Have your say about Seagulls? Friend or Foe.....
Phil Minton, a nature enthusiast and owner of Trimstone Manor Country House Hotel is puzzled by the behaviour of seagulls in a field next to his home and asks if readers can help
We are just over two miles from the coast at Woolacombe and in the deepest, countryside. However, some months ago, a large collection of seagulls took a liking to a neighbouring field and every night, there is a quiet invasion of the birds which pitch and roost there. There is nothing special about the field, yes, water is nearby on the various ponds but all they do is roost, preen and in the morning, without any fuss whatsoever, off they go, in dribs and drabs till they have gone and all that is left behind is the dappled field, littered by the evidence of their white feathers.
So, why? They are not being fed, it is simply a grassy field and with no other features of note. What has attracted them to this field? They are so quiet (no cacophony so often associated with seagulls) and they leave no trace anywhere else as they come and go. They weren’t here last year either but nothing was any different and they arrive from different directions and disperse likewise.
I would welcome anyone’s ideas as to why there is the attraction to this neighbouring field. Anyone interested in seeing the seagulls are most welcome to come and have a look at this unusual occurrence.
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