What to do?

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/man-fined-after-killing-seagull-that-tried-to-eat-his-chips-a4091406.html

It's one of the little mysteries of life that some people never get pooped on.

SillyNanny123 We are plagued by herring gulls. We live behind a M&S food depot and they nest on the roof in their thousands. They make our lives intolerable in the breeding season. The screech all night long. We all have to keep our windows closed even in hot weather. The windows are covered in their poo as are our houses and cars. They attack us regularly and if one of the babies decided to sit in the road they peck our heads. My neighbour says he spends the nights of lost sleep fantasising about shooting them. Of course, there is nothing we can do as they are protected. We don’t see or hear other birds as they are all frightened off. We all hate them.

Here in Norfolk flocks of gulls come far inland to feed in the fields especially if the fields are being ploughed. They are also in Kings Lynn.

If they were persuaded to put the food on a bird table, that might encourage the smaller birds and discourage the seagulls, as large birds find it very hard to get up on to bird tables and have to peck around underneath for the bits that fall off. Why don’t you treat your neighbour to a bird table - they aren’t very expensive and say that, as he got so much pleasure from feeding the birds, you thought he would like a nice bird table as it would attract different kinds of birds. We live just outside Oxford, which is about as far from the sea as you can get in this country, but if I put any bread for the birds on the garage roof, sometimes the seagulls appear from nowhere and the smaller birds are terrified of them. I know seagulls have to live, but not at the expense of our local garden birds!

Bird poo eats through car paintwork like acid, you need to get it off very quickly. I had one car roof wrecked because our wretched local pigeons used it for bombing practice. Problem was I am short, and cannot see the car's roof. Now keep a watch out of bedroom window on a daily basis!

Given the circumstances, I'd go for getting a car cover to keep the poo off as the simplest way of keeping your car clean.

When my mum was becoming rather eccentric, she started feeding pigeons in a local car park, because she loved pigeons. Nothing would dissuade her - she simply didn't believe that she was causing a nuisance. I thought she might end up with an ASBO, but she was never apprehended.

Gonegirl I gather it’s the herring gull, owing to dwindling fishing stock. The black headed gull has adapted well to living inland, miles from the sea, and we see lots around here in the suburbs, always attractive in their full breeding plumage, and not presenting a problem. However, herring gulls are huge and I have seen them swoop and take ice cream from my own children and years later from a granddaughter. I think I would be inclined to ask the neighbour politely to stop feeding them, unless he is feeding “the birds” in general rather than gulls specifically.

Our boat was the only one that the seagulls didn't mess on, but then we had two cats on board.

I would have a quite word with the man's wife, as Gonegirl suggested. If that doesn't work you could take the matter further to Environmental control.

oldgaijin

Do you feed them fish?

* SillyNanny321 * which of the gulls have been "red listed"?

I had a similar problem when I lived in a flat and a 'lady' continually used my designated space as it was almost at her door and hers was at the other side of the car park. A scattering of bread on her car roof, very late at night, on several occasions, soon persuaded her to park in her own space, God knows what was in Aberdeen gull poo but it did the trick......and you thought I was nice?

I'm with you SillyNanny321. I think it is rather sad to be worrying about a bit of paintwork on a car rather than a living thing and the pleasure of someone who is heading for dementia getting some enjoyment out of life. (I do hear what OP is posting about not wanting to stop that btw so not directed at her, just generally)
We have pigeons that sit above our car and I only worried about them when I was concerned about what the chickens would catch from them. Now I don't keep chickens, they're welcome.

I am one of those hated people who feed the gulls. Do any of you realise or even care that they have been red listed? There are not as many of them as would seem to be when they flock together. If stupid people did not torment them waving food about they would not think it is being offered to them & therefore try to take any that they see. They are very intelligent birds & yes very protective of their young. Cannot blame them for that as most of us protect our young do we not? Many people here also feed the Gulls as well as all the smaller birds.

I think a seagull might be a bit large for even the bigger female sparrowhawk to take but I wish one would take the wood pigeon that’s eaten all my wisteria buds.

I agree with Gonegirl, my uncle, many years ago, was eating fish & chips and a seagull flew down and pinched some food, sadly he lost his fish & chips, he dropped them in fright! They can be quite dangerous, imagine if that had been a child?

Park those cars elsewhere or convince him that the seagulls have no need for his food.

After all, we don’t want seagulls to lose their webbed feet.

- www.brandeis.edu/now/2016/july/seagull-biology-evolution.html

I sympathise. When I was a young mum I lived next door to an older lady who fed the pigeons twice a day. There were squadrons of the things everywhere around our home. It was disgusting, driveway and path covered in muck - and I was always having to ninja tackle the kids to get their shoes off before they came indoors. Very frustrating. I was very young and didn't have the confidence to complain

I’d express concern to the neighbours about feeding the gulls. Look out if any decide to nest in the vicinity, they are viciously protective of their young. It happened in my friend’s street and at certain times of year, it was unwise to approach one house without holding an umbrella overhead.

We've been staying on the Cornish Riviera where a notice in our flat insisted we don't feed the gulls as they damage the neighbours' rooves.
The gulls are noisy aren't they! I would ask Environmental Health. Perhaps they could visit him and explain.

Seagulls are remarkably large birds. I have often stood on the ferry looking at the size of the birds wheeling round. Big birds, big poos, they also go round in flocks, a flock of 30 or 40 seagulls, are highly productive, make an awful lot of mess and Katek's neighbours may well have at least that number descending on the food they provide.

The incident I saw was at Lyme Regis. On holiday.

Do you live with them Gonegirl ...I do, also Kittiwakes They are not bullies they are clever and if you want to eat fish and chips in their vicinity good luck to you and them much better to eat in a restaurant cafe or your own home ??? As we have got more messy with our food and our rubbish they have come further inland to follow us in the same way they used to follow the fishing boats

* BlueBelle * they are nasty viscious things. They peck people's heads just because they want their fish and chips. They are bullies.