What have seagulls got against herons?

[pquinn]

That they dont have against,ducks,swans,pigeons,crows,moorhens or magpies.

A heron turned up here a couple of weeks back as there is an abundance of fish this year.But every time he lands in a certain spot these feckin' seagulls go ape and start dive bombing trying to lamp the head off him , squawking and generally going nuts.It is obvious that they are afraid of him as they only get close enough to threaten but not to injure.HE just seems to take it calmly and ducks his head and ignores them but last Saturday he lost the rag and done some scary hissing at them.I have to say i am fond of birds but seagulls are vermin and the spawn of the devil.Last year some politician was talking about a cull on them in the city[Dont ask me] as they were attacking people and ''disposesing children of their lollipops'' in his own words.And as for those poxy Terns,the noise they make would put the fear of jaziz in to ya'.

Actually,i might retitle this thread to ''The seagull thread issue..............and pose the question Why dont they feck off back to the sea instead of crapping on my boat and waking me up at six o' clock in the morning?

[twbm]

Perhaps the seagulls only take freshwater coarse fish for 'sport' and then put them back, whereas the herons eat them.

[pquinn]

Are you suggesting the sea gulls have adopted a catch and release policy.

But how would the herons know they were supposed to release the fish when waterways Ireland have not put up a sign in seventeen different languages.

[Machpoint005]

What sort of gulls? No such species as 'seagull' AFAIK.

[pquinn]

The big,white,evil eyed,crap spewing,rubbish scavanging,heron hating,hell fire squawking,should be machine gunned on sight species.

 

Not sure what their latin name is though.

[Athy]

What sort of gulls? No such species as 'seagull' AFAIK.

Don't have a nasty tern, it's a generic term covering several species of gull.

[Machpoint005]

Not bothered about the Latin name, just herring / lesser black backed / greater black backed or whatever? (I presume not black-headed because they're only little).

Don't have a nasty tern, it's a generic term covering several species of gull.

 

Yes, which is why I wondered which ones were responsible for the pun...

Edited April 21, 2015 by Machpoint005

[Athy]

Not bothered about the Latin name, just herring / lesser black backed / greater black backed or whatever? (I presume not black-headed because they're only little).

 

Yes, which is why I wondered which ones were responsible for the pun...

So these herons are gullible?

[Machpoint005]

I'm sure they're egretting it now.

[Phil Ambrose]

The answer is simple I believe, Herons are not only fish eaters but predators I have often seen them take ducklings, even sparrows, the gulls must sense this and act accordingly.

Phil

[lydfordcastle]

The answer is simple I believe, Herons are not only fish eaters but predators I have often seen them take ducklings, even sparrows, the gulls must sense this and act accordingly.

Phil

 

Simpler than that. They see them as competition. A couple of years ago I was watching some kids below Bradford on Avon lock feeding a mother moorhen who was then feeding her chicks and a couple of the chicks ventured out from under the cover of the bank foliage only to be taken in one swoop by a bloody big gull. Hated the thing yes, but had to admire it's skill as it didn't touch the water and to be able to take two chicks on the wing was certainly impressive. However, the plaintive cries of the mother moorhen and the two chicks in the beak of the gull were heart wrenching.

[MtB]

 

Not sure what their latin name is though.

 

I thought it was Jonathan Livingston...

[Jerra]

I would advance two possible reasons. The first has already been mentioned, Herons are predators which will take chicks and it may be the gulls are nesting nearby.

 

The second is that some of the larger gulls are kleptoparasitic (will attack other birds forcing them to regurgitate their catch) so they may be trying that on the Herons.

[cotswoldsman]

I would advance two possible reasons. The first has already been mentioned, Herons are predators which will take chicks and it may be the gulls are nesting nearby.

 

The second is that some of the larger gulls are kleptoparasitic (will attack other birds forcing them to regurgitate their catch) so they may be trying that on the Herons.

Thanks for that I am happy to learn I am one of those that enjoys spring watch etc as my knowledge of nature is so bad

[pquinn]

Some interesting reply's, although I have never seen the gulls attack the cormorants to regurgitate food and none of the many differing birds seem threatened by the herons.

[RLWP]

It's crows and buzzards around here. A buzzard will come lazily cruising across the sky and a couple of crows will scramble, flap up above it and start to dive on it. Often the buzzard will roll over to give the crows a dose of claws.

 

Their best defence is to grab a thermal and put a bit of height on though. The crows have to work too hard to keep up and quit

 

I'm really pleased to see buzzards returning around here - much more elegant than those red kites you get over the M40

 

Richard

[pquinn]

Actually,i have seen crows attack herons when they try to roost in the trees,gutsy little buggers and very determined.

[RLWP]

Actually,i have seen crows attack herons when they try to roost in the trees,gutsy little buggers and very determined.

 

It'll be the same thing - protecting their roosts against predators. I would guess as a rule of thumb - big thing with wide wings is bad, get him! It might be a buzzard or a heron or an albatross, get him anyway

 

Richard

[Jerra]

 

It'll be the same thing - protecting their roosts against predators. I would guess as a rule of thumb - big thing with wide wings is bad, get him! It might be a buzzard or a heron or an albatross, get him anyway

 

Richard

You are probably right. I remember being with the Warden of the Insh Marsh Reserve (Scotland) and he said "Look a couple of Peewits mobbing a Buzzard". When we got the glasses on them it was a pair of Buzzards mobbing a Goldie.

[cotswoldsman]

 

It'll be the same thing - protecting their roosts against predators. I would guess as a rule of thumb - big thing with wide wings is bad, get him! It might be a buzzard or a heron or an albatross, get him anyway

 

Richard

Last time I was in New Zealand we took a boat out to get close to Albatrosses they are enormous would have to be brave to take one of those on!!!

[RLWP]

Rooks have no sense of decency, they'd take on an albatross for a laugh

 

I'd love to see one, John

 

Richard

[Sir Nibble]

Last time I was in New Zealand we took a boat out to get close to Albatrosses they are enormous would have to be brave to take one of those on!!!

Did you get wafers with it?

[Athy]

Did you get wafers with it?

What flavour was it?

(I think that's the same reference).

[cotswoldsman]

What flavour was it?

(I think that's the same reference).

Sorry but this is over my head

[Athy]

Sorry but this is over my head

You wouldn't want an albatross over your head for very long, depending on what it had been eating of course.

 

The reference is to a sketch in the comedy series 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' in which a cinema usherette emerges during the interval carrying a sales tray on which, instead of the expected ices and popcorn, is a dead albatross.