Seagulls a serious pest?

[Snipper]

Been to Southwold, in Suffolk today, that I have visited over many years. Amazed and disgusted at the vast number of seagulls that are now polluting the place. 

Their droppings or should I say blooming their great dollops of poo are over everything. Houses, roads, cars and I am sorry to say I saw one poor person. They also strut around, squark and thieve.  No wonder they are called super dupere hawks  

What to do about them as I believe they they are protected?  Goodness knows why. If they were furry with long bald tails there would be a major project for eradication. 

[A.J]

hailing from Torbay, they are utter pests IMO causing havoc in the town, even attacking both adults and kids alike for food....they nested on chimney pots dive bombing anyone in sight

[Snipper]

Is there anyone out there who can explain why they are protected?

Shoot the lot as far as I am concerned. 

Edited August 2, 2017 by Snipper

[Methuselah]

5 minutes ago, Snipper said:

Is there anyone out there who can explain why they are protected?

Shoot the lot as far as I am concerned. 

Pass! Or should one be living in Scotland - Bealach!

[Snipper]

16 minutes ago, Ed Stone said:

Pass! Or should one be living in Scotland - Bealach!

Sorry but don't understand your response. You can shot these vermin there?

[Methuselah]

Just now, Snipper said:

Sorry but don't understand your response. You can shot these vermin there?

My apologies, Snipper - bealach is Gaelic for 'pass'...Maybe not the same sort of pass, I am not sure...But seagulls are vermin to me also...But, hey, Polish immigrants eat them!

[Snipper]

1 minute ago, Ed Stone said:

My apologies, Snipper - bealach is Gaelic for 'pass'...Maybe not the same sort of pass, I am not sure...But seagulls are vermin to me also...But, hey, Polish immigrants eat them!

Sorry didn't realise I was dealing with cultured person well versed in languages. 

Bring the the immigrants on then. Shooting might be quicker. Seagulls not immigrants. 

[Methuselah]

4 minutes ago, Snipper said:

Sorry didn't realise I was dealing with cultured person well versed in languages. 

Bring the the immigrants on then. Shooting might be quicker. Seagulls not immigrants. 

You're not, I can assure you!

[Mokidugway]

I've shot a few , allegedly.....

[Snipper]

12 minutes ago, Mokidugway said:

I've shot a few , allegedly.....

Fortunately none round here. Just them wood pigeons. One less just 3 minutes ago. 

[knocker]

I don't have a problem with them dive bombing children who are a positive menace this time of year. And a quick word in case anyone is thinking of popping into Looe. The local commando are not keen on vinegar on their chips.

Edited August 2, 2017 by knocker

[Snipper]

8 minutes ago, knocker said:

 

Always wondered what you looked like  

 

[Guest]

Vermin.....cull them. If i could have a Peregrine Falcon 'on guard' at Chez BB i would.

[Dami]

Coming from the south coast they are annoying at best. Loud, messy and somewhat dangerous to eaters of ice creams.

 

[Weather-history]

I have seen them take ice cream off a cone, one was hassling an elderly woman in a scooter who was eating an ice cream until I shooed it away.

It's not just gulls, pigeons are a nuisance when they flock under bridges. There is a motorway bridge going over a B road not far away from where I live. The droppings, feathers etc under that bridge is terrible despite the anti pigeon measures.

[Weather-history]

One question, since the sea gulls are helping themselves to regular ice cream, fish and chips and other snacks, why are more not croaking it from high cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases? 

 

 

[Mokidugway]

4 minutes ago, Weather-history said:

One question, since the sea gulls are helping themselves to regular ice cream, fish and chips and other snacks, why are more not croaking it from high cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases? 

 

 

Would they need a cardiovasgullar surgeon ? .....

[lassie23]

have them in london but they give all the gangs and chavs a wide bearth

[karyo]

I have noticed an increase in the city centre but I quite enjoy their sound. Makes me think that I am on holiday.

 

[Methuselah]

6 minutes ago, karyo said:

I have noticed an increase in the city centre but I quite enjoy their sound. Makes me think that I am on holiday.

 

Aye...there's nowt like tartar sauce from heaven!

[karyo]

2 minutes ago, Ed Stone said:

Aye...there's nowt like tartar sauce from heaven!

I haven't had tartar sauce for years! Am I missing out?

[Methuselah]

Just now, karyo said:

I haven't had tartar sauce for years! Am I missing out?

No, not really.

But - I kid you not - when I was working in a fish factory, in the Sneck, someone thought that a plastic owl would keep the seagulls away...on day one, they stayed away; on day two, they didn't; on day three, they were shagging it!

Persistent wee scheidts aren't they!

[Wildswimmer Pete]

16 hours ago, Weather-history said:

One question, since the sea gulls are helping themselves to regular ice cream, fish and chips and other snacks, why are more not croaking it from high cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases? 

 

 

Probably because they don't live all that long.  Those complaints only generally affect humans in later life.

Seagulls in Llandudno have learned to dive-bomb folk coming out of chippies by tactical sh*tting on their chips knowing the meal will be thrown away for the avian thieves to gorge upon.  All along the North Wales beaches and promenades there are notices warning about not feeding the gulls,  

Gulls also feast on the juicy bits floating in the primary settlement tanks of the local sewage works which is why seagull poo is heaving with human pathogens.  Should a gull "bless" you, you need to wash it off if possible, but whatever you do thoroughly wash your hands before touching food.

[karyo]

11 minutes ago, Ed Stone said:

No, not really.

But - I kid you not - when I was working in a fish factory, in the Sneck, someone thought that a plastic owl would keep the seagulls away...on day one, they stayed away; on day two, they didn't; on day three, they were shagging it!

Persistent wee scheidts aren't they!

Indeed and it also shows that they are clever. They are learning and evolving.

[Methuselah]

18 minutes ago, karyo said:

Indeed and it also shows that they are clever. They are learning and evolving.

I'm not sure whether we underestimate animal-intelligence or overestimate our own - or both - but dogs, cats, monkeys, birds and squirrels might well have smaller brains than us but, by-and-large, they have smaller bodies too...

Edited August 3, 2017 by Ed Stone