seagulls

[mollybrown]

hi i am from dumfriesshire in the borders and would like to know if seagulls are thought of as buetifull or vermon. they are trying to get rid of them here and i just remember them as amazing creatures we used to feed as children ans indeed took our children to feed and now hopefully our grandchildren. i think it is such a pity that such a buetifull bird should be eradicated from anywhere.
so can someone explain to me why

[nightshade]

Superb flyers, a joy to watch. We only used to see them when there were strong enough winds on the coast to push them inland.
Now it is a different story, they found our waste tips and loved them for the easy pickings. Then they started nesting in our towns and cities and unfortunately the mess and territorial aggression made them unwelcome neighbours. We see flocks coming from the direction of Bath now, where they seem to roost and joining Rooks and Crows in the fields, or tearing open bin bags with those huge yellow beaks, they even prey on the feral pigeons around the town centre. A bird out of its environment becoming a pest species.

[mollybrown]

makes sense but then so does the fact that the greatest survivors are those who can survive or prosper within there given enviroment and or change there enviroment so they can survive. and i,m sure if they are chased away from here they will find somwhere else to live but its a crying shame that my grandchildren will see them more as pests that one of natures buety,s

[nightshade]

Any species that prospers (beautiful or not) Rats, Grey Squirrel, Cockroaches,
come into conflict with humans when they move in close to us as their large numbers and lack of hygeine bring disease to us.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Any species that prospers (beautiful or not) Rats, Grey Squirrel, Cockroaches,
come into conflict with humans when they move in close to us as their large numbers and lack of hygeine bring disease to us.

All three 'species' that you mention here can be considered to be different from gulls because they have only reached the UK because they were transported, whether deliberately or unwittingly, by man (there are native cockroach species, but these are not generally found in human habitation).

As far as hygiene and disease are concerned, I would suggest that the blame largely lies with humans. With the exception of Grey Squirrels, which largely come int contact with man only because they are deliberately fed, the main reason for the other species to be around humans is that they are attracted by the waste that we produce in such large quantities that we are now starting to find it difficult to know what to do with it. It has already been said that gulls have mainly been attracted inland by the easy pickings at rubbish dumps (they also scavenge dropped takeaway food etc. in the streets), and it is common knowledge that rats and cockroaches are mainly a problem where refuse, including food waste, is allowed to collect without being properly contained. The majority of cases where the transmitable diseases that animals carry are stated are also exaggerated - many animals do carry diseases that humans can catch, but the number of cases of this actually happening is generally very low (and would be even lower if we didn't attract them to live among us).

If these species are a problem, the best way to deal with them is to target the quantity of waste that we produce and find better ways of dealing with it - you can't blame animals for taking advantage of our bad hygiene.

[aeshna5]

Very well expressed comment by Roy which I totally agree with.

[nightshade]

I agree as well I should not reply at 3.00am, reading my reply does not make much sense

[snackdahl]

Living within a few hundred yards of the coast, we get lots of seagulls feeding in the garden and nesting on the roof tops. Yes, it can be a pain when the young decide to leave the nest and end up trapped in the garden as the parents will attack you if you try and help Its also annoying when they chase all the smaller birds off the food, in fact I probably feed more seagulls, feral pigeons and jackdaws than anything else, but hey, they've got to feed as well and are beautiful and very intelligent birds to watch.

[Wild-Woman]

Status for Herring Gulls is red, others Amber I believe, including Black-headed Gulls.

I think it's time to stop any persecution of these fabulous birds. Leave them be. I rather suffer a few gull droppings rather than dog poo any day.

[mollybrown]

amazing comments and discussion i totally agree with the better managment of waste and see now i,m not the only person that sees these birds as intelegent and survivors. you never now they might acctually win out and maybe my grandchildren will see them the same way rather than just pests.