Seagulls issue

gadget88

Seems of get worse every year. The street behind me is impassable due to the gulls. I have been chased to my front door. Other day I was stranded in a street under a tree for ten minutes as the birds wouldn’t go. I reported this to my local council what can they do? I see people being swooped at the taxi ranks ect I feel there is a real safety issue here and will put tourists off. And this goes on two months every year. How can something be done about this? 

FreeBear

gadget88 said:

Seems of get worse every year. The street behind me is impassable due to the gulls. I have been chased to my front door. Other day I was stranded in a street under a tree for ten minutes as the birds wouldn’t go. I reported this to my local council what can they do? I see people being swooped at the taxi ranks ect I feel there is a real safety issue here and will put tourists off. And this goes on two months every year. How can something be done about this? 

You need to clean up the area and get rid of all the rubbish that is attracting the gulls. If that means a cull of the tourists, so be it. It is not an issue that the council on its own can deal with - Everyone needs to be on board, local residents and visitors.

Bradden

What would you like the council to do? Short of going out and shooting them which may not be practicable. Has anyone been injured by these birds?

elsien

Gulls are a protected species so the council are limited on their options. 

You could however see if they will support with education for local residents, Along the line of this council.

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/business-1/pest-gull-control-services/3

Devongardener

Our local council have used a man with a hawk to regularly fly in the worst affected areas and it definitely helps scatter the gulls. They also use loud recorded bird distress noises at  the local recycling centre which is adjacent to the site where household waste is processed, but they don’t take as much notice as that!

twopenny

We have the problem of take away food, fast food joints and supermarkets. That's what attracts the gulls.

The bins are stuffed with food wrappers and food. It's dropped on the ground in the car parks.

Yes, they will be on the ground in July for a few days. That's the flying ant swarm that happens then.

They swoop because they are nesting in the area and are protecting their nests. I used to find it a problem when walking home at night. Scarey but that's all they were doing, warning me off.

So you need a concerted effort of closed bins (which have become a feature on seafronts now) - people being considerate and not dumping stuff.

Then attach the spiky things to the rooves of big buildings.

Perhaps you could get a local grant going for people to have chimneys protected against gulls nesting.

But trying to stop the tourists feeding the gulls is a whole other matter.

stuart45

gadget88 said:

Seems of get worse every year. The street behind me is impassable due to the gulls. I have been chased to my front door. Other day I was stranded in a street under a tree for ten minutes as the birds wouldn’t go. I reported this to my local council what can they do? I see people being swooped at the taxi ranks ect I feel there is a real safety issue here and will put tourists off. And this goes on two months every year. How can something be done about this? 

Get yourself a hard hat, an umbrella and a pet Harris Hawk. Feeding them Alka Seltzers is a myth and doesn't work.

jackieblack

FreeBear said:

gadget88 said:

Seems of get worse every year. The street behind me is impassable due to the gulls. I have been chased to my front door. Other day I was stranded in a street under a tree for ten minutes as the birds wouldn’t go. I reported this to my local council what can they do? I see people being swooped at the taxi ranks ect I feel there is a real safety issue here and will put tourists off. And this goes on two months every year. How can something be done about this? 

If that means a cull of the tourists, so be it.

Slaughtering tourists seems a little extreme 😱😁

Brie

Culling tourists won't help.  The gulls in our area have learned to wait for people going into the local Greggs and follow them in and shoplift the sandwiches and crisps.

fatbelly

They are natural scavengers. I do sympathise with the op. The town I grew up in is now plagued with them, and I don't recall any as a child. They seem to have driven out the smaller species too. 

It's not a tourist town

p00hsticks

Dress up as an eagle ?
Whitby man in eagle costume deters seagulls from stealing food - BBC News