We've got a real gull menace here right now! What do I mean by menace? Well every time we go out the door we get dive-bombed by the rats with wings. There's a mother gull across the road with 2 chicks, both bigger than her, and she's diving at anything and anyone that moves. It wouldn't be a big problem if it was the only one, but they're all over the town.
I have a theory about why there's been a marked increase in the seagull presence in this town and most other coastal towns. It goes something like this: The fishing industry used to be massive and the seagull population feasted on the residual matter (ie. fish guts and offal) from the fishing. On this basis a large seagull population was tolerable, especially as they were not living in the towns, but usually in cliff colonies etc. With the decline in the fishing industry, these gull colonies have had to find alternative sources of food and being lazy vermin, discarded human food waste is the easiest option. So the gulls nest in the towns where the food is most easily obtained to feed their chicks.
Of course, a massive nationwide cull is required, but it'll never happen because the do-gooders would never permit it, they are living creatures after all. We're such a nation of bleeding hearts! Fortunately, the chicks across the road should soon be ready to leave, but something tells me they'll be back again next year. Creatures of habit and all that!
