
Pity the Seagull - diodorus
http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2015/08/24/mary-wellesley/pity-the-seagull/
======
VaedaStrike
Growing up in Utah is such a different perspective. The California gull is
celebrated just like, or even more than, the Bald Eagle.

Come to Utah all you gulls! Your ancestors made you a protected species here!

~~~
randycupertino
That is so crazy to me. Why do they like the gull?

I remember when we moved to California I thought ice plant was really cool
looking and loved it, until someone told me it was a much hated invasive
species that's killing shoreline plants.

~~~
jloughry
Plague of locusts in 1848; seagulls appeared and ate the insects. It's
remembered in the region as a miracle.

ETA:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_of_the_gulls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_of_the_gulls)

------
jws
They aren't so bad. I live part of the year in a seagull rookery. If you carry
a stick that reaches above your head they can't hit you. If you are working
outside with an aggressive individual interested in you, you can time how long
it takes them to circle around for another attack and raise your hand or tool
just before they get there. Wear a hat and a jacket. After a while your
standards slip enough that it's only gross if its warm. There is a constant
noise, but I live the rest of the year next to train tracks, so the change is
nice.

~~~
nyolfen
this is a pretty interesting definition of 'not so bad'

~~~
misnome
Living in a rookery, e.g. you are invading their home and nests. Isn't it
natural to expect them to be defensive?

------
sleepydog
I grew up in a coastal New England town. I always loved the call of seagulls,
and now it reminds me of home. I dunno if I'm just imagining it, but seagulls
seem to sound different on the west coast and in Japan.

Anyway, I've got nothing against seagulls. They're big, pretty birds who have
to deal with an expanding human population, like everyone else. I don't find
them more aggressive than any other wild animal. Just keep your mouth closed
when they're overhead :)

