• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Royal Oak
    • Our App
    • Contact
    • Free Anglotopia Mobile and Tablet App
    • Advertise
    • History of Anglotopia
    • Newsletter
    • Disclaimer
    • Press Room
  • Blog
    • Podcast
  • Sections
    • Anglophilia
      • Anglophile 101
      • Anglotopia Long Reads
      • Desktop Wallpapers
      • Anglophile Alerts
      • Anglophile Deals
      • Anglophile Gear
      • Anglophile Zen
      • British Food
    • British TV
      • BBC
      • Downton Abbey
      • Doctor Who News
      • British TV Videos
      • Top Gear
    • British History
      • Great Britons
      • Winston Churchill
      • British Literature
      • British Empire
      • British Military
      • English Language
      • Royal History
      • Shakespeare
    • Royal Family
      • The Queen
      • Prince Harry
      • Prince George
      • Royal Couple – Will & Kate
      • Royal Family
      • Royal History
      • Royal Traditions
    • Reviews
      • Brit DVD Reviews
      • Brit Book Reviews
      • Brit Movie Reviews
      • Brit TV Reviews
      • Brit Music Reviews
      • Attraction Reviews
  • Top British Slang
    • British Slang Archives
    • British Slang Dictionary
    • British English: The Top 50 Most Beautiful British Insults
    • British Slang: Your Guide to British Police Slang for the Telly Watcher
    • British Slang: Tea Time – British Words for Tea and Tea Related Culture
    • British Slang: British Railway Terms
    • ltimate List of Funny British Place Names
  • London
  • Regions
    • South East England
      • Berkshire
      • Buckinghamshire
      • East Sussex
      • Hampshire
      • Isle of Wight
      • Kent
      • Oxfordshire
      • Surrey
      • Sussex
      • West Sussex
    • South West England
      • Cornwall
      • Cotswolds
      • Devon
      • Dorset
      • Gloucestershire
      • Somerset
      • Wiltshire
    • Midlands
      • Bedfordshire
      • Derbyshire
      • Herefordshire
      • Hertfordshire
      • Leicestershire
      • Lincolnshire
      • Northamptonshire
      • Rutland
      • Shropshire
      • Staffordshire
      • Warwickshire
    • East Anglia
      • Norfolk
      • Suffolk
      • Cambridgeshire
      • Essex
    • North East England
      • Yorkshire
      • County Durham
      • Northumberland
      • Tyne and Wear
    • North West England
      • Cheshire
      • Cumbria
      • Lake District
      • Lancashire
      • Liverpool
      • Manchester
    • Scotland
      • Edinburgh
      • Glasgow
    • Wales
      • Cardiff
      • Pembrokeshire
    • Northern Ireland
      • Belfast
    • Islands
      • Channel Islands
      • Jersey
      • Isle of Man
      • Isles of Scilly
  • Travel
    • Tours
      • Top UK Tour Operators
      • Top London Tours
      • Top Day Trips from London
      • Anglophile Recommendations
      • UK Lodging Recommendations
    • Travel Guides
    • Attractions
      • Great British Houses
      • Stately Homes
      • Castles
      • Cathedrals
      • Museums
      • Coast
      • Palaces
      • Restaurants
      • Royal
    • Top 10 Britain
    • Days Out
    • Travel Tips
    • Trip Planning
    • British Airways
    • Hotels
    • Self-catering
    • Bed and Breakfasts
    • National Trust
    • Royal Oak
  • British Shop
    • British Imports
    • Magazine Back Issues
    • Anglotopia Gear
    • Winston Churchill
  • British Forum
  • Our Books
    • Adventures in Anglotopia
    • British Slang Dictionary
    • 101 London Travel Tips
    • 101 Budget Britain Travel Tips – 2nd Edition
    • Anglophile Vignettes
    • Great Britons Book: Top 50 Greatest Brits Who Ever Lived
    • Great Events in British History

Anglotopia.net

The Website for People Who Love Britain - Anglophiles

  • Platinum Jubilee
  • British News
  • History
    • Prehistoric Britain
    • British Legends
    • Roman Britain
    • Anglo-Saxon
    • Norman Britain
    • Medieval Era
    • Plantagenet Era
    • Tudor Era
    • Elizabethan Era
    • Carolinean Era
    • Interregnum Era
    • Jacobean Era
    • Stuart Era
    • Restoration Era
    • Georgian Era
    • Colonial America
    • Edwardian Era
    • Royals
      • The Monarchs
      • Royal Babies
      • Royal Couple – Will & Kate
      • Royal History
      • Royal Traditions
      • Royal Videos
      • Royal Wedding
      • Royal Wedding Trip Diaries
      • The Queen
      • Harry’s Wedding
      • Prince Harry
      • Duke and Duchess of Sussex
    • Regency Era
    • British Empire
    • Victorian Era
    • Interwar Period
    • Winston Churchill
    • Modern Britain
    • Royal History
    • Through the Library
    • Transport History
    • The Monarchs
    • World War I Era
    • World War II
  • Entertainment
    • British TV
      • Doctor Who
      • BBC
      • Downton Abbey
      • Top Gear
      • Brit TV Reviews
      • Acorn Media
      • Britbox
    • British Movies
    • British Music
  • Columns
    • Long Reads
      • Magazine
      • Dreams of Britain
      • Inspiration
      • Great British Art
      • Inspiration Videos
      • Inspirational Places
    • Eating British in America
    • An American Student Abroad
    • A Brit Back Home
    • A Day In the Life…
    • A Church in Wales
    • Through the Lens
    • Through the Library
    • Anglophile Life
    • Laura’s Britain
    • Lost in the Pond
  • Anglophilia
    • Anglophile 101
    • Anglophile Alerts
    • Anglophile Problems
    • Anglophile Gear
    • English Language
    • Anglophile Zen
    • Pictures of England
  • British Heritage
  • Britishness
    • Art
    • British Architecture
    • British Aristocracy
    • British Weather
    • British Cars
    • British Products
    • Brit Knits
    • Brit Crafts
    • Brit Recipes
    • British Food
    • British Christmas
    • Our Trips
      • Anglotopia’s Grand Adventure – Land’s End to John O’Groats
      • Rural Writers Institute Trip
      • Harry’s Wedding
      • Anglotopia Goes to Oxford
      • England Spring 2017 Trip
      • February 2017
      • Spring 2016 Trip
      • London 2016
      • An English Christmas Trip – 2013
      • Training for Hadrian’s Wall – 2014
      • Jubilee 2012 Trip
      • Royal Wedding Trip Diaries
      • Trip to England – July 2010
      • Trip to England 2009
  • British Forum
    • Anglotopia TV
You are here: Home / Countries / Scotland / Weird Britain: When Gulls Attack!

Weird Britain: When Gulls Attack!

August 6, 2015 By Derek

I just got back from a two week vacation in Door County, Wisconsin, a little part of the Midwest that’s largely surrounded by water. For most of the two weeks, I was much less than a mile away from the water, whether it was Lake Michigan or Green Bay. I saw quite a few seagulls near the shore, but didn’t get hassled by any of them. Honestly, I wouldn’t think that this would bear mentioning, but, while I was harvesting weird news stories for my Weird Britain column, I found quite a few stories relating to hooligan seagulls. A few weeks ago, I covered a story where a leading English pianist had to cancel a concert due to a seagull attack. There is evidently a big problem with seagulls attacking people in Britain. Contrary to what one might expect, it seems like American seagulls are far less belligerent than British seagulls. But, why? In an attempt to explore why this is a big problem, let’s go over some case studies.

Man reports seagull who stole his sandwich to the police.

While the last few “Britain’s Least Wanted” columns have foregone the “Noxious 999 Calls” segment, rest assured that’s only because I couldn’t find anything memorable enough. Case in point, the Avon and Somerset police recently held a 24 hour event where their emergency services hotline livetweeted (#ASP24) their emergency calls to give the public an idea of what they had to deal with on a daily basis.

Some of the 3119 calls they got included:

  • A woman demanded to speak to The Queen.
  • A man was reported as missing and found later in the day lying in his own bed.
  • A shirtless man on a Glastonbury road was found basking in “positive energy.” He was told to get out of the street.
  • Another woman complained about how the airport lost her luggage and delivered it to her neighbours.
  • Yet another woman reported the owner of the guest house she was staying at for not cooking breakfast.
  • Someone else complained about being splashed with a puddle.

But one call really stands out: A man called 999 to report a seagull stealing his lunch in Bristol city centre and asking them to check CCTV on the off chance that someone has the gull-differentiation skills to catch the culprit. Listen to the call here:

Seagull invades woman’s home, bounces on couch.

Shel Williams of Rhys in North Wales has been visited by a seagull she named Eric (presumably after the famous half-a-bee) for several seasons. For most of them, Eric seemed content to just sit on a garden fence and peck at the windows, but this summer must have emboldened him. He recently been caught flying into her home, but she shooed him out. This carried on for several weeks until Eric noticed that she had capitulated and crept in. Quoth Shel: “I was on the computer in the living room and I heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet. I obviously wasn’t quick enough and instead of shooing him outside he came into the lounge and jumped up onto the sofa. He usually knocks the window from the outside. This time he was pecking from the inside.” Eventually, she covered it with a blanket and freed him.

She adds: “He gave himself a good shake and off he went. [Her cat, named Piglet] wasn’t amused though. Eric is as big as Piglet and when he came in the house the cat was scared and trying to hide himself away.”

When asked about the larger seagull attack epidemic, she said: “Eric is welcome back, just not in the kitchen. It’s a bit of a pain but I have to leave the door open for the cat. But I don’t want them culled.”

Of course, there are those who would agree with her. Take these vigilante villagers.

Dorset town declares war on seagulls.

Recently, in Bridport, Dorset, a gull was poisoned and the body left in the yard of the local police station. Quoth Officer Scott McGregor, “Whether you love them or loathe them, one of our resident seagulls here in Bridport is suffering following a suspected poisoning. The seagull had vomited considerably and when the RSPCA were sent out it was their view that the bird was poisoned. The seagull is currently looking after one chick and the RSCPA were dispatched, who are now looking after the bird. If anyone knows of anybody in the local community who is engaging in this cruel manner towards protected birds, we would urge them to contact the RSPCA. Seagulls are protected for a reason and there is no need to poison them, causing them unnecessary cruelty and suffering.”

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, all wild birds and their nests are protected by law, but licenses can be given to bypass this protection should things be clear that there’s a serious risk to keeping the birds alive.

Of course, it should be mentioned that there’s also a reason for the backlash. Recently, a Cornwall family’s pet Yorkshire terrier was pecked to death by gulls nesting on their roof. Another family’s said they attacked their pet tortoise.

Due to incidents like these, as well as the usual food theft and dropping their own little bombs on the people, Devzies in Wiltshire  (which is, surprisingly, 50 miles from the sea) got a DEFRA license to shash the eggs of the hundreds of seagulls in an attempt to stop the gulls from terrorising their town. In Britain, DEFRA only allows people to interfere with wild bird’s nests if there is a demonstrable serious health risk.

Back in Bridport, several families got so distressed by the increase in the gull population that they considered moving to another town. Quoth Councillor Laura Mayes: “Its a two pronged attack. We have got hawks which are coming onto the industrial estate, which is where the gulls are nesting on a wide open roof, to try and scare the gulls away. For those that are brave enough to fight the hawks and lay their eggs, we have gone on to the roofs to remove the eggs. They are then destroyed.” Ive been a councillor since 2009 and its been a quietly growing issue. Initially, to be blunt, I thought it was a bit of a joke. Over the past two or three years it has got increasingly worse. Last summer it reached an absolute nadir and there were people contacting me every day. The noise at 4.30am was unbelievable and the other thing was the mess. I describe it as being a bit like an all night party every night where everything was trashed when you got up in the morning. They were the neighbours from hell.”

But, she acknowledges that it will take time for the effects to be felt: “Theres 600 eggs which have not hatched this year. But the issue is they reproduce at about 100 per cent a year. And they are fertile for 25 years. Once youve got them, the only way to try and turn it round is to be this focussed. Thats why its got to go on for this long.”

While seagulls are normally seen near the sea, many are attraced inland by the sheer amount of waste (particularly uneaten food) that modern life generates. But that doesn’t explain some of the more violent behavior. Here’s one case that might:

Scottish vet gives seagull chip laced with hot sauce.

Garry John Urie was an army man from Paisley, Scotland on R&R in Ibizia when he met an unusual girl he fell in love with. They fell out of touch when he had to go back and fight. He and his mates started up a Facebook campaign (Dear Garry John) that, while it gained thousands of likes, did not end successfully. However, he did find another girl and they’re now touring the world.

In Australia, he encountered a gull and fed it a chip (french fry for us Yanks) with hot sauce. In his words: “We were having a barbeque by the seaside and there were hundreds of seagulls flying about. A mate stuck some hot sauce on a crisp and held it out for one of the gulls. It swooped down, ate it and then you could see the hot sauce kick in. The gull made a beeline for the nearby water and was gulping away to quench his thirst. It was funny. The bird’s expression was priceless. The video has gone bananas – it’s all over the internet. I could not believe that it managed to net more than a million views. A few people have been a bit upset thinking that the gull may have been hurt but I am an animal lover myself and the bird wasn’t harmed at all.”

Here’s the video, which has over 1.4 million views (admittedly, mostly from other copies):

I should also mention that a similar incident happened recently in Ibiza with a man shot a video of himself feeding a seagull a chip laced with ketchup and a white crystal-like substance. Reports differ whether the crystal was salt (as he maintained) or party drug/horse anaesthetic ketamine (as the spelling KETchup he used implied). We have only his words and the implications his capitalisation brought about to judge; we have no more of a chance of finding that Ibizan gull he fed and conducting a toxicology report on it than the police have of arresting the Bristol seagull that stole the lunch of the guy at the beginning of this column based on the CCTV footage.

Honestly, I think actions like this might contribute to some of their crueler actions. A recent study shows that crows have some surprisingly good face recognition skills, and, while I doubt that gulls have the same sort of intelligence that crows have demonstrated elsewhere, there is the possibility that these gulls have been mistreated somewhere along the line and could very well be wreaking some sort of primitive revenge. Of course, I realise that I could very well be wrong; much more research is likely needed before we can reach a conclusion either way.

close

Daily British News

Sign-up for free daily emails with the latest news about British culture, heritage, and history!

We promise we’ll never spam!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pocket
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit

Filed Under: Scotland, Shaftesbury, Wales, Weird Britain
Places: Bristol, Dorset, Scotland, Wales

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Daily British News

Sign-up for free daily emails with the latest news about British culture, heritage, and history!

We promise we’ll never spam!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About Derek

I was named after not one, but two, different Shakespearean actors (Derek Jacobi and Laurence Olivier.) I am a lifelong resident of Chicago. I learned to read at the age of 18 months and credit my love of literature, film, and music with keeping me somewhat sane throughout school. When not writing about music, I like going to plays, and going to Columbia College Chicago where I am a fiction writing student.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John Evans says

    August 8, 2015 at 3:38 am

    The aggressive gull problem is of our own making. In the UK, the populations of Herring Gulls, and other gull species too, are in decline. The reason? Loss of their natural food supply due to overfishing. They’re coastal birds that scavenge for food, and, like most animals with a scavenging lifestyle, they have to be opportunistic and sometimes aggressive to survive. So with food hard to get in their natural habitat, they’ve taken to feeding inland off our food waste (e.g. rubbish dumps and discarded fast food in city centers). And that’s when they come into conflict with humans. Same story as for foxes, raccoons…

    Given that Britain and Ireland are islands with long coastlines, it”s hardly surprising that we’ve got a host of seabirds, including coastal species like gulls. (For example, just one big rock, the Bass Rock in Scotland’s Firth of Forth, has the world’s largest colony of gannets.) We in the UK should be proud of our sea birds and should actively protect them, including our gulls, because we’re so lucky to have them.

    Perhaps we don’t like seeing behavior in animals that looks like craftiness and willful aggression, because that reminds us too much of the darker sides of our own behavior as a species.

    BBC News report about gull attacks here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-33550247

Primary Sidebar

Daily British News

Sign-up for free daily emails with the latest news about British culture, heritage, and history!

We promise we’ll never spam!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Search our Extensive Archive

Get the Free Anglotopia App

Our Fabulous Advertisers

Free British Weekly Newsletter

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up!

Recent Discussions on the Anglotopia Forum

  • What's your favorite British slang word or phrase?
  • Let's talk about British Food! What's your favorite?
  • British people of Anglotopia, what do you make of the whole anglophile thing ?
  • British Music
  • Box of Delights, anyone?
  • Britain in 2022?
  • Why Are You an Anglophile?
  • Homesickness strikes
  • What did British stuff did you get for Christmas?
  • Liking someone's reply

Recent Posts

Kris Marshall to return in Death In Paradise spin-off series set in English Countryside

Stephen Fry to present new dinosaur documentary series for Channel 5

I trust Ruth Jones’ exceptional judgment on Gavin & Stacey return, says James Corden

The Rolling Stones celebrate ‘immaculate’ Charlie Watts in new BBC documentary

What went down at Glastonbury 2022

Record crowds expected as Wimbledon returns at full capacity

Queen arrives in Edinburgh for historic Ceremony of the Keys at Holyrood

Glastonbury’s Michael Eavis says portrait is an ‘achievement for a dairy farmer from Somerset’

Tributes paid following death of Dad’s Army star Frank Williams

John Suchet steps down from weekday Classic FM show to host specials across year

Best Posts on Anglotopia

  • Top 100 British Slang Words and Phrases
  • Top 50 Most Beautiful British Insults
  • Ultimate List of Funny British Place Names
  • Top 16 Best Castles in England
  • Our Love Affair with Shaftesbury Dorset Explained
  • British Stores in the USA
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • Top British Comedies of All Time
  • Top 11 Stately Homes in England
  • The Top 12 Castles in Scotland
  • Top Ten British Chick Flicks
  • Top 10 Anglophile Movies
  • Top 13 Best Castles in Wales
  • Brit Telly 101: Understanding British Police Ranks
  • Brit Slang: British Slang in the Bedroom
  • Finding Downton: Our Journey to Highclere Castle
  • Titanic: 10 Famous People Who Died On The Titanic
  • 33 British Slang Words and Phrases You’ll Want to Start Using Regularly Today Because They’re Awesome
  • Top 10 Classic British Motorcycles
  • Top Ten of the Best British Sweets

British Long Reads

Caroline of Brunswick: The Tabloid Princess of the Regency Era

A Church in Wales Spring 2022 Update

Great British Houses: Rainham Hall National Trust

Duke of Edinburgh: A look at his life – No-nonsense prince was Queen’s ‘strength and stay’ – Obituary – Long-read

Guest Post: Slow Chilterns – Exploring The Chilterns

More From the Print Magazine

Anglotopia’s Top Categories

  • British Slang Archives
  • Royal Family
  • Great Events in British History
  • Great British Houses
  • Great British Icons
  • The Monarchs
  • British Slang
  • A Day In the Life…
  • Long-form British Articles
  • British TV
  • British Culture
  • Our Travels in Britain

Footer

About Us

Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Join us as we explore Britain and everything it has to offer!

Contact Us!

Interested in advertising on the world's largest website dedicated to all things Britain? Or maybe you have a story for us or would like to work together. We want to hear from you!

Reach Us At: E-mail: info@anglotopia.net

Free British Weekly Newsletter

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up!

As Seen On or In:

Link Partners

  • Gold Hill Shaftesbury Live HD Webcam
  • Irishtopia.net
  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

Top Anglotopia Categories

  • British Slang Archives
  • Royal Family
  • Great Events in British History
  • Great British Houses
  • Great British Icons
  • The Monarchs
  • British Slang
  • A Day In the Life…
  • Long-form British Articles
  • British TV
  • British Culture
  • Our Travels in Britain

Copyright © 2022 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.