Hawking Seagulls
A new idea has sprung to the mind of a councillor who wants to parade a hawk around a seaside resort in the hope to scare away seagulls!
Mike Epsley, who represents the Foryd ward in Rhyl, Denbighshire, actually wants funding for the idea and thinks the hawk would be great for the summer months as a seagull repeller
A bird has been offered by a handler Rob Davis, who says that the scheme has actually been \"Proven to work\"
“The pigeons went straight away and the seagulls reacted very violently when they saw it “says Mike Epsley.
Right now there are no current plans to discuss the idea.
Mr Harris said: \"Seagulls, and pigeons, are flying vermin and places like Premiership football clubs often release hawks half an hour before big games to scare away any pigeons who might otherwise deposit on paying customers.\"
Mr Davis took a four year old American Harris Hawk called Freya out to the beach for a trial of her effectiveness, the results were instant and the Seagulls began reacting to the hawk when she wasn’t even loose
Mr Epsley joined him for the trial day and said \"We simply walked out with the hawk, and the results were instant.”
\"The pigeons went straight away and the seagulls reacted very violently when they saw it. They became very active, hovered, then dispersed. The hawk wasn\'t even loose.”
“It was incredible to see.”
He added: \"To be effective it would have to run from 8am to 8pm, and for the hawk to be visible.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see if they put the plan into action.
The results seem effective for the new idea but would you prefer to go to the beach without the sweet cry of the gull? Or would it be better to know you could stop putting your hand over your chips in fear they’ll be snatched right out of your hands?
Comment with your views on the idea or go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/8184094.stm for more information on the plans to keep seagulls and pigeons under vermin control.
