Is Dublin city in a seasonal onslaught of seagull noise pollution?

the dark phantom

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/liam-collins-its-war-on-seagulls-31394919.html

Taking the piss completely, You would swear the Nazi's had the island surrounded the way he going on.

Lovely Bloke

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/23/killer-seagulls-top-the-pecking-order-for-a-media-frenzy

They have attacked pensioners, children, dogs, even a tortoise. They have stolen countless chips, Cornish pasties and doughnuts from unwary holidaymakers. The tabloids (and broadsheets) have branded them killers, and even the prime minister has been drawn into the debate over what is to be done. It truly has been the year of the gull.

The latest attacks in Cornwall, south-west England – which appears to be the hotspot for attacks this summer – have left a 66-year-old woman needing hospital treatment and a four-year-old boy traumatised after his finger was savaged.

...

John Mason

Here is the guide to surviving an Seagull attack!

http://http://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2013/jul/02/how-to-survive-seagull-attack

First comes the "gag call" – a low, repeated warning call that essentially means: Go away. Next is the low pass, within a metre or two of the intruder's head. Then aerial operations commence. Phase one is bombardment: gulls target the perceived threat with droppings and vomit. Phase two is all-out attack – usually a low, raking strike to the back of the head with talons extended.

Once things get to this stage, obviously, there's not a lot you can do beyond duck and try shield your head. Best advice? Keep your eyes and ears open, and learn what the gulls are trying to tell you. Our ignorance of their warnings is their greatest weapon.

iLikeWaffles

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I don't think anyone is saying there's no fish left in the Irish Sea!

IMO the seagulls, which are clearly smarter than they are subtle, have copped onto an easier, handier source of food and migrated towards it.

Maybe the politicians should be addressing the food and waste disposal habits of their citizens.

Exactly easier to find food source. Which begs to question what is making it so damn hard for them to find food in there natural habitat? You do have a point though if people didn't make other food sources more readily available for scavenging maybe they wouldn't be patrolling the skies looking to satisfy their instinct for survival.

Perhaps the politicians should first execute a plan that will put their food source back into the coastal waters but it will rely on people not giving seagulls the opportunity to have an easier meal.

Lovely Bloke

Once again the spectre of the Gull Terrorist rears it's ugly head in our fair city.

Dublin in despair over proliferation of seagulls

A surge in seagull droppings is fouling up the water at a popular Dublin beach, according to Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency.

Peter Webster, a senior scientist at the EPA, said that seagull droppings were a significant contributory factor to the poor water quality at Merrion Strand beach in the south of the Irish capital.

“We have a possible combination of impacts from surface waters but also from an increasing number of seagull droppings on a daily basis,” he told Newstalk Radio following the release of the agency’s annual report into bathing water quality on Tuesday. “Seagull poo has 10 times more bacteria than human poo.”

The proliferation of seagulls has wreaked havoc in Dublin in recent years. Last July, senator Denis O’Donovan called for a cull of the “vicious” birds, branding them a danger to society.

Residents frequently complain of being woken by the birds, particularly during the nesting season from early summer, and Irish media has featured countless tales of birds swooping on outdoor eating areas to take food from diners and throwing litter around the streets raids on garbage bags.

However, seagulls and their nests are currently protected by national and European regulations, which would appear to rule out a cull.

Overall, six beaches around Ireland failed minimum clean water tests. The EPA said swimmers had a 10% risk of contracting a viral infection at these locations.

It is now beyond the reason of any right thinking person that we need to rid ourselves of this scourge for once and for all.

It wasn't for fouled monuments, poisoned water nor stolen ice-creams or chips that those brave men and women of 1916 so bravely fought.

Let us reclaim our airspace, beaches and parks from these horrible birds.

Confucius say

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Once again the spectre of the Gull Terrorist rears it's ugly head in our fair city.

Dublin in despair over proliferation of seagulls


It is now beyond the reason of any right thinking person that we need to rid ourselves of this scourge for once and for all.

It wasn't for fouled monuments, poisoned water nor stolen ice-creams or chips that those brave men and women of 1916 so bravely fought.

Let us reclaim our airspace, beaches and parks from these horrible birds.

Joking aside. They've ruined St Stephen's green and the whole duck feeding experience my parents used to enjoy with me as a child. Now it's just massive gulls bullying the poor little ducks. We seriously need a cull, it'll happen sooner or later.

HeidiHeidi

F**kers have moved into the chimney pot across the road again.

I await the early morning onslaught of screeching with bated breath......

It should be made compulsory to have your chimneys fitted with cowls or hats.

iLikeWaffles

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Once again the spectre of the Gull Terrorist rears it's ugly head in our fair city.

Dublin in despair over proliferation of seagulls


It is now beyond the reason of any right thinking person that we need to rid ourselves of this scourge for once and for all.

It wasn't for fouled monuments, poisoned water nor stolen ice-creams or chips that those brave men and women of 1916 so bravely fought.

Let us reclaim our airspace, beaches and parks from these horrible birds.

“Seagull poo has 10 times more bacteria than human poo.”

Yes and human poo is about 1000 times bigger than seagull poo therefor human poo is 100 times more toxic to waters than seagull's!

"Overall, six beaches around Ireland failed minimum clean water tests. The EPA said swimmers had a 10% risk of contracting a viral infection at these locations."

If the locations of sewage pipes polluting the coastal waters was known there would be a 10% less chance of people contracting viral infections.

Knex*

Ronan.p wrote: »

The last two summer's I have noticed that seagull noise at early morning time has been on the increase in the greater south Dublin city area. Has anyone else noticed this problem?

Is there anyway to cull seagulls?

In a 100 years from now, we'll be commemorated for the Bordsie Rising of 2016, where we valiantly took inspiration from the lads of 1916, and St Patrick himself, and bate the gulls out of Eire.

MrMorooka

The sheer amount of various bird guano caking the ground at Portobello dock and environs is disgusting. Saw a rat running across and jumping into the canal last weekend. Doesn't help when people are constantly feeding the pigeons/gulls and literally dumping bin bags full of grain around the place.

Alun

iLikeWaffles wrote: »

“Seagull poo has 10 times more bacteria than human poo.”

Yes and human poo is about 1000 times bigger than seagull poo therefor human poo is 100 times more toxic to waters than seagull's!

"Overall, six beaches around Ireland failed minimum clean water tests. The EPA said swimmers had a 10% risk of contracting a viral infection at these locations."

If the locations of sewage pipes polluting the coastal waters was known there would be a 10% less chance of people contracting viral infections.

How does that work then?

Skylinehead

Knex. wrote: »

In a 100 years from now, we'll be commemorated for the Bordsie Rising of 2016, where we valiantly took inspiration from the lads of 1916, and St Patrick himself, and bate the gulls out of Eire.

I think we'll lose and the gulls will execute a few of us.

neris

MrMorooka wrote: »

Doesn't help when people are constantly feeding the pigeons/gulls and literally dumping bin bags full of grain around the place.

doesnt help out in howth when the hoardes of tourists are doing the same thinking its all great fun till the bins are overflowing and the little cnuts have ripped the chip bags out the bins and every sunday & monday morning the place looks like a tip head. the little ****ers need to be culled massively