Animal Magic

[splott parker]

Been for a walk around Roath Park this afternoon, lovely going through the park, had an ice cream, then a hot chocolate overlooking the lake. What shocked me was how the scavenging seagulls are now vastly outnumbering the swans and ducks, one bloke with his little boy was feeding the buggers. When my kids were little we fed the swans & ducks but then again I’m sure that there were far fewer seagulls about then, if any at all. Is it the increase in fast food waste that has led to the population explosion of the vermin?

[B. Oddie]

Rats

I saw one out the back at about 9am the other morning, another one (definitely a different one) running very close to the house this afternoon and then another one at the bottom of the street again this afternoon.

What's going on with that, then? I live away from towns and built up areas and having never seen a rat here before, seeing three in the space of four days is unusual

My dog often gets UTIs and I'm wondering if there's a link.

I haven't got a problem with them as such and I'm well aware that they're always pretty close anyway but I'm wary of the damage they can do a property if given the chance.

[NYCBlue]

Re: Rats

Restaurants are closed. They've got nothing to eat. Most city/town rats live on what restaurants throw out.

[goats]

Re: Rats

I saw one out the back at about 9am the other morning, another one (definitely a different one) running very close to the house this afternoon and then another one at the bottom of the street again this afternoon.

What's going on with that, then? I live away from towns and built up areas and having never seen a rat here before, seeing three in the space of four days is unusual

My dog often gets UTIs and I'm wondering if there's a link.

I haven't got a problem with them as such and I'm well aware that they're always pretty close anyway but I'm wary of the damage they can do a property if given the chance.

Funny you should mention rats, they are running amok in cardiff at present. A house I rent out in Heath, my tenant awoke to find a 3/4 inch hole in the kitchen wall yesterday. They had heard noise behind it for a while. A rat eating it’s way in through a stud wall....I’m calling the council Tuesday and I’ve chucked a load of poison down as they’ve been seen out the back before. How they got in mind, I’ll never know.

[tforturton]

Re: Rats

Restaurants are closed. They've got nothing to eat. Most city/town rats live on what restaurants throw out.

This - they are branching out, looking for food.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: Seagulls

Is it the increase in fast food waste that has led to the population explosion of the vermin?

I saw a good documentary on gulls a couple of years ago and apparently it’s a combination of factors - their natural food sources on the coast have declined, the waste humans produce has become more plentiful and the gulls are in less danger from predators in towns and cities.

There was a graphic in the programme demonstrating the way in which gull populations have moved inland and increased during the last fifty years. It was quite dramatic.

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

Re: Seagulls

Been for a walk around Roath Park this afternoon, lovely going through the park, had an ice cream, then a hot chocolate overlooking the lake. What shocked me was how the scavenging seagulls are now vastly outnumbering the swans and ducks, one bloke with his little boy was feeding the buggers. When my kids were little we fed the swans & ducks but then again I’m sure that there were far fewer seagulls about then, if any at all. Is it the increase in fast food waste that has led to the population explosion of the vermin?

A Great White shark can detect one small drop of blood in an Olympic-size swimming pool - a seagull can detect a fast-food wrapper rustling from the next county!

[life on mars]

Re: Seagulls

Been for a walk around Roath Park this afternoon, lovely going through the park, had an ice cream, then a hot chocolate overlooking the lake. What shocked me was how the scavenging seagulls are now vastly outnumbering the swans and ducks, one bloke with his little boy was feeding the buggers. When my kids were little we fed the swans & ducks but then again I’m sure that there were far fewer seagulls about then, if any at all. Is it the increase in fast food waste that has led to the population explosion of the vermin?

I think we should be allowed to freely shoot them , as they can be known to shit on your chips 🤔

[Lord Dargavel]

Re: Seagulls

Been for a walk around Roath Park this afternoon, lovely going through the park, had an ice cream, then a hot chocolate overlooking the lake. What shocked me was how the scavenging seagulls are now vastly outnumbering the swans and ducks, one bloke with his little boy was feeding the buggers. When my kids were little we fed the swans & ducks but then again I’m sure that there were far fewer seagulls about then, if any at all. Is it the increase in fast food waste that has led to the population explosion of the vermin?

I remember them in the early 80s as far inland as Heath. They used to land on my nan's garage on Heathwood Road. Not often but they seemed huge to me as a 4-5 year old boy.

[life on mars]

Re: Seagulls

I've seen a few hawks set about Gulls , my god they got no answer to those bad boys .

[life on mars]

Re: Rats

This - they are branching out, looking for food.

Left over from takeaways are the new problem , bloody Just Eats.

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

Re: Seagulls

Been for a walk around Roath Park this afternoon, lovely going through the park, had an ice cream, then a hot chocolate overlooking the lake. What shocked me was how the scavenging seagulls are now vastly outnumbering the swans and ducks, one bloke with his little boy was feeding the buggers. When my kids were little we fed the swans & ducks but then again I’m sure that there were far fewer seagulls about then, if any at all. Is it the increase in fast food waste that has led to the population explosion of the vermin?

I remember them in the early 80s as far inland as Heath. They used to land on my nan's garage on Heathwood Road. Not often but they seemed huge to me as a 4-5 year old boy.

Aren't they supposed to be reincarnated sailors? The buggers I used to see ripping open my black bin-bags in Rumney,must have been 'Bligh of the Bounty'!

[Vindec]

Re: Seagulls

I have seagulls nesting on my roof each year. It costs me £40 a time to get them removed. I guess it's the price to pay for living near the end of a cliff. I've seen them eat birds, dive bomb my grandchildren and regularly steal food from children on the sea front. They will even dive bomb adults carrying ice creams. Apparently they are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act so are fearless of humans.

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

Re: Seagulls

Been for a walk around Roath Park this afternoon, lovely going through the park, had an ice cream, then a hot chocolate overlooking the lake. What shocked me was how the scavenging seagulls are now vastly outnumbering the swans and ducks, one bloke with his little boy was feeding the buggers. When my kids were little we fed the swans & ducks but then again I’m sure that there were far fewer seagulls about then, if any at all. Is it the increase in fast food waste that has led to the population explosion of the vermin?

I've seen a few hawks set about Gulls , my god they got no answer to those bad boys .

Yes, they do. They simply fly higher than the hawk/falcon. The falcons need to come down upon the seagulls at speed.

We had a problem with seagulls nesting on the roof of our factory. As you probably know, seagulls are quite aggressive when they have young roaming around on the ground

We hired a pest control company and they brought along a Saker falcon. Beautiful looking thing and surprisingly very docile. Scared the shit out of the seagulls but we never saw it take one down.