I was laid low with a heavy cold this weekend. Plus ca change some might say. When I am ill (yes, ill) I occasionally experience vivid, verging on hallucinogenic, dreams. And last night was no exception. I walked out of a country house to watch a starling murmuration and quickly realised that they were being joined by a large group of gulls (species unknown). The gulls then swoop down brandishing a huge net. It appeared that the gulls were fishing for humans. Terrifying stuff and I was glad to wake up.
Goodness knows what Freud would make of it.
But the obvious question for your Monday morning is, which should be the target human of choice for these 'fishing' gulls?
It would be great to hear your views.
Not intended to be harsh Martin, but merely answering your question of '...which should be the target human of choice for these 'fishing' gulls?' I expect the gulls that were culled/had their nests destroyed on RSPB reserves might choose such targets.
I have certainly been 'dive-bombed' by many gulls acting in defence of their nests, eggs and young when surveying gulleries and was actually once struck on the head by a glaucous gull in Spitzbergen who drew blood! The roof-nesting herring gulls next door to me in Cornwall also make it a hazardous undertaking to venture out in the garden when their young have hatched - and even more hazardous for my dog.
As all senior decision makers are aware, or soon find out, there are some knotty ethical considerations to be weighed up when ordering or actually carrying out such lethal control, and I have no issue with controlling some species in order to protect others of conservation concern, or economically valuable livestock and crops. Indeed I would advocate more such management action to protect our dwindling populations of some threatened species.
Perhaps it was your well-developed conscience and personal ethics that in combination with the hallucinogenic dream brought forth the 'fishing gulls?'
Anyway, let's stick with my earlier suggestion of Tippi Hedron - she has been a target of gulls before.
That's a bit harsh, Keith.
The target? How about those RSPB decision makers who sanctioned the destruction of 76 large gull nests (mostly of the UK amber-listed lesser-black-backed gull), the shooting of three UK amber-listed adult lesser black-backed gulls and the control of other UK red-listed herring gulls, UK amber-listed lesser black-backed gulls and UK amber-listed great black-backed gulls on RSPB reserves in 2011-12?
Tippi Hedron?
Am now much better, thank you, Laura. First cold of the year is always a bit of a shock to the system...