# General > Birdwatching >  who's protecting people from seagulls

## Tom Cornwall

On a visit to Wick during Gala week, we were amazed about the lack of complaints that were made about the seagull situation.
We stayed in West Banks Terrace, and were subjected to repeated attacks, and dive-bombing, by the seagulls. We couldnt walk down the street, during the great weather, without carrying an umbrella, to beat off these attackers. On one occasion, a black cat, at the bottom of the street, was almost carried away, when a seagull landed on its back. My brother had to seek shelter under a tree, and phone for his wife to pick him up in their car, to escape the attentions of more seagulls.
This behaviour is not confined to just West Banks, it happens all over town. The noise was tremendous, from first light to dark. The gulls were sitting on the roofs and chimneys up and down the street.
We were told these seagulls are protected. By whom, .. the Mafia? Surely something can be down, after all people should be protected as well.
What are the council going to do about this menace? Probably, just sit on their hands.

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## tiggertoo

you make at sound like a alfred hitchcock film i've watched, well exagirated as i've posted before in defence of seagulls, the blame lies at the hands of the fishermen who emptied the sea of there source of food so they have had to move inland to scavange for food to survive and for attacking they only think your a threat to there young, would you not protect your kids if you thought they were under threat, if this is all you have to moan about when there is more serious things happening in this world i think you should get a life,and the next time your stuffing your face with a fish supper just remember a seagull could o had that and you could o stuck till a sausage supper

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## Mystical Potato Head

It does sound as if its the West Bank of JORDAN,not Wick.  ::

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## tonkatojo

> you make at sound like a alfred hitchcock film i've watched, well exagirated as i've posted before in defence of seagulls, the blame lies at the hands of the fishermen who emptied the sea of there source of food so they have had to move inland to scavange for food to survive and for attacking they only think your a threat to there young, would you not protect your kids if you thought they were under threat, if this is all you have to moan about when there is more serious things happening in this world i think you should get a life,and the next time your stuffing your face with a fish supper just remember a seagull could o had that and you could o stuck till a sausage supper



perhaps you should look at the food chain in modern life, the gulls were designed to scavenge and clean the oceans/shores after bigger fish in the food chain left scraps floating around. now they serve no purpose and are flying nuisances, crapping in the towns and cities. How many gannets do you see in town/city , That's because they are designed to fish.

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## Kenn

Hate to say this but there has been a pair of gannets breeding down here on a tall building for the last three years. 
Now if they dive bombed you that would be serious, be thankful you only have gulls to deal with for a few weeks of the year as they protect their offspring.

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## Fran

I have never had problems with them and i  have never seen them going for people. In fact, one seagull and its chic come regularly for a bit of bread and will take it from my hand. I must admit, i do feel sorry for them, we have taken away their food.

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## Tom Cornwall

> you make at sound like a alfred hitchcock film i've watched, well exagirated as i've posted before in defence of seagulls, the blame lies at the hands of the fishermen who emptied the sea of there source of food so they have had to move inland to scavange for food to survive and for attacking they only think your a threat to there young, would you not protect your kids if you thought they were under threat, if this is all you have to moan about when there is more serious things happening in this world i think you should get a life,and the next time your stuffing your face with a fish supper just remember a seagull could o had that and you could o stuck till a sausage supper


I wasn't exagerating a bit, and unless the gulls kids were in the street, I wasn't even near a gull. I think they were doing it out of badness...also, tigger, you probably live out in the country where the biggest thing to cause you trouble would probably be a rabbit...scratching at your wheelie bin, no doubt..or perhaps, you're like Fran, encouraging them, by feeding them by hand...little wonder they won't go back to the cliffs, life's too easy on the streets of Wick...

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## girnigoe

> In fact, one seagull and its chic come regularly for a bit of bread and will take it from my hand.


Dont you know that is ILLEGAL!!!  ::  Its people doing things like this that is causing the problem in the first place!  THEY ARE DANGEROUS!!! I know of a few people who have been "dive bombed" by them and have had to have stitches in their heads.   ::

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## tiggertoo

> Dont you know that is ILLEGAL!!!  Its people doing things like this that is causing the problem in the first place! THEY ARE DANGEROUS!!! I know of a few people who have been "dive bombed" by them and have had to have stitches in their heads.


well i'm always feeding seagulls and also have them swooping down past me but it doesn't bother me and i dont care if it is illegal ,it wont stop me feeding them we are all gods creatures and have the right to be on this planet, who are we as humans  to say whether we can feed other gods creatures who only want to survive its our instinct ,us humans are the ones destroying this planet we live on and there are more of us that are a menace to society than to complain about a seagull who only wants to eat,we should live in a world where the lion can lay down with the lamb,and share our food with others that are not as fortunate as us,we are all gods creatures after all.

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## Tom Cornwall

> well i'm always feeding seagulls and also have them swooping down past me but it doesn't bother me and i dont care if it is illegal ,it wont stop me feeding them we are all gods creatures and have the right to be on this planet, who are we as humans  to say whether we can feed other gods creatures who only want to survive its our instinct ,us humans are the ones destroying this planet we live on and there are more of us that are a menace to society than to complain about a seagull who only wants to eat,we should live in a world where the lion can lay down with the lamb,and share our food with others that are not as fortunate as us,we are all gods creatures after all.


if that's the way you want it, why don't you stop wasting the food on scavengers, and give it to PEOPLE, who need food to eat,, do it for your fellow man...people tell me that pigeons are rats with wings..I wouldn't put seagulls much higher...apparently it's environmentalist who've ruined it for the gulls...when the fishermen were in wick harbour, gutting the fish, the seagulls had a good living, but when the environists put quotas on the fishing industry, the gutting is no more... so it's you do-gooders who've caused it.

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## nirofo

> if that's the way you want it, why don't you stop wasting the food on scavengers, and give it to PEOPLE, who need food to eat,, do it for your fellow man...people tell me that pigeons are rats with wings..I wouldn't put seagulls much higher...apparently it's environmentalist who've ruined it for the gulls...when the fishermen were in wick harbour, gutting the fish, the seagulls had a good living, but when the environists put quotas on the fishing industry, the gutting is no more... so it's you do-gooders who've caused it.


 
Why do you think they put quotas on the fishing industry ???????

_nirofo._

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## Mystical Potato Head

> well i'm always feeding seagulls and also have them swooping down past me but it doesn't bother me and i dont care if it is illegal ,it wont stop me feeding them we are all gods creatures and have the right to be on this planet, who are we as humans  to say whether we can feed other gods creatures who only want to survive its our instinct ,us humans are the ones destroying this planet we live on and there are more of us that are a menace to society than to complain about a seagull who only wants to eat,we should live in a world where the lion can lay down with the lamb,and share our food with others that are not as fortunate as us,we are all gods creatures after all.


People like you who throw out your kitchen leftovers,whole slices of bread/rolls etc into your garden are the reason gulls end up away from the shore and perch on rooftops at the crack of dawn noisily waiting for the idiots to feed them.
You have no consideration for people with washing out or who pay to have their windows cleaned,only to have them covered with crap because countless gulls appear that wouldn't normally be there.
As for your "i dont care if its illegal" attitude,i'll do as i please,well laws are put in place for a reason,whether you agree with them or not.
If we all adopted your attitude then its total anarchy.
So spare me the moral high ground, gods creatures/who are we as humans diatribe.
Gulls are hardly starving nor are there any members of the gull family who are even near the endangered species list.
They'll survive quite happily without your help.

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## Tom Cornwall

> Why do you think they put quotas on the fishing industry ???????
> 
> _nirofo._


probably thinking that it would get rid of the seagull problem without any of the 'protection' bother

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## girnigoe

> People like you who throw out your kitchen leftovers,whole slices of bread/rolls etc into your garden are the reason gulls end up away from the shore and perch on rooftops at the crack of dawn noisily waiting for the idiots to feed them.
> You have no consideration for people with washing out or who pay to have their windows cleaned,only to have them covered with crap because countless gulls appear that wouldn't normally be there.
> As for your "i dont care if its illegal" attitude,i'll do as i please,well laws are put in place for a reason,whether you agree with them or not.
> If we all adopted your attitude then its total anarchy.
> So spare me the moral high ground, gods creatures/who are we as humans diatribe.
> Gulls are hardly starving nor are there any members of the gull family who are even near the endangered species list.
> They'll survive quite happily without your help.


BRILLIANT!!  I agree 100%.  Couldnt have put it better myself!!  :Grin:

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## Margaret M.

> We stayed in West Banks Terrace, and were subjected to repeated attacks, and dive-bombing, by the seagulls. We couldnt walk down the street, during the great weather, without carrying an umbrella, to beat off these attackers.


I was in the area for a couple of weeks and had no problem with the seagulls.  They must have sensed that you despise them.   :Grin:

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## Aaldtimer

I've seen the problem of "bold" seagulls for a long time. Peterhead in the mid 70's, Kyle of Lochalsh late 70's, here since moving to Thurso 30 years ago, and most recently in the busy streets of Dundee earlier this year.
They are the supreme survivors, they're only doing what's natural to them...picking up food where and when they can get it!
At Dounreay there were areas where they had nests and chicks...woe betide anyone who went anywhere near when the chicks were about!
It's NATURE...live with it!  ::

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## tiggertoo



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## Tom Cornwall

> I was in the area for a couple of weeks and had no problem with the seagulls.  They must have sensed that you despise them.


margaret, seagulls don't get into pubs, they're probably underage

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## Margaret M.

> margaret, seagulls don't get into pubs, they're probably underage


Naw, I'm pretty much a teetotaller so pubs are not my hangout of choice.  I was vexed to have missed the talent show in the Camps Bar during Gala Week though -- I understand there were some great acts.

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## cmp

Last year we had lots of problems with seaguls, they would dive bomb u in the garden, when ever we had the back door open they would sit on the fence trying to get in the door, all because a neighbour fed the things, morning noon and night,

they arae noisy messy things.

one lovely summer morning i left my back door open,went up stairs and heard a big noise crashing about in the kitchen, when i came down it was a blooming seagul sitting on my work top, it had knocked the herb plants over, juice, there was feathers all over the place and when i tried to go near it, it was diving for me.  eventually helped it out with a brush!

since then we have not had many seaguls, as we have been pretending to throw the kids footballs at them and they soon get fed up and stay clear.

they are a nuisance.

flying rats!

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