Seagulls!

Jimmithecat

Does anyone have any idea on how to scare off seagulls from a garden.
They are very large and muscular with hooked beaks and unfortunately the are becoming increasingly bold.
The problem is at my mothers house - the window cleaner last week would not clean the windows as they were flying at him and today my brother was doing some gardening and was viciously attacked with them flying for his head.
When this happened last year my mother was told that they are protected and were just being good parents as they were likely to have chicks in the nest.
Does anyone have any idea what we could do to scare them off? My mother’s house is approx 500m from the sea and we have checked and do not see a nest anywhere- it is a built up area and so the noise of a bird scarer will be unsuitable - but what about one of these hawk kites?
[URL="http://https://www.peregrinehawkkites.com

Justagardener

The kites do work well. There is a building near by which has one and not a bird insight. We use green lasers to keep geese of a riverside property..oddly it only works on Canada geese, no other goose! Also works on pigeons and crows. We do only use the lasers at low level though due to the aircraft.

Davesnave

Depends on the size of the garden. In a small one, common in seaside urban areas, anything that disrupts the flight path, like electric fencing wire stretched between poles 9' high, might do the job and not look too unsightly. However, if something easier, like lasers or an imitation hawk work, I'd try them first before erecting physical barriers.

Sea_Shell

We were in a pub garden near the seaside last week, and they had an electronic Seagull repellent.

It gave off a high pitched twiddly-twiddly-twee sound (think those rows of chimes percussionists use) every 20 seconds or so. I don't know how effective it was, but they didn't nick our chips!!!

It was a little bit annoying though, as I could hear it, although it wasn't very loud, so doubt it'd be heard from outside the garden. DH couldn't, even when I explained what he should be listening for!!!! If it's outside your range of hearing, you won't notice it!!

JohnB47

I wonder if some very long canes, either stuck into the soil or propped up somehow, would deter them?

[Deleted User]

I agree, they're a very large bird - and sea bird, we shouldn't have them in towns :mad:
I use those laser pens too and they work on the seagulls here, they don't like that little green dot near them, they fly away from it.

I live by the beach and these awful birds definitely rule the roost around here, nesting on flat roofs etc.


They dive bomb anything and anyone (humans, dogs, cats, doesn't matter) if they have a young one within the vaguest vicinity and they're very, very, aggressive.


There is a neighbour a few doors down that puts food out and they flock all around the neighbouring gardens, but they have now started flying into the seed feeders that i put out for the finches, which makes them fall to the ground - then they eat everything there.


I moved the feeders into some bushes and they slam into the bushes to get to the feeders - I now don't put seeds out for the small birds, sadly that's the way things will have to be now


They broke the single glazing of a friends window by slamming into it when he were moving around inside the room !
Sounds funny but quite scary !

MartinGardener

I'd prescribe a large aggressive cat or a couple of terriers.


Simples.

Davesnave

MartinGardener wrote: »

I'd prescribe a large aggressive cat or a couple of terriers.
Simples.

They might be simple, but on MSE we should ask, "Are they cheap and/or value for money?


Besides, a dog is for life, not just for seagulls.

DaftyDuck

A £1 washing up bowl on a balcony keeps them and their parents sweet. They used to like sitting in the flowerpots in the garden too. Used to knock on the bedroom door at 5am, asking for breakfast. Each July evening, we'd have to collect the young from the garden, put them back on the balcony, away from the fox. Parents watched, with a wary eye, but they'd learned we meant no harm!



That's the first year we were at that house; they came back each year, for four more years. Same pair of parents, normally with one (:() youngster in tow. Started off using a blanket to get them up, then ended up using a cat voyager. Kept everybody happy (except the fox!)



Might not be everyone's choice, but they won't threaten you, if you don't them. By having one dominant pair occupy our garden, no other gull came near, and these adults really did trust us with their young. They were no problem at all. Well, except for the 5am wake-up on the glass door to the balcony!

andrewf75

Catsacor wrote: »

we shouldn't have them in towns :mad:

Appreciate they can be annoying, but that is a bit of an arrogant statement.

Given how we are trashing natural habitats all over the place, it’s not for us to say where they should or shouldn’t be.

I think maybe if you accept their right to be there, you’d be less annoyed by them.