Seagulls

Sheena Ireland brings up an issue about Seagulls invading Marchmont:

I am concerned to know what measures are being taken to discourage seagulls from finding the roofs of Marchmont & Sciennes comfortable places to live. There has been a marked increase in the presence of these pests in recent years & the incipient roosting needs to be nipped in the bud before it becomes a major problem; unchecked, it will.

Time was seagulls were only on the Links occasionally & in small numbers. As they are now nesting on the roofs of Marchmont, this is clearly going to get worse & action needs to be taken sooner rather than later. We live near the sea in Hove & there are nests on quite a few roofs nearby (I make sure they don’t think my roof is a safe place to be!). The mess isn’t much fun and the noise is unbelievable: they yell at any time of the day or night, and the babies whine, a lot, for months. Adults with babies can be downright dangerous; unsecured rubbish is scattered (possibly not too much of an issue in Marchmont with the lidded bins); and they are not averse to snatching food from people’s hands, which can be very frightening.