Animal Magic

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 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.

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

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Originally Posted by B. Oddie

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.

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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.

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Originally Posted by NYCBlue

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

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This - they are branching out, looking for food.

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Originally Posted by splott parker

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

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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.

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Originally Posted by 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?

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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!

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Originally Posted by 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?

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

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Originally Posted by 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?

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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.

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

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Originally Posted by tforturton

This - they are branching out, looking for food.

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

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Originally Posted by 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?

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Originally Posted by Lord Dargavel

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.

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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'! :hehe:

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.

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Originally Posted by 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?

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Originally Posted by life on mars

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

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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.

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Originally Posted by goats

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.

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I wouldn't recommend poison for two reasons: it's neither humane or wise.

They die a terrible agonising death from poison and as they don't want to display their vulnerability to predators as they're dying, they often crawl in to really awkward places which sod's law will be under the floorboards, meaning that you'll have to take the floor boards up to take the dead rat away. This leads to another sod's law...you can guarantee that the floorboards won't lay back down properly, particularly if it's a very old house!

Don't say it too loudly. We'll be overrun by Jacks looking for a treat!

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Originally Posted by B. Oddie

I wouldn't recommend poison for two reasons: it's neither humane or wise.

They die a terrible agonising death from poison and as they don't want to display their vulnerability to predators as they're dying, they often crawl in to really awkward places which sod's law will be under the floorboards, meaning that you'll have to take the floor boards up to take the dead rat away. This leads to another sod's law...you can guarantee that the floorboards won't lay back down properly, particularly if it's a very old house!

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It’s an old house. I can’t get under the floorboards anymore as they’ve been boarded over and Lino or carpet covered. I stuffed some poison in the whole the bugger chewed out of the wall. I really don’t care for how the f*ckers die.....

point of order.
There are no such birds as "seagulls". What you usually see are herring gulls (the grey ones).
The smaller white ones are terns.

Lesson over.


They are a pest though.

bastards

Mobile underwater killing machines

Used to feed on the coast but the pillaging of the seas means they have moved inland , not their fault really

Roath Park is savaged by them , the stocks of roach down to nothing

A fishing club I know of hires marksmen to take em out

Pull !

another bunch of tossers

Can eat twice their weight in fish in a day

Sub human scum

There was a rat in my garden the other day , broad daylight

Along comes next doors cat who loves killing little birds

Sees the rat and does a runner

It was the cats chance to take out vermin instead of cute little sparrows

It shit out

I hate cats

I would like to walk down to Porthcawl pier on a Sunday afternoon and say to the families ...clear the area !

I would whip out my sub machine gun and take out hundreds of the bastards

Yellow nosed twats

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Originally Posted by bobh

point of order.
There are no such birds as "seagulls". What you usually see are herring gulls (the grey ones).
The smaller white ones are terns.

Lesson over.


They are a pest though.

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Sorry to say we only get as you say herring gulls but also lesser blacked backed gulls,black headed gull but no Terns in a city center.

Currently 1 nil up away to Man U :biggrin:

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Originally Posted by jeepster

center.

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Similar thing I noticed as well at Roath Park, a council sign on the gates asking people to stay two meters apart.....I wondered if it was one gas and one electric.

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Originally Posted by MacAdder

Currently 1 nil up away to Man U :biggrin:

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:ayatollah::thumbup:

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Originally Posted by 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?

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Originally Posted by jeepster

:ayatollah::thumbup:

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Oh, C'mon - too obvious humour, surely?

Bet the fish hate them even more than people who fish.

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

another bunch of tossers

Can eat twice their weight in fish in a day

Sub human scum

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What? Really?? :facepalm:

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Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

another bunch of tossers

Can eat twice their weight in fish in a day

Sub human scum

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Otters are Ace!!
My favourite animal along with the honey badger.

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Originally Posted by mazadona10

Bet the fish hate them even more than people who fish.

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The fish like me , I catch them then put them back to make little fishes

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Originally Posted by xsnaggle

What? Really?? :facepalm:

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they are , I am on a one man misson with a catapult on my local river

Without them, waters would freeze.

Noticed the new title of the amalgamated thread and realised Morris had a hand in it..............Johnny not Mike:-)