Eternal City can be a bit barbaric.
Earlier this year Pope Francis was at his window, high above the masses in St Peter's Square. Beside him two children held two, pure white doves of peace. They released them, and the crowd cheered.
Horrifyingly one bird was almost immediately attacked in mid-air by a gull. He got the dove up against a wall of the Pope's palace, but he only had his prey by the tail.
The pigeon got away, leaving the gull with just a beak-full of feathers. Still, it was hard to imagine a more disturbing omen for peace. And things didn't get any better when a vicious looking crow savaged the other hapless dove.
But Rome's gulls surely love the autumn most, when millions of starlings come to the city. They swarm at dusk. It's one of nature's great air shows.
The flocks make vast, dark, swirling smudges in the sky. Hundreds of thousands of birds moving, almost as one, twisting and turning through the fading light. Then they roost in a screeching mass in the trees along the Tiber.
In ancient Rome the shapes the starlings made in the heavens were watched for signs - a way of knowing the mood of the gods. But these days, the swarms are hunted by the gulls. For them, it must be a sort of banqueting season.
The gulls aren't only bothering the local wildlife. I was at a rooftop bar the other evening. A posh place with white table cloths and a sweeping panorama of the city skyline.
But the gulls were making trouble. They'd perch on the edge of the balcony, almost within touching distance and fix you with a hungry glare. They wanted your snacks.
I watched a big gull make his move. As soon as a table was abandoned he was on it - ravenously gulping down the leftovers on a plate.
Next to us another gull was threatening an assault on a table that was still occupied. A smartly-dressed lady with blonde hair piled high on her head didn't like this, and her male companion was struggling to calm her down.
But it wasn't so much a scene from Hitchcock's The Birds - more of a pantomime really. A gull chick was slithering around on the tiles demanding food from his mother, screeching and screeching.
The restaurant's pianist was doing his best, tinkling away. But the place still sounded like Aberdeen when the trawlers come home.
As soon as we stood up from our table a gull was on it, pecking at the peanuts. A chubby waiter trotted over, and wearily flapped a menu at the big bird.
Those lucky enough to have rooftop apartments must loathe the gulls who become their rowdy neighbours in the nesting season.
The birds can be aggressive if they think you're threatening their chicks. You can be subjected to much squawking, and dive-bombing assaults or even be the target of a well-aimed streak of seagull droppings. That'll spoil your morning on your terrace.
But as it happens I don't live up at the top of a palazzo and I don't mind the gulls. In fact, I reckon these latest arrivals add something to the ancient city.
I like to see flocks of them cooling off in the river when I cross the Tiber on a summer evening. I like to watch them go drifting, wings out-stretched across the red rooftops, gliding gracefully between the domes of the churches in the setting sun.
And they're here to stay. The seagulls have become Romans.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28583052
Which tells us nothing new about modern seagull behaviour (read this thread for other examples) except that the famous Roman starlings now have a rival.
By Alan Johnston, BBC News, Rome
Rome has been invaded by thousands of gulls - the birds boldly steal food, make a mess on statues and have even attacked the Pope's doves of peace.
I was on the bus the other morning, drowsily heading for work, but through the window I spotted something that woke me up - a rather gruesome scene.
On the pavement a big, powerful gull was standing over a pigeon it had killed. Then the gull grabbed the carcass in its beak, launched himself over the top of my bus, dropped into a piazza and starting to tear the pigeon apart.
I suppose I still expect gulls to do the sort of things they're supposed to, like ride the wind on lonely shorelines, follow trawlers, live off scraps of fish - not devour pigeons on city streets.
But in many places these birds are giving up on the sea, and moving to town. Rome is no exception.
For thousands of years it had no nesting gulls. They only began coming in the 1980s, lured by bins and dumps groaning with food chucked away by modern Romans. Now there are tens of thousands of gulls here and this latest invasion of the Eternal City can be a bit barbaric.
Earlier this year Pope Francis was at his window, high above the masses in St Peter's Square. Beside him two children held two, pure white doves of peace. They released them, and the crowd cheered.
Horrifyingly one bird was almost immediately attacked in mid-air by a gull. He got the dove up against a wall of the Pope's palace, but he only had his prey by the tail.
The pigeon got away, leaving the gull with just a beak-full of feathers. Still, it was hard to imagine a more disturbing omen for peace. And things didn't get any better when a vicious looking crow savaged the other hapless dove.
But Rome's gulls surely love the autumn most, when millions of starlings come to the city. They swarm at dusk. It's one of nature's great air shows.
The flocks make vast, dark, swirling smudges in the sky. Hundreds of thousands of birds moving, almost as one, twisting and turning through the fading light. Then they roost in a screeching mass in the trees along the Tiber.
In ancient Rome the shapes the starlings made in the heavens were watched for signs - a way of knowing the mood of the gods. But these days, the swarms are hunted by the gulls. For them, it must be a sort of banqueting season.
The gulls aren't only bothering the local wildlife. I was at a rooftop bar the other evening. A posh place with white table cloths and a sweeping panorama of the city skyline.
But the gulls were making trouble. They'd perch on the edge of the balcony, almost within touching distance and fix you with a hungry glare. They wanted your snacks.
I watched a big gull make his move. As soon as a table was abandoned he was on it - ravenously gulping down the leftovers on a plate.
Next to us another gull was threatening an assault on a table that was still occupied. A smartly-dressed lady with blonde hair piled high on her head didn't like this, and her male companion was struggling to calm her down.
But it wasn't so much a scene from Hitchcock's The Birds - more of a pantomime really. A gull chick was slithering around on the tiles demanding food from his mother, screeching and screeching.
The restaurant's pianist was doing his best, tinkling away. But the place still sounded like Aberdeen when the trawlers come home.
As soon as we stood up from our table a gull was on it, pecking at the peanuts. A chubby waiter trotted over, and wearily flapped a menu at the big bird.
Those lucky enough to have rooftop apartments must loathe the gulls who become their rowdy neighbours in the nesting season.
The birds can be aggressive if they think you're threatening their chicks. You can be subjected to much squawking, and dive-bombing assaults or even be the target of a well-aimed streak of seagull droppings. That'll spoil your morning on your terrace.
But as it happens I don't live up at the top of a palazzo and I don't mind the gulls. In fact, I reckon these latest arrivals add something to the ancient city.
I like to see flocks of them cooling off in the river when I cross the Tiber on a summer evening. I like to watch them go drifting, wings out-stretched across the red rooftops, gliding gracefully between the domes of the churches in the setting sun.
And they're here to stay. The seagulls have become Romans.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28583052
Which tells us nothing new about modern seagull behaviour (read this thread for other examples) except that the famous Roman starlings now have a rival.
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- 54,631
2 August 2014 Last updated at 11:21
Plymouth city centre hawk to ward off gulls
A hawk will be flying above the buildings in Plymouth city centre to ward off gulls targeting people's food.
A harris hawk, named Izzy, has been trained to fly, but not attack, gulls to scare them away.
Plymouth City Council and the Plymouth City Centre Company will start the hawk patrol as they continue a campaign asking people not to feed the gulls.
The patrol will happen every Tuesday from now until the end of September.
Councillor Brian Vincent said: "By removing the food source, we are making it harder for them and with a hawk dropping in; they will get the message that they are not welcome."
Stefan Krause, city centre manager, added: "There are no quick fixes and there is no single solution, but using a range of measures, we hope that the gulls will begin to change their behaviour."
Councillor Vincent said harris hawks are ideal for this particular job as they are intelligent and responsive to their handlers and tend to fly only short distances.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-28621268
Plymouth city centre hawk to ward off gulls
A hawk will be flying above the buildings in Plymouth city centre to ward off gulls targeting people's food.
A harris hawk, named Izzy, has been trained to fly, but not attack, gulls to scare them away.
Plymouth City Council and the Plymouth City Centre Company will start the hawk patrol as they continue a campaign asking people not to feed the gulls.
The patrol will happen every Tuesday from now until the end of September.
Councillor Brian Vincent said: "By removing the food source, we are making it harder for them and with a hawk dropping in; they will get the message that they are not welcome."
Stefan Krause, city centre manager, added: "There are no quick fixes and there is no single solution, but using a range of measures, we hope that the gulls will begin to change their behaviour."
Councillor Vincent said harris hawks are ideal for this particular job as they are intelligent and responsive to their handlers and tend to fly only short distances.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-28621268
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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Perhaps they should try a python.
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- 54,631
Nauti But Ice tools up to deal with Porthleven's seagull threat
By wbchris | Posted: August 08, 2014
AN ICE CREAM shop has come up with a novel way of dealing with a village’s seagull problem during the busiest six weeks of their year.
Nauti But Ice in Porthleven, now has in-house water shooters that customers and staff can use to fend off seagulls swooping down to steal leftover lunches or ice creams.
David Page, who owns the business with his wife Lucy, says that the defensive measures have been a great success so far.
“We’ve been doing this for around a month now and we’re not sure how it started but it’s been a good deterrent.
“We sell the water shooters in our shop and one day a member of staff suggested that it could be a good way to keep the seagulls at bay.
“The seagulls are ingenious and cunning, especially when the mother and fathers are looking for food for their babies.
“They would swoop, land on the tables and when they would fly away they would knock everything over resulting in lots of broken crockery and a lot of mess.”
Mr Page also explained how staff would have to run outside as soon as customers left their table to clean up before the seagulls would pounce.
When a seagull did manage to perch on a table, Mr Page’s staff previously had to rush outside clapping and shouting to try and force the birds away.
The gulls also took a particular liking to Rodda’s Cream Teas and would regularly make a bid to grab the leftover treats.
“Now, thanks to the water squirters the seagulls fly away as soon as they see our staff or customers reaching for the device.
“They are a great source of fun and amusement for our younger customers and the customers don’t mind because it’s not doing the birds any harm.
“They have very good range and can even be used to squirt the seagulls on the roof as they are eyeing up their swoop.”
http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Nauti-Ice-t ... story.html
At my previous flat I had trouble with pigeons trying to nest on a ledge under my window. I bought a small plastic syringe, and used that as a water pistol to chase them off.
By wbchris | Posted: August 08, 2014
AN ICE CREAM shop has come up with a novel way of dealing with a village’s seagull problem during the busiest six weeks of their year.
Nauti But Ice in Porthleven, now has in-house water shooters that customers and staff can use to fend off seagulls swooping down to steal leftover lunches or ice creams.
David Page, who owns the business with his wife Lucy, says that the defensive measures have been a great success so far.
“We’ve been doing this for around a month now and we’re not sure how it started but it’s been a good deterrent.
“We sell the water shooters in our shop and one day a member of staff suggested that it could be a good way to keep the seagulls at bay.
“The seagulls are ingenious and cunning, especially when the mother and fathers are looking for food for their babies.
“They would swoop, land on the tables and when they would fly away they would knock everything over resulting in lots of broken crockery and a lot of mess.”
Mr Page also explained how staff would have to run outside as soon as customers left their table to clean up before the seagulls would pounce.
When a seagull did manage to perch on a table, Mr Page’s staff previously had to rush outside clapping and shouting to try and force the birds away.
The gulls also took a particular liking to Rodda’s Cream Teas and would regularly make a bid to grab the leftover treats.
“Now, thanks to the water squirters the seagulls fly away as soon as they see our staff or customers reaching for the device.
“They are a great source of fun and amusement for our younger customers and the customers don’t mind because it’s not doing the birds any harm.
“They have very good range and can even be used to squirt the seagulls on the roof as they are eyeing up their swoop.”
http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Nauti-Ice-t ... story.html
At my previous flat I had trouble with pigeons trying to nest on a ledge under my window. I bought a small plastic syringe, and used that as a water pistol to chase them off.
GingerTabby
Carbon-based life form
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Well done! Some years ago an elderly neighbour of mine used a super soaker for that very task.
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- Aug 7, 2001
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- 54,631
St Ives gull pasty swoop caught on camera
7 July 2015
The gull "embedded its beak" into the pasty at St Ives
A gull has been caught on camera as it swooped to steal a Cornish pasty from a woman's hand.
Natalie Jones, 33, hoped to "make her friends jealous" with a seaside snap in St Ives, on Cornwall's north coast.
But the "perfect" moment at Porthgwidden beach was ruined when a gull suddenly swooped down to take a bite out of Miss Jones' pasty.
Miss Jones, from Glasgow, said: "Just as I went to take the picture I felt something on my head."
She was "amazed" to find the picture captured the "microsecond" when the gull struck and showed its "really vicious claws and the beak embedded into the pasty".
The gull managed to fly away with a beak full of pasty and Miss Jones discarded the rest.
The civil servant was unhurt but said the incident "could have been quite serious".
St Ives has had repeated problems with gulls stealing food and the town council has previously drafted in hawks and falcons to tackle the scavenging birds.
Linda Taylor, Mayor of St Ives, said the problem of gulls was worsened by people feeding the birds.
She said: "Some people still think it's amusing to throw food on the floor and watch seagulls descend like the Alfred Hitchcock film [The Birds]."
Signs have been put up around St Ives warning the public to protect their food when eating outside.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-33418312
Always face downwind when eating in gull-infested areas. That deters them from creeping up on you from behind, as this one did.
(I've probably posted that before, up-thread, but it bears repeating!)
7 July 2015
The gull "embedded its beak" into the pasty at St Ives
A gull has been caught on camera as it swooped to steal a Cornish pasty from a woman's hand.
Natalie Jones, 33, hoped to "make her friends jealous" with a seaside snap in St Ives, on Cornwall's north coast.
But the "perfect" moment at Porthgwidden beach was ruined when a gull suddenly swooped down to take a bite out of Miss Jones' pasty.
Miss Jones, from Glasgow, said: "Just as I went to take the picture I felt something on my head."
She was "amazed" to find the picture captured the "microsecond" when the gull struck and showed its "really vicious claws and the beak embedded into the pasty".
The gull managed to fly away with a beak full of pasty and Miss Jones discarded the rest.
The civil servant was unhurt but said the incident "could have been quite serious".
St Ives has had repeated problems with gulls stealing food and the town council has previously drafted in hawks and falcons to tackle the scavenging birds.
Linda Taylor, Mayor of St Ives, said the problem of gulls was worsened by people feeding the birds.
She said: "Some people still think it's amusing to throw food on the floor and watch seagulls descend like the Alfred Hitchcock film [The Birds]."
Signs have been put up around St Ives warning the public to protect their food when eating outside.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-33418312
Always face downwind when eating in gull-infested areas. That deters them from creeping up on you from behind, as this one did.
(I've probably posted that before, up-thread, but it bears repeating!)
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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- Eblana
Seagulls killed a pet tortoise in Cornwall, according to its owners who have given the latest report of an attack in the South West.
Jan Byrne, 43, from Liskeard, said the birds swooped on tortoise Stig who died two days later from his injuries.
"They turned him over and were pecking at him. We were devastated," said Mrs Byrne.
It follows reports of two dogs being killed by seagulls in the past three months in the region.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-33547126
Jan Byrne, 43, from Liskeard, said the birds swooped on tortoise Stig who died two days later from his injuries.
"They turned him over and were pecking at him. We were devastated," said Mrs Byrne.
It follows reports of two dogs being killed by seagulls in the past three months in the region.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-33547126