To be scared of a seagull?

[cariadlet]

It sounds ridiculous, and typing that I decided I must BU.

Every year we have seagulls nesting on our roof. On two previous years one of the chicks has fallen down the chimney and landed in the fireplace. Each time I've grabbed it and put it out in the back garden. Each time the over protective parents have dive bombed me as I've gone out.

The first time it happened the parent seagulls panicked so much that they made distress calls and we had dozens of seagulls circling over our garden. It was like a scene from "The Birds".

Last night or this morning a chick either fell off the roof or tried flying and didn't get very far. It's been wandering around the patio and up and down the side path with one of the parents standing guard (either on the conservatory roof or the shed roof - wherever it gets the best view of the chick).

I know it's stupid, but I feel nervous about just going out into my own garden and am dreading having to walk down the front path when I have to go out later in case the chick is wandered off that way and the adults see me coming out.

[MissPenelopeLumawoo2]

YANBU, they are scary. It is worse if you are eating!

[CheeseandPickledOnion]

I'm sorry but I'm chuckling at this. That said YANBU, it'd be scared too!

[DeidreChambersWhatACoincidence]

They can be very aggressive as I discovered in St Ives in an incident with a seagull and a Cornish pasty. The seagull won.

[MrsItsNoworNotatAll]

Get yourself a crash helmet, one with a visor.

Job done!

[pollyisnotputtingthekettleon]

They are a bloody nightmare. They seem to pick a spot and stick to it. Any chance you can put something on your roof to get rid of them next year?

[Delilahfandango]

Not unreasonable, they're bloody scary!!

[pollyisnotputtingthekettleon]

www.gullstop.co.uk. and there it is!! Who knew?

[cariadlet]

Get yourself a crash helmet, one with a visor.

I actually said - only half joking - to dd that we might have to put crash helmets on to go to the car when it's time for her swimming lesson. She gave me a bit of a sarcastic stare, but I've never seen her move as fast as she did when she had to put her rubbish in the bin!

[cariadlet]

pollyisnotputtingthekettleon - thanks for the link. I'd never even thought I've trying to stop them. Just thought that living by the sea we just had to put up with the buggers.

The noise is irritating enough. I'm getting fed up of being woken at weekends by seagulls and magpies (don't know which has the most raucous "song").
But feeling under siege in my own house is a bit crazy!

[FadedRed]

Oh dear OP, the joys of living by the sea?
I know nothing about gull protective devices, but the first thought that came to my mind was would going out under an umbrella, in the hopes the angry birds are confused/frightened off by the brolly?
And in the autumn get someone with a ladder to put a capping device on your chimney to prevent chick ingress?
Nasty noisy pecky shitty creatures.

[PinkTriangle]

Go on to the roof, crack each of the eggs. It means that the chicks die sadly, but it alsoeans that they'll never nest there again.

[stairbears]

^ That would be illegal

[cariadlet]

I feel mean thinking this (I'm vegan and think of myself as an animal lover), but did feel quite relieved when the 2nd chick was caught be our local fox - he was a regular visitor and we were all quite attached to him.

No visiting foxes at the moment so I suppose we're doomed to have the chick hanging around until he learns how to fly.

[Merrylegs]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/11683368/The-Birds-are-Bach-Concert-pianist-sprains-finger-in-vicious-seagull-attack.html

[Turnipsandtrumpets2u]

You ANBU , they are bastards and they have a good memory so don't try and hurt them , they will attack you everytime you leave the house

[littlejohnnydory]

YANBU, they are vicious bastards.

[Pastamancer]

It's illegal to mess with nests so you need to get in there before they build the nest and put them off. They are aggressive birds but you are bigger and stronger so just chase them and make noise if they come near you. You can't get mad with parents for protecting their babies though.

[BettyCatKitten]

Yanbu, I have a phobia of birds. Also seagulls are massive and aggressive. Try and prevent them nesting next year if possible.

[InTheBox]

YANBU. I'd be terrified.

[lushilaoshi]

YANBU, they are enormous and terrifying!!! Get a hawk

[InTheBox]

Each time I've grabbed it and put it out in the back garden

You deserve an award for that alone. I'd have screamed the house down and ran out of the house even if I was naked.

[BettyCatKitten]

me too!

[Doyouthinktheysaurus]

You don't have to put up with them, we have a cage over our chimney which stops them. They will return year after year so it's worth the investment.

The guys that put ours up were getting attacked as they did it and they said that seagulls do nest in the same area so unless you take action they will return.

We had it done after our neighbours did, they were definitely moving our way! They now nest 3 doors down because each house in between followed suit and got cages. I still get aggressive squawking when I'm in the garden sometimes but I just couldn't stand it if they were on the roof. The noise would do for me.....

[NickyEds]

YANBU. Seagulls are massive and vicious. Nearly as bad as geese which i also hate. But then I'm scared of pigeons too.