If it wasn't so annoying it would be entertaining. This gull is trying to steal my identity. It chases gulls, flapping and squawking, if they dare to attempt landing in the back yard. It eats fast. It does regular inspections of the lawn and borders.
Unfortunately it also chases crows, magpies, and pigeons. It is not scared of me any more and simply retires to the shed or garage roof when I come out flapping and squawking, and it knows (from experience) I am not a particularly good shot throwing clods of hardened earth at it.
I have no idea how to feed the crows and magpies without the gull getting to the food first.
Now, if it would just learn to chase rats.... (it could earn itself a living).
Breathe ....
(NB - don't really want the gull 'dead' but would prefer that it 'shared' the food.)
Perhaps the gull needs a jasmine aromatherapy course too ..?
ReplyDeleteIt has been treated to that and persists in its delinquent ways.
DeleteI, too, have a bossy gull, greedy and squawking...he throws himself at the glass sliding door and flaps his big wings . I chase him away with the broom. He is not at all polite. I share your frustration!
ReplyDeleteYours is even bolder than ours. At least I don't need to employ a broom.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteThe memory of jasmine came with your image, so smellyvision sort of worked! As for Gullgotha... hmmmm not sure there's an answer for that one... YAM xx
Timing seems to be the key - wait till it gets bored and goes somewhere else (possibly to some other sucker that also puts out food in the backyard but at a different time).
DeleteI love the smell of Jasmine, always have, now I have scent allergies so we have nothing in the yard with scent.. Jasmine and Honeysuckle were always on our fences.
ReplyDeletethe gull thing must be why all the resturants on our beaches have signs every where, do not feed the Gulls. once they find a food source they cannot be stopped. the outdoor tables are crisscrossed with fishing lines to make it hard for them to land. they found out if they WALK in its easy
Eateries around our touristic coastline (especially Cornwall) have lots of signs warning people against eating food outdoors because of gulls. They are bold and opportunistic (and insatiable). Unfortunately their numbers are in steep decline because we have destroyed their traditional food sources and they are getting poisoned (food poisoning) eating rubbish from our tip sites. I kind of feel sorry for them but can't afford to feed them.
DeleteI wonder how long it will be before the numerous gulls in this neighbourhood become a nuisance. Maybe the red kites will keep them at bay. I don't think so, though, as they're not very brave. Even the crows, much smaller than them, see them off.
ReplyDeleteI wonder about that - our crows had no young this year (or they did but the young were taken by something) and we found one very decayed baby crow carcass in our backyard last week - having been dropped from the sky it seems. (It lasted until the foxes came round for their supper). Our current generation of crows are timid compared to their grandparents - our original crows would have seen off anything. These ones defer.
DeleteGulls can be pesty ~ our pest is the squirrel ~
ReplyDeleteLovely floral shot ~ idyllic ~ hugs,
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
There is a wood pigeon near me that coos all day. It's better than the Prog rock Dawn chorus when I'm camping at 4 in the morning. It only lasts twenty minutes. 😥
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem with our local blackbirds...I usually stop the food supply for 3 or so days. When I resume, they have found somewhere else to eat(for at least 2 to 3 weeks). Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMmmmmm, I used to have jasmine at our last place in California...and like Yam, I could remember the scent when I saw your picture.
We used to have a garden gull - it had one eye and one leg so we called him Nelson! He flew off one day and hit a car... a rather ignominious end.
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh (well not the end bit), but the name. Maybe ours needs a name.
DeleteGet the hose on to it. I’m sure a few strong squirts will move him on
ReplyDeleteAlso don’t put out any food until it goes