“hear hear! Seagulls are endemic and although they are a protected bird they need to be controlled. They have been nesting on various roof tops here in Braunton and the resulting debris causes roof gutters/downpipes to be clogged. My dogs have been divebombed by such birds and just recently there was a newspaper item that a school elsewhere had to close a playground because of seagulls! I love all birds but hostile/aggressive gulls seem to be driving usual garden birds away. As for the droppings...well!”

“So why were you feeding the seagulls with ice cream. Trouble with putting signs up is that the Grockles don't read them and the seagulls can't. Perhaps the Council should open the schools up during the holidays and demand that all seagulls have reading lessons.”

“Is there anybody left who's sane?

Of all the times that I've seen incidents like this (and there have been many), it can almost always be easily avoided by just paying attention to your surroundings. There seems to be a supernatural phenomenon in Ilfracombe, where anybody visiting the town assumes all common sense is no longer needed. If you're getting an ice cream in a seaside town and you don't guard it, it will get stolen. Not exactly science is it? This has been a problem in seaside towns for decades already, and yet people still have the nerve to blame the council every time a gull swipes their Mr Whippy.
So next time you're sauntering blindly across a main road while flaunting that freshly baked, steaming hot pasty up in the air, spare a thought for those of us who actually live in seaside towns and have to put up with this idiocy year in, year out.

A little self-awareness goes a long way.



Yours sincerely,
The most cynical twenty-year-old in North Devon!”

“How much do Terminator chain guns cost ? One of those should do the business !”

“In answer to exclaret....it is not funny. In answer to Killgannon...I was born and raised in Ilfracombe and this problem was not around when I was child growing up.... it has come to the fore in the last 10 years and has been allowed to continue to get worse. I should not have to guard anything I eat....this is a serious problem and mark my words....unless something is done somebody is going to get seriously hurt one day...if it is you or any of your family you will be the first to start screaming.”

“Our society will never work until humans drop the arrogance and false sense of entitlement and realise that WE are the pests!”

“Sorry, that was bleak...”

“scrummy 17 - it is a serious problem and you are right to be concerned about danger to children. The gulls seem to have little fear of people and have become determined scavengers. One day perhaps, a child or elderly person will lose an eye to one of these pests. until then expect ridicule and shallow comments. On Thursday 14th July, approx 12.30 midday, just over a week ago, I was in a line of traffic from Barnstaple when suddenly cars braked hard and swerved to avoid a large gull who was sitting on the dual carriageway just before Kar Engine services. It lacked any fear of the traffic. Very odd! It was not injured- just sitting there.. Where I live in Braunton gulls have been coming into our dogs shed/kennel and taking dog food, even when the dogs are nearby! Incidentally, has anyone else noticed how many pigeons are being killed locally? In our own garden we have found 4 dead pigeons, all headless,this past week. Sparrowhawk??( Cannot be cats as we have active dogs!)”

“Lol reading some of the comments I laughed so loud I nearly let out a bit of wee”

“BayoopNorf...this forum is not a place to hurl abuse at people who see this as a real problem....”

“Killgannon... I hear what you say but there are steps that can be taken so that all things can live in relative harmony.”

“fransam...not a sparrow hawk....we have had them land in our garden with prey...usually small birds...sounds like someone taking this problem into their own hands?l”

“I would like to add that our garden is set up so that nature can live in harmony with us....nesting blackbirds (three broods this year), nesting sparrows (two broods this year), hedgehogs, frogs and an organic garden so as not to harm nature.....but I will not pander to any vicious creature whether it be bird, beast or human.....That includes people who are downright ignorant,rude and abusive.”

“well said scrummy17.”

“Sorry for offense caused I just think your arguement is stupid thats all!!! At least we dont have to worry about Bears, Cougars, Crocodiles or any other "Dangerous" species in Devon! If the worst attack from nature I can get is a wasp sting or my ice cream stolen off a seagul I'm pretty happy with that! I'd be more worried about the Liverpudliun pandemic if I lived in Ilfracombe!”

“This must have been a new species of gull (Wrongly named SEA gulls) as gulls do NOT have claws they have webbed feet. It is easy to see why the numbers have increased so much recently. First the RSPB campaigned for a wide range of birds to be protected, including certain gulls, starlings and many others. This means that some species of gull are not allowed to be killed and very few people know which. At the same time the authorities have panicked and in typical knee jerk reactions have tightened up gun laws every time there has been an incident, to the point where hardly anybody owns any form of weapon that could be used as a control method for vermin and pests. Years ago nearly every household had some form of weapon, such as air guns, BB guns, catapults or crossbow. The other factors that effect this are the amount of food laying around and the insistance of residents that rubbish collectors do not start early, therefore the household rubbish is on the streets during daylight. ( Gulls, Starlings etc. are diurnal). In other areas the rubbish is collected at night, this has many benefits such as reduced traffic impedence and speeds up the collection process. If we are serious about reducing the number of pests such as gulls we have to accept that people will own small weapons and follow the australian example of using money to incentify the killing of these vermin. Kagaroos have a "price" on their head. We will also have to stop overreacting to people owning weapons and over emotionalising the killing of a number of these desease carrying birds. If we also started to fine people for feeding these flying rats or fines were issued for littering to food businesses and their customers, then somebody might decide to pick up their rubbish or think that it is maybe not a good idea to feed them.
One thing is certain, we cannot ignore this problem as it will get to a point where we cannot deal with it.”

“You are only half correct...seagulls do have webbed feet but the feet have claws...take a look at some picture.”

“Gulls may be diurnal, but summertime means daylight considerably longer than night hence 4am till 10 30 pm. Almost 18 hrs of gull activity!( Personally I'd be quite happy for rubbish collection earlier and others I have spoken to have said same, here in Braunton). Weapons?? Not seriously suggesting Joe Public takes to shooting gulls? The authorities who are now engaging in culling badgers should similarly engage in controlling gulls. Kangaroos??(or kagaroos!!?) Kangaroos are substantially bigger than gulls and easier to control- as witnessed by the fact there are no kangaroos in Ilfracombe!- but gulls? Who feeds gulls? On my many visits to the town I've yet to see anyone actively feeding gulls. Rather it may be the surplus fish dumping at sea that has resulted in an explosion of numbers, and even contributed to their reduced fear of man. As I write this, gulls are sitting on my garden wall barely 40ft away and others are flying just above my house, and my 4 dogs are in the garden yet still the 3 gulls sit on the wall. As a child I watched gulls in large numbers following the farmer's tractor as he ploughed the Great Field but now he still ploughs but for some reason gulls no longer follow. Is this because there are fewer worms? All quite odd. Either way, gulls need to be legitimately controlled. It would be good if an RSPB spokesperson put their views/ideas across on this page.............”

“The fact you have failed to spot the prominently placed signs warning dense members of public not to feed the gulls worries me as to what your next campaign would be. Perhaps aeroplanes should carry a warning sign on the front asking birds not to gather in flight paths as they risk being sucked into engines. It really makes me wonder.”

“"hear hear! Seagulls are endemic and although they are a protected bird they need to be controlled. They have been nesting on various roof tops here in Braunton and the resulting debris causes roof gutters/downpipes to be clogged. My dogs have been divebombed by such birds and just recently there was a newspaper item that a school elsewhere had to close a playground because of seagulls! I love all birds but hostile/aggressive gulls seem to be driving usual garden birds away. As for the droppings...well!"

Hear hear! Humans are endemic and although they are a protected species they need to be controlled. They have been building houses and a supermarket here in Braunton and the resulting debris is clogging my insides. Just recently my Uncle was nearly kicked by a teenager . As for the droppings...well, I never let my children eat out of the sea anymore, it is too dirty”

“And if you do catch me

Pluck and prepare the seagull as you would a chicken and joint or quarter.
Soak the meat in heavily briny water in a cold place (the fridge?)for 12 hours. This is to try and remove the fishy taste. Do this again at least 3 times, each time throwing away the old salty water and replacing it with fresh briny water.
Lightly sauté the meat in butter, onions, lots of garlic and herbs and then add stock. Simmer for 3 hours. After 3 hours throw the liquid away. A voilà.”

“I live in Ilfracombe and I see people feeding these flying rats on a daily basis. As for "arming" joe public, joe public was always armed and has increasingly been disarmed by that very attitude, as if we cannot be trusted to shoot a few starlings or gulls. Similarly the rat, fox and mouse nimbers are increasing at an alarming rate too. Are you seriously suggesting that the "Authorities" have the money, equipment or will to deal with this or any other problem. They are currently thinking of closing our libraries.As for refuse collection at night, even in summer there is plenty of darkness remaining to do it and our summer is only 4 or 5 months long that means that there are 7 months when we don't have 18hrs of daylight. The explosion of numbers also has a lot to do with the clean air act, the dumping of fish and guts at sea has very little or no effect as gulls are not to be found at sea! They are NOT sea birds because they must drink fresh water daily therefore they cannot be too far from a source of fresh water, they don't stray very far from land at all, landfill and other refuse is much more likely to be their food source than anything out to sea. Their reduced fear of man is due to the fact that "joe public" are no longer shooting, trapping or using any other method to control them.
The reason that there are less gulls following tractors is two fold, firstly the nitrates and pesticides we have been using for many years have reduced the numbers of worms drastically and secondly why would the gulls fly so far to get a meal when they can get it much more locally from a group of kids on the harbour wall feeding them as there was today. Like it or not, the only people who have the resources and ability to stop this explosion of pests is joe public after all would you trust the council to do anything? What is legitimate control? Is there an illigitimate control method?”

“What really gets my goat are the seagull droppings on top of the globe shaped street lights where I live, bang on a waterfront, which the council have never once, not ever, cleaned in years - they are now so filthy that you can only see a pin***** of light from them after dusk!

Best time of year is from mid-February until late May when they migrate away to nest, but they're very quickly back come late May, accompanied by their ravenous young.

These birds do not belong in urban environments and would not remain here if people did not either feed them, or leave edible rubbish strewn around which attracts them.

If you really want to get a dislike for gulls then you should watch them devouring ducklings which are indigenous to our local estuaries - that is a regular event outside my own windows, and although I do rescue up to four or five dozen ducklings each summer, the gulls will decimate a brood of a dozen in under ten minutes, tearing them apart and eating them alive.

I've often wondered if it's true that feeding a gull an Alka-Seltzer will make it explode...”

“In all honesty what can the council do? They're a natural hazard and people just need to be aware of them. It's not like they've just arrived in North Devon. They have always posed a problem. Just give them a decent shove if they swoop in and watch your food (and kids).”

“I wonder if I could sue the council for failing to control the numbers of Gulls, Health and Safety could be pulled into this also, along with the Child Protection Agency. Questions could be raised in parliament, here and in europe, commitees could be formed and public enquiries.

OR


You could just get a life and stop waving your icecream infront of Gulls !

To the original poster... it's not amusing, it's hysterical....not the attack, the fact that you waste a day off in Ilfracombe !”

“I dont have a problem with keeping things under control .seagulls are like unpaid bin police. leave it out and the birds will have it ,then spread what they dont want all over the shop.But what can you do ? We can always eat them when things get tough.personally Id be too worried about eating jonathon livingston seagull .”

“So is it only on council owned property they roost on is it? Harmoniously? Yeah, so long as they're all singing scrumpys song! Vicious? Have you seen what blackbirds eat? Living creatures like worms. They probably believe th blackbird is terribly violent.
As for bird poo on lamp posts ~ we all hear th councils hav no dosh, so why not do a little clean up on your own, you don't have to apply, jus grab a bucket an get stuck in. when I lived in Amsterdam th streets where all spick an span in th morning an not because th council workers had bin havin a beano on th overtime rates, but because th locals ALL had a bit of pride in their surroundings. But not jus a little bit of pride, enough to write a letter ov complaint, oh no ~ enough pride to get off their asre's an DO something about keeping their environment clean.
And I think you'll find the gulls have been here a little bit longer than us AND they're not limited to the coast, like the inland revenue, they know no geographical bounds!
If they eat outta ya bins, you put them out too soon. If you don't notice a bird with a wing span that would equal an eagle, you shouldn't be allowed out without a helper or carer!”

“"I was born and raised in Ilfracombe and this problem was not around when I was child growing up"

Or perhaps you were a child so you had less trivial things to worry about?”

“It did not APPEAR to be a problem to you, as a child, quite simply because you had far more important things to deal with in your life, like all kids should have! But trust me, I watched a documentary once, and yes, it a fact that gulls, of many varieties, have existed around our coast for a few years now. I'm no expert but I'd put money on there having been some form of sea birds around here long before we took the long walk up from Africa. But then you haven't included your age, so maybe you were here first! ;-)”

“yeah we all know we shouldn't feed the sea gulls like we shouldn't let our dogs fowl paths but there's always a few that seem to think it is a good thing to do and short of shooting all the seagulls in the world there is not a lot any one can do ,cull one area gulls from other will just move in ,I live in Torrington miles from the nearest sea but they seem to be breeding quite happily some where about as there is often a youngster about”

“Seagulls were here way before humans get a grip, put your self s in there place thieves they can be, but not as dangers as human thieves! and they try and build there nest in easy places in the town, humans just love making a concentrate jungle in our beautiful countryside,
i think at least the gulls are interferometry friendly humans leave litter scattered every where the gulls are just after a free meal that humans have dumped.”

“Can any-one help me. A few years ago, my cousin, Anne Hookway or Stinson sent me a Xmas card giving me her address ' The Cottage,Bron-Y-Garth,Alverdiscott road EX39 4PP. I have found Brin-Y-Garth on the maps section of my IPad but am puzzled if this relates to an AREA or the specific cottage. ( not listed in the phone directory). Thanks for any information. Jogilp”

“Sorry, it seems I have put my above post in the wrong thread. (Not used to posting on this forum). Apologies. Jogi, South Yorkshire”

“There are notices about the seagulls but many people think it does not apply to them, so carry on feeding them. Still the bird mess might improve the emblem Ilfracombe now has to advertise that the town has the highest teen pregnancies in North Devon.”

“I live in Ilfracombe and at times I hate the seagulls, but at the end of the day if you are here you know that you are in a coastal town and that means there are going to be coastal birds. There are signs up not to feed them yet people still do!! As much as I dislike them I do not believe its OK to cull them...after all they were here long before us.”

“Finally a use for the verity statue, a place where the gulls can do their toilet stuff. I feel sorry for the poor sod that is tasked with cleaning”