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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be scared of a seagull?

136 replies

cariadlet · 05/07/2015 12:23

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.

OP posts:

silverfingersandtoes · 05/07/2015 15:03

YAdefNBU, OP. As a fellow seaside-dweller, I am continually gobsmacked by the visitors who FEED the sodding things

Pastamancer · 05/07/2015 15:06

People who feed seagulls should be tied up along the seafront and covered in food

tobysmum77 · 05/07/2015 15:08

yanbu

Original poster

cariadlet · 05/07/2015 15:19

I think they've got worse over the last few years. I gave up trying to feed the ducks with dd when she was younger. As soon as the seagulls saw me start to get out the bag of bread, they would surround us. DD used to love visiting my parents - they lived in the Midlands, had a huge local park with loads of ducks, and not a seagull to be seen.

We sometimes go over to the next town as it's bigger and got a bit more for kids to do. We tried eating chips on the beach once. Never again.

OP posts:

TalcAndTurnips · 05/07/2015 15:29

At school the herring gulls circle like vultures waiting for the pupils to return to class after break (they haven't yet made off with any of the smaller Year 7s).

As soon as the coast is clear, they stalk around the asphalt like white and grey velociraptors, high on a diet of Frazzles, Wotsits and Monster Munch.

I saw one with a paunch and a comb-over the other day. The whole species is going to the dogs, just like us humans.

mrsdavidbowie · 05/07/2015 15:31

Oh I like your style pastamancer

I loathe gulls,pigeons and parakeets which are bloody everywhere here.
Vermin.

Sgtmajormummy · 05/07/2015 15:36

We saw one swoop down on a pigeon in flight, kill it and eat it in front of us. They are vicious creatures and I wouldn't blame you for putting up deterrents once they've finished nesting.

Original poster

cariadlet · 05/07/2015 20:09

Latest update: we came home about 15 minutes ago. I started to walk up the front path, but stopped when I saw the chick sitting right outside the front door.
I panicked about what the adult seagulls would do if they saw me approach the chick, scarpered back to the car and gave DP the house keys. He strolled up the path and let himself in.
Then I decided that maybe it would have been better to go in first after all before the parents sussed out what was going on. DD and I stood dithering for a couple of minutes and then raced up the path, leapt over the seagull shit on the doorstep and slammed the front door behind us.

"It's in the house now!" said DP. "Yeah, right," I retorted, knowing how DP likes to joke around and wind me up. Turns out he was right.

The chick was wandering around the dining room. I shooed it into the conservatory and shut the door. I don't like picking up the chicks if I can avoid it, so opened the door and tried shooing the chick out. 3 times it walked past the door and pecked at the window instead. Eventually it worked out that the big gap filled with fresh air was the way it should be headed.

DP has now blocked off the side path so it's confined to the back garden and we can at least walk up and down the front path without fear of being dive bombed!

OP posts:

shouldnthavesaid · 05/07/2015 20:23

They aren't pleasant. My mum was attacked by two in the 80s, they were going for her eyes. Haven't been attacked but have had my ear nipped when one stole my sandwich a few weeks ago. It's bad enough where I live that you can't eat outdoors without a dog or something. .

SquinkiesRule · 05/07/2015 20:40

Oh gawd they are awful and vicious aren't they. We have some nesting on a house in our little road and also another pair o a house that backs onto us. The babies are wandering about on the flat bit of the roof making a racket, it starts about 3am and goes on till after dark.
Best thing we see is when the flock of crows who also live near us have fun and gang up of the seagulls, they land on one end of the roof, the parents go to chase them off, and a few others land on the end they abandoned, repeat a dozen times, the crows sound like they are laughing at the seagulls who run back and forth trying to keep the crows off the roof.

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 05/07/2015 21:58

Op you need one on these It's the chimney cage we have and it's been amazing. No problems and no seagulls.

Obviously the company are Sussex based but I'm sure there are companies doing similar in all coastal areas

Iliveinalighthousewith2friendl · 05/07/2015 22:31

No ynbu. They can be intimidating, but neither is the seagull. She is a protective mother. Defending her vulnerable chick. Like any mother.
We all know that you had the chicks best interests at heart, but she didn't

SirVixofVixHall · 05/07/2015 22:41

It will only be a few days at most before it starts to fly, and then you'll be worry free (until next year..) . I used to live on a boat and every Summer I had to rescue waterlogged chicks that landed in the canal but couldn't properly fly so couldn't get out again. It took two people, a lot of skillful use of oars, and thick leather gloves as they peck like mad. Rather satisfying to see them all fly off, although I had to row back and forth feeding one on sardines for a week before it managed to fly (parents nowhere to be seen).

MoreBeta · 05/07/2015 22:55

We have loads of seagulls in our town. The live on the river, eat restaurant waste and have their chicks on every roof in town including ours.

Last year a half-grown chick got trapped in our garden could not fly and had no sense to walk our of the gate to the river. I had to usher it down the street as its parents dive bombed me off the roof.

They sit on lamp posts with their bottoms pointing at me menacingly as I walk to bell ringing on Sunday.

They are quite big, hungry and aggressive birds.

HaleMary · 05/07/2015 22:56

I had to get four stitches in my hand after a seagull went for my toddler's breadstick in Cornwall last month, when he was sitting on my lap. My notes at the minor injuries unit said 'seagull related incident'.

Notasinglefuckwasgiven · 05/07/2015 22:58

My aunt needed two stitches in her head when a gull swooped for her prawn mayo sandwich at the beach. Big nasty birds so yanbu.

knackered69 · 05/07/2015 23:01

Talc I have a very small year 7 boy - am worried now - they'd carry him off no bother!

BettyCatKitten · 05/07/2015 23:08

Bloody hell Sir you're brave! Well braver than me, with my bird phobia

Original poster

cariadlet · 05/07/2015 23:09

I've spent all day grumbling about seagulls (either on here or in RL), and am now feeling very guilty.

I heard a lot of noise earlier, opened the patio door to find out what was going on and saw a fox running up the garden with the poor chick in its mouth.
I don't blame the fox - it's just nature and it has to eat. But I do feel sorry for the chick and its parents.

I'm definitely getting one of those chimney cages in the Autumn.

OP posts:

JointheJoyride · 05/07/2015 23:09

Aren't we, as people, the cause of seagulls being inland? I'm sure I read somewhere that they'd naturally be out at sea most of the time and only our filthy litter dropping society has encouraged them inland for easy meals.

JointheJoyride · 05/07/2015 23:12

I did win a fight with a seagulls and my chip butty on Torquay seafront about five years ago. I say won but I had to go back into work with seagull shit on my lovely new chiffon blouse so really, who won?

BettyCatKitten · 05/07/2015 23:13

Op, that's grim. I feel bad for the chick now .

SirVixofVixHall · 05/07/2015 23:13

I've also had to catch injured swans and geese.
OP that is tragic!! I was worried about predators, I was hoping it would have taken off fairly quickly. They are very vulnerable to attacks from foxes, cats and dogs, and also people. Being too large to hide like very tiny birds can. That is why the parent birds are so protective, because their young at this stage are so helpless and vulnerable. . That is such a sad ending. Poor birdie.

JointheJoyride · 05/07/2015 23:13

HaleMary does it make me a bad person that I'm doing a real life lol at "seagull related incident"

Etak15 · 05/07/2015 23:17

I hate birds! I don't think I'll sleep tonight after reading this - I was blissfully aware of all this seagull business!! Glad I'm 50 miles away from the nearest sea!! And about 3 miles from a river - should be ok !

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