Chip-stealing seagulls target Bridlington tourists

Fish and chip shops in Bridlington have started putting up signs warning people about being attacked by seagulls.

One seafront chip shop owner, Justin Carpenter, claimed he is now losing money because of the number of thefts. He said he is giving out more free bags in compensation for the ones stolen by the birds.

The RSPB said: "There are lots of young birds at the moment and parent gulls are particularly aggressive at this time of year, as they fight for food to feed their young."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-14125924

Seagull swipes camera, shoots film, becomes YouTube sensation

A filmmaker whose miniature camera was apparently swiped by a French seagull whose feathered getaway was caught on video, swears the YouTube hit isn't faked.

The video shows a gull snatching the spy-sized camera before flying off and landing on the top of a nearby castle.

All the while, the video camera is rolling and captures every moment, including the gull's squawks as it lands to finish off its purloined prize only to peck away in vain as it discovers the electronic device is inedible.

The footage has already been watched nearly 300,000 times.

But despite being shot at Cannes - home of the world's most well-known film festival - the producer protested he was just in the right place at the right time, and had to climb a castle wall to retrieve his gear.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/weird/seagull-swipes-camera-shoots-film-becomes-youtube-sensation/story-e6frev20-1226082934958

Londoners warned over diveboming seagulls

Wednesday, August 18 2010, 12:18 BST
By Mayer Nissim, Entertainment Reporter

Londoners have been warned about divebombing seagulls who may attack to protect their young.

The RSPB has claimed that the birds have been unusually noisy this year, attracting the attention of those in the capital, the Evening Standard reports.

Spokesman Tim Webb said: "I'd urge Londoners to be as tolerant as possible. Gulls are often perceived as intimidating, but if they are aggressive it's because they're either protecting their young or feel threatened by us.

"They are very protective parents, but they'd much rather poo on people than peck them. However, they will divebomb people if provoked."

Sussex-based student Amy Derham, 29, was left with a cut to the head after a gull attack in Hove. He told the newspaper: "I saw a baby seagull sitting down on the pavement making a high-pitched squeak. I thought to myself I am not going anywhere near that' so I crossed the road.

"The next thing I know I was hit on the head by what looked like an adult seagull swooping down - it was extremely painful and happened all of a sudden."

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/odd/news/a263415/londoners-warned-over-diveboming-seagulls.html?rss

Seagull thinks he's a cat

8 July 2010

A confused seagull is having something of an identity crisis - apparently believing that he is a cat.

Mr Pooh was adopted by June and Steve Grimwood after he fell down their chimney as a baby.

The couple discovered the soot-covered youngster sitting in their fireplace while investigating a strange rustling.

At first they took the chick back outside, placing it on top of the roof of their home in Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex.

However, it soon became apparent that Pooh's mother had abandoned him so they decided to hand rear him themselves.

Mr Grimwood, 52, said the couple's three cats were extremely wary of the new arrival at first.

However, he added, it wasn't long before Mr Pooh was happily eating cat food out of a bowl with them.

Since then the now three-year-old gull has become firm friends with felines Mitzi, Gus and Henry.

Mr Pooh has now flown the coop, setting up home with a female on the Grimwood's roof.

However, he returns to visit his human and feline friends three times a day - at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/news/Seagull_thinks_hes_a_cat

Giant seagull appears behind Nine newsreader Peter Hitchener

By Antonia Magee
Herald Sun
October 22, 2009 12:01am

IN A scene reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's classic film The Birds, a giant seagull stole the show on the Channel Nine News in Melbourne last night.

The massively magnified bird walked across a real-time projection of the Melbourne cityscape behind newsreader Peter Hitchener's head while he was reading a story about a 27-year-old murder on the 6pm news.

Ever the professional, the news stalwart only mildly flinched on noticing the seagull but later told 3AW radio the studio cameramen hid behind their cameras to hide their laughter.

"I was reading away, and it was a serious story, and I suddenly thought, 'Oh my gosh that seagull's back again', because we had bit of a problem last night," Hitchener said.

"About 50 seconds to 6 o'clock this seagull arrived and started pecking at the camera and it had the beadiest huge eyes you've ever seen in your life."

In another case of the news becoming the news, earlier this week an ABC news presenter was forced to apologise to a Coalition senator and viewers after she was caught on air pulling a face and twirling a finger in the traditional manner of calling someone crazy.

ABC2's Virginia Trioli was shown making the gesture on ABC News Breakfast just moments after vision of Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce talking about the Government's proposed Emissions Trading Scheme to tackle climate change was aired.

Trioli fronted the cameras and made an apology.

“Yesterday on the program I made an inappropriate gesture after we played a segment from my earlier interview with Senator Barnaby Joyce," Trioli said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to you – our viewers – for my lapse in judgement.

“I have also spoken to Senator Joyce, and he very graciously accepted my apology.”

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,28383,26244142-10229,00.html

(Submitted by Peter Darben)

Giant seagull appears behind Nine newsreader Peter Hitchener

By Antonia Magee
Herald Sun
October 22, 2009 12:01am

IN A scene reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's classic film The Birds, a giant seagull stole the show on the Channel Nine News in Melbourne last night.

The massively magnified bird walked across a real-time projection of the Melbourne cityscape behind newsreader Peter Hitchener's head while he was reading a story about a 27-year-old murder on the 6pm news.

Ever the professional, the news stalwart only mildly flinched on noticing the seagull but later told 3AW radio the studio cameramen hid behind their cameras to hide their laughter.

"I was reading away, and it was a serious story, and I suddenly thought, 'Oh my gosh that seagull's back again', because we had bit of a problem last night," Hitchener said.

"About 50 seconds to 6 o'clock this seagull arrived and started pecking at the camera and it had the beadiest huge eyes you've ever seen in your life."

In another case of the news becoming the news, earlier this week an ABC news presenter was forced to apologise to a Coalition senator and viewers after she was caught on air pulling a face and twirling a finger in the traditional manner of calling someone crazy.

ABC2's Virginia Trioli was shown making the gesture on ABC News Breakfast just moments after vision of Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce talking about the Government's proposed Emissions Trading Scheme to tackle climate change was aired.

Trioli fronted the cameras and made an apology.

“Yesterday on the program I made an inappropriate gesture after we played a segment from my earlier interview with Senator Barnaby Joyce," Trioli said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to you – our viewers – for my lapse in judgement.

“I have also spoken to Senator Joyce, and he very graciously accepted my apology.”

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,28383,26244142-10229,00.html

(Submitted by Peter Darben)