Llandudno's Seagull Problem

[Ian]

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Regardless of the reason for the attack, the attack still occurs and the person gets injured - that is the point. It's unacceptable, whether it's a dog, gull or any other creature responsible.

But what if it was a cow protecting its calf? Reason has a lot to do with it.

[DaveR]

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Regardless of the reason for the attack, the attack still occurs and the person gets injured - that is the point. It's unacceptable, whether it's a dog, gull or any other creature responsible.

But what if it was a cow protecting its calf? Reason has a lot to do with it.

That's not likely to happen in central Llandudno, Ian! We're talking about people being attacked by gulls in the grounds of their own houses or when walking down the street. It's really not acceptable.

[Ian]

Yes, but Llandudno is a semi-rural area. Think about this: would you fence in the Ormes  completely because some folk might fall off? All I'm saying is that  part of our attraction is the very wildness that concerns you.

[Quiggs]

There used to be a Bye Laws Inspector who monitored the Promenade, to enforce the Bye Laws, such as the no feeding of the gulls. I think his name was Jack Richards, perhaps his position was not replaced when he retired,   

[Yorkie]

As far as I know there has not been a bye-laws Inspector for at least 20 years.  Under the Harbour Meister, Tony Mead, there was 1 Promenade Inspector, 1 Imperial Slipway Attendant, 1 Deck Chair Attendant and a Seaboard Inspector who checked Safety Equipment on all the Water sides.  These people were all employed on a purely Seasonal basis from April to September but had no instructions regarding feeding seagulls or its prevention.  Other staff were employed in Conwy on Harbour duties.

The original Bye-laws Inspector had duties mainly within the Town Centre Area.  ZXZ

[DaveR]

Yes, but Llandudno is a semi-rural area. Think about this: would you fence in the Ormes  completely because some folk might fall off? All I'm saying is that  part of our attraction is the very wildness that concerns you.

But we're not talking about what goes on up on the Orme, really. The issue is Gulls nesting in ever greater numbers every year in an urban environment and becoming aggressive towards residents and visitors. They are moving into the town, not vice versa, and this is a problem that can only get worse and worse. Typically, CCBC's response is to ignore it until it becomes a crisis.

"Peter Rock, an avian expert who claims to know more about urban seagulls than anyone else on the planet, has been warning of their ascent for some time but it is only recently, as the scale of the problem has become apparent, that officials have begun to listen to him.

The invasion of the urban gulls began, quietly and cautiously, almost a century ago. The authoritative guide to British bird life, Birds Britannica, records that herring gulls 'were the original pioneers' of nesting on buildings and breeding on roof-tops, a habit they acquired only in the 1920s.

The lesser black back was 'a relative latecomer to the habit. The first recorded instance was on factory rooftops in Glamorgan in 1945 [and] by 1970 there were still only 60 pairs nesting on buildings throughout the country.'

The numbers are now extraordinary  -  and you don't even have to live by the sea to be under threat. At the last count, back in 2004, Gloucester had 1,996 pairs of gulls, Worcester 342, Swindon 87 and Cheltenham 151.

It is Rock's contention that even in towns and cities far from the coast, we could soon be overrun. 'Three years ago, I estimated that we had 130,000-180,000 pairs of gulls nesting on rooftops in the whole of Britain and Ireland. It's quite clear that the growth of these urban colonies has been startlingly high.

'If you work on the breeding rates  -  urban gulls both start breeding earlier and hatch more chicks than those in the wild  -  and project forward ten years from that figure, I estimate that by 2015 we could have over a million pairs of gulls nesting on our rooftops.'

Already, we are alarmingly close to the first urban 5,000-pair colony, which is likely to be in Aberdeen, where some 3,500 pairs of these rapacious pests have already made themselves at home. Once settled in, gulls virtually never return to the wild, they are urbanised for life  -  a very long time, considering that the average seagull lives to 20 years, and the record is 35.
'It is a very serious problem,' warns Rock, who besides researching gulls in conjunction with Bristol University has worked as a freelance consultant to some of the many councils desperate to rid themselves of this modern-day plague. 'The urgency of getting something done is intense. But it's not easy because the gulls always seem to be one step ahead.'

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1110974/Meet-new-neighbours-The-marauding-seagulls-invading-Britains-towns.html#ixzz2gTYlPi00

[Yorkie]

This problem is not limited to the UK.  When we first went to The Algarve over 40 years ago it was extremely rare to see even one of these birds.  If one was seen it was generally off course and had missed its way to the fishing ports.
Nowadays, they are as common in our chosen resort as in Llandudno.   This is probably due to the same reasons as here, being fed by holidaymakers, and also plenty of swimming pools to wallow in!  One hotel where we stay has nylon fishing line criss crossed over the outdoor pool and sun bathing area to keep them away.  This barricade is almost invisible and about 15 feet from the ground so does not interfere with ones enjoyment.   ZXZ

[Ian]

Well, as soon as an MP gets attacked near the Commons, there'll be culling arranged nationwidw...

[DaveR]

Is it me or have the seagulls become far more active/noisy in the last few days in central Llandudno? I wonder if the mild weather had led them to think that Winter is over and begin preparations for nesting?

[norman08]

i v,e noticed that dave walking along the prom last few days they seem to have come more lively

[Bri Roberts]

Where does the other 90% of our local seagull population go for the winter?

[Nemesis]

Is it me or have the seagulls become far more active/noisy in the last few days in central Llandudno? I wonder if the mild weather had led them to think that Winter is over and begin preparations for nesting?

They have been 'sussing' out the local chimneys for a week or two now.

[llewelyn]

There are a few scouting out nesting spots in Conwy Town, I am dreading the noise and mess to follow.

[Cordyline]

We often  go to Malta
There are no seagulls on the island

The Maltese are well known for shooting any type of bird; this saddens us, but it's their way of life - in spite of it being against the law to shoot most types of birds

[llewelyn]

There are a few scouting out nesting spots in Conwy Town, I am dreading the noise and mess to follow.

The mess is starting new residents that do not recycle, are putting their over stuffed bins out for collection tomorrow morning, and the seagulls are pulling out the bags and shredding them. by tomorrow the street will look like a landfill site so much for a world heritage site.
p.s I have chased off the seagulls, and redistributed the rubbish so the lids can be closed. not how I envisaged spending my retirement, but the youngsters just dont care