Some people may not be happy to hear this, but us at Bird Wise East Kent love Gulls. They’re such characters, and can be quite amusing to watch. We have most likely bored you all enough with our slogan ‘There is no such thing as a Seagull’, as there are many different types of Gulls that can be found along our coastline.
We understand that they can be a bit of a nuisance at times, but the long and short of it is, the coast was their home before it was ours. Since our colonisation along the coastline, they have adapted to live alongside us. Nesting on our roofs rather than cliff edges, defecating on our cars rather than on just bare ground, and stealing our chips rather than finding their own food. But all this is because they have just adapted to their new surroundings. If food is readily available (sometimes even hand fed to them) why not take advantage of it! That being said, their diet doesn’t purly consist of human food, they can still be seen quite cleverly hunting for prey in a number of different ways. I’m sure we’ve all seen the typical Herring Gull tap dance show! Did you know that this is their way of imitating the sound of rain on the ground so that worms come to the surface? They can also be seen taking shells up in their beaks to a height and then dropping them on the stones, this is to break the shell open for them to feed on the tasty morsel inside. Gulls are not diving birds, but they can commonly be seen in rock pools dipping their heads down catching crabs to swallow whole!
Much like our Brent Geese, the Herring Gull is able to drink salt water if freshwater is not available. They have specialised glands located over their eyes that can filter out the salt that would otherwise dehydrate other animals. Sometimes you may be able to spot this salty excretion dripping out of their nostrils and off the end of their bills!
That being said, in order to avoid them becoming any more of a pain to some people, please avoid feeding them, as this can encourage them to take food off of unsuspecting people, including small children which can be a health risk. Remember, our Gulls are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and you could land yourself a fine if you are found to be harming them in any way. If you are having severe Gull issues then you may contact your local government’s environmental health team. More information on this can be found on our ‘Reporting’ drop down on our website.
If you want to learn more about our Gulls and the different types that can be found along our coastline, be sure to follow us on our social media platforms, or come along to one of our events and have a chat with us!