Sticking up for South Tyneside's seagulls

The majority of our rescues (where we support a local wildlife rescue) involve gulls and pigeons and hedgehogs (although we have also helped with many other birds like blackbirds, starlings, sparrows etc. and also been involved in domestic rescues and support with animals like cats). 

When we do rescues we name the animals  – mainly so we can remember them as the individual animals they are but also because it helps us with data like where they came from and that also helps us identify any geographical areas of concern. 

Through a concerted educational campaign - working with the council, the police, the RSPCA, a humane wildlife solutions company who we regularly call on for advice, and volunteers, we have been able to turn the tide significantly and the majority of people now know that, for example, it is against the law to tamper with or remove an active nest, or that seagulls (actually herring gulls) are red-listed and protected.

They also know that we will vigorously pursue any acts of criminality and we have been successful in several cases. 

We have worked with the award winning and well-known local animator and artist, Sheila Graber who has created a fabulous short animation called ‘Splat The Seagull’.

We will be taking this into schools to show children how amazing gulls truly are and what they can do to help keep the birds safe.  

The most important part of our rescues though are the members of the public – they are our eyes and ears, and this year in particular they have been absolutely amazing in and around our area.

Contacting me, asking for advice, support, as well as pushing back against those ever-decreasing numbers of gull- and pigeon-haters on social media posts - it really has been great to see so much support for two much maligned species of birds. 

Unfortunately, there are still too many people out there who think shooting or driving at and killing birds is a fun activity, or they deserve it because they don’t like them.

Thankfully for them and us, there are far more people who find this behaviour abhorrent and will happily report them – to us or to the police. 

And to those of you who have helped us over the busy summer and continue to help us, we say a huge thank you, we really are very grateful.

It has been lovely meeting so many of you and getting to know you. 

Our work continues though, into the autumn and beyond, so please continue to keep being our eyes and ears – we need you and so do the animals.