To want to kill the birds

[Notattheseaside]

I know I will probably get some hate for this but here goes.

For the second year in a row seagulls have nested on my neighbours roof, last year we had a miserable 4 weeks or so as one of the babies fell of the roof and was in our garden, I couldn't let the dog out as the seagulls kept swooping for her, pooed all over her several times and started trying to attack her (dog was not bothered with the baby gull) To hang out washing I had to take a sweeping brush to protect myself, same with getting in the car as anyone even walking past our house was attacked by the gulls.

This year 3 babies have been born, I'm trying to sunbathe in the garden and it literally sounds like I am at the seaside (nowhere near) there is probably well over 30 gulls on near by roofs and they spend their day circling our garden (we don't feed them). One of the babies are now in the neighbours garden so the gulls are starting the swooping thing again.

We are miserable, we can't have a BBQ as they start diving down, the wee ones are too scared to go out to play because they get swooped, can't let the dog out in the garden and it's far too hot to walk her (and leaving the house is getting risky with the swooping unless we run straight to the car)

The council and pest control can't or won't help and say they are protected so can't be touched, neighbour will deal with the nest once the chics leave.

What to do in the meantime? Can't face dealing with this until August. Can they be killed? Is that to terrible to even consider it?

Aaaah the sweet sound of herring gulls screaming at their giant offspring. Tis the season! I live in Cornwall and I adore them even though they can be arseholes.

I have to go out with a golfing umbrella up to protect myself when letting the dog out into garden after being hit on the head recently by a seagull diving down at me. It’s very frustrating but I don’t think anything can be done about them at the moment sadly. The umbrella works a treat but the neighbours must think I’m a bit mad in this weather.

I take you you don't deal with deal with Natural England on a daily basis, the OP will not get a license for gulls this year due to their status and would have to apply through an individual case by case screening process which would include professional assistance show all other means and due diligence has been followed.

Also if you look at the matrix, there is nothing they have stated that would back up a case to remove them.

But if the OP decided to take matters into their own hands they could expect a up to £5000 fine and/or up to 6 months in prison.

We had this problem. We solved it by religiously going up to the roof in nesting season most days and getting rid of any sticks etc. They gave up and moved on eventually. We did this for a couple of years and they've never been back since.

Not sure what you can do about neighbours other than offering to do the same for them.

All good and well but this is against the law, under the Countryside and Wildlife act Intentionally taking , damaging or destroying the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built is illegal.

The law also defines a nest when the first nesting material is laid, that means the first twig/stick or nesting material laid by a bird. So hopefully for you, no one reports you one day doing this.

I think it's time you made friends with the local farmer 😉

Not helpful at all but look up South African hadada's. - we had some nest on our roof and some rival or love interest ones nest on a roof across the valley. They stood on the roof top and 'ha da da'ed' across the valley like foghorns every single morning from sunrise. Then the birds on the opposite side of the valley 'ha da da'ed' back. ...and so it went on. 😭😭😭😭
It drove me nuts - like properly nuts.

Seagulls are pretty bloody annoying too though!
Anyway, not helpful but thought you might appreciate the thought of something worse.

Stick Puffin Rock on and make it into a game.