Hey Everyone!
I've lived in my area now, going on six years and have never witnessed Seagulls coming here to feed. Yes, we only live about 2kms from the beach and 2kms from the lake, but as I mentioned, I have not seen them in six years.
I sometimes throw out scraps for the Magpies. About two weeks ago, I had a swarm of Seagulls circling above me like Vultures. It certainly wasn't long before my neighbourhood Magpies flew them down (actually in some cases probably causing harm to them!) but Magpies are very territorial - as we all know. I am just finding this very strange indeed. The Seagulls were never part of our bird "landscape" before and I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed them in areas they've never been before? In the CBD we visit to do our shopping, which only has a small river, I've seen them there too, looking for scraps. It's just strange - because as I said, I've not seen them doing this in the six years we've lived here....
Take Care,
TrudyC
Hi Trudy, Gulls can see and smell rubbish for miles. Is there a new rubbish dump or anything like it close by? Or someone who goes fishing and dumps leftovers somewhere after he cleaned the fish?
M-L
Hi there M-L,
Weird, but not that I know of. We're lucky because we're over an hour from the main CBD, and I do believe the rubbish tip is closer to them than it is to us...It's probably why I'm finding this so strange. We don't have many people fishing here as the local council deemed there to be algae in the lake of a high concentration, so no one has fished here for the past couple of years...But having said that, the ocean is a different story...Do Gulls eat animals that have been hit by cars? Can't say I've seen them doing that, but there is plenty of that between here and the CBD, but I haven't seen them doing that either....
Take Care,
TrudyC
Regards
TrudyC
aka RedBrowedFinch
Would there be dead fish in the lake?
M-L
Haven't seen any, M-L. To add to it, the Gulls have never really been in this area at all. I've spent a lot of time at the lake, more so than the ocean, and I can't say I've seen them before. Could have something to do with the Magpie population here? Not sure about that either. But now I think about it, I've never seen out here prior to a couple of weeks ago...
Take Care,
TrudyC
Regards
TrudyC
aka RedBrowedFinch
Random occurrences do occur. But perhaps the Silver Gulls have cottoned on to the food you toss out for the Australian Magpies. If you stopped tossing out food for the Australian Magpies & the Silver Gulls disappeared then that would give you a clue to why the Silver Gulls have turned up after 6 years of not seeing them.
Hey there Woko,
No, my random tossings to the Magpies are not all that great - we don't generally have that much to toss out...I'm starting to think that M-L is on to something and the fish are starting to disappear. I cannot think of any other reason to bring Gulls further inland. They are seabirds afterall, that's what I find most unusual...Have only spotted two today, that have flown over. But like most days here, they had no reason to stop.
Take Care,
TrudyC
Regards
TrudyC
aka RedBrowedFinch
Silver gulls can be found anywhere there is water, they are not just at the sea. There are plenty at Lake Eucumbene in the Snowy Mountains. (there is also a pair of WB Sea Eagles there).
A Gull can spot a chip from a mile away, i am with Woko. Stop tossing out scraps and see what happens?
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
Silver Gulls fly as far as Lake Eyre. They predate the eggs of birds that breed there during floods. So it's not unusual to see Silver Gulls well away from the coast.