He who leaves his boat too long gets seagull's, a nest of them...

[hansp77]

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t304/hansp77/DSC00242.jpghttp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t304/hansp77/DSC00243.jpg
So what do you do? Once they hatch, how long are they going to need to hang around? Seagulls have a breeding season don't they? ie they are not just going to lay and then sit on a new batch of eggs once these ones hatched and gone?
Chucking them overboard is just not an option for us. Can't do it.
The only (twisted) idea we did have of removing them was to take the eggs, chuck the nest, and slip the eggs under one of our broody hens;):D Could be interesting:eek:

But seriously, right now with the inboard out of action, it is no great dilemma, I can't open the foreward hatch without crushing the eggs, but that's ok. If these guys will will likely be gone in 3-4 months, and not just laying another batch, then I can live with it.
Anyone have experience with this?
Cheers.

[The Bigfella]

It ain't a short process Hans. We have a nest box up for the Rainbow Lorikeets (2 eggs in it at the moment). The young they raised a few months back were in the box for over a month. Probably a touch over two months from laying to fleeing.

[seanz]

Lucky it's not penguin's eggs.......they burrow.
:)

Nice pics, birds nests always look so structurally random but they hold together so well.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

There's a UK West Country fishermen's recipe for antifouling which involves seagulls eggs and Jeyes Fluid...

[BarnacleGrim]

Shine a light through them to see if they are good to eat. Hard boil and enjoy with a glass of cold lager!

[elf]

Rats of the air - why would you want to let them hatch!

I wonder what they taste like.

[PeterSibley]

There's a UK West Country fishermen's recipe for antifouling which involves seagulls eggs and Jeyes Fluid...

I gesso that would be endorsed by WWF ? :D

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

My work takes me to commercial docks.

Having spent several minutes cleaning my car with a bucket and sponge last Friday afternoon I have quite strong views on the Herring Gull - luckily I had just got back into the car and shut the door. ;)

[BarnacleGrim]

It's a delicacy in northern Norway, to be served with butter, caviar and a pint of local brand Mack beer. Children and pregnant women are advised not to partake, though, because they contain polychlorinated biphenyls. If you're not afraid of the chemicals I highly recommend trying it.

[hansp77]

Thanks for the suggestions,
if I didn't know what they eat, then I would be happy to fry or boil up the eggs- as it is I think I would feel a little ill about it:o
oddly, I have discovered that they are a protected species here- not sure what that means in regards to disturbing their nests, and not sure if one would realistically even get in trouble for it.
Next we go out I will take a torch and try to see if the eggs are developed or not- if they haven't hatched already. Might get rid of them, but I don't feel right about doing it if they are about to hatch.
Apparently they will continue to lay until they get successful hatchlings.

Seagulls- the bird you love to hate:rolleyes:
I used to have netting surrounding my boat- it worked well, but occasionally I would find a bird trapped in it- over two years of netting I had removed two dead ones and managed to save and revive one more (strange how my hate of them transformed into pity and care when I found one tangled in the net, half in the water and half drowned). A few months ago I turned up to find a lot of dead birds in it- one of them a cormorant:(, and the net was promptly cut down and thrown in the bin.
They do annoy me, particularly having to clean up after them, but I feel no right to cause their death or suffering just for my convenience.
Strangely since cutting down the net, we now have no birds crapping on the boat- before the net went up we were literally getting painted with it.

Anyway, we'll see. I won't be out there again until I repair the tender I brought home today, so chances are there will be some babys out there next time.

[2MeterTroll]

leave it wait for mom and pop seagull to show up and take the boat out. they will soon figure out what boat has the nest and will follow you around.

you will (if you like to fish) probably aid the parents by being where the bait fish are. it cut the flight time and allows the to get more food faster.

I never minded haveing gulls stake a claim on my boat.
one old gull in charlston lived on the cabin he kept every other gull away.

[hansp77]

I never minded haveing gulls stake a claim on my boat.
one old gull in charlston lived on the cabin he kept every other gull away.
I am wondering if that is what is happening now- the boat is practically spotless- less damage than I got WITH the net.
Sailing is waiting on an inboard rebuild- which is waiting on parts- which is waiting on my parts supplier to figure out what size rings I need- probably won't be sailing for a while so I sorta feel like they have squatters rights;):D

[2MeterTroll]

I dont know about the variety of gull you have. IIRC most gulls stake out a somewhat large nest area and defend it.
would make sense of the clean boat.

the chicks could be fun they will sometimes imprint on several things if they see them at the right time. you could have possibly the best boat pet you could ask for.

Enjoy them
:)

[willmarsh3]

I had a sparrow build a nest and lay eggs in the mizzen boom. I did not know this when I pulled the sail cover and raised the sail. I felt awful when the chicks tumbled out but there was nothing I could do. Later the sparrow rebuilt the nest and laid eggs. I checked and there were 4 white eggs about 1/2" in diameter. I carefully put the cover back on. Over the next couple of months I could hear the chicks chirping under the cover. The mother sparrow would occasionally visit. I made sure the chicks had fledged before tossing the nest. After that I tied a rope around the mizzen cover to make sure this didn't happen again.

[hansp77]

Cheers, 2metertroll, good to see some positives.
Being there at the right time for imprinting would be interesting. I'll have to get this dingy fixed.
Will, nice story. Another soft-heart for birds:D
Not too sure how I can make sure this doesn't happen again- netting was too destructive... guess I will just have to use it more:rolleyes:

I am pretty sure these are just just Silver Gulls (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), very common, especially around rubbish tips;) I didn't take too much notice of the parents (I was too focussed on loading up the leaky dingy and rowing all the way in to the beach- btw, chewing gum makes a great patch for small holes in a tinny:D). They could also be Pacific Gulls, and both their eggs look similar to mine- buy my money is on the Silver Gulls.

[paladin]

Scrambled eggs for breakfast.....?

[HS]

Hans,

Just apply the Williamstown solution...pick the nest up carefully and row it over to one of the many derelects in the mooring area that hasn't moved for ages :D

Be prepared for all the squawking and screeching from the parents as they follow you.

( The other) Hans

[hansp77]

Hehe:D
Yeah, that thought did cross our minds- all up it might be the best solution if they become too annoying.

[S B]

Years ago we had a fellow here ,that liked to shoot and eat the gulls, his was the only boat in the harbour they wouldn't chase. They are smarter than we give em credit for. This pair probably has yours picked as a friendly boat.

[HS]

Well, they may not be too anoying at this stage however they will be for ever more if you don't shift them now. The parents and/or bubs will come back to the same location to nest again next season and the one after that and etc. The hatching place seems to be imprinted. We broke the cycle by putting a cover over the boat...after a couple of seasons they gave up.

[ucb4ume]

Last I checked, seagulls were not on the endangered species list. Sweep the whole lot overboard and go sailing.:eek:

[ben2go]

I think there would be 3 less future gulls in the area if it were my boat.

[The Bigfella]

Lessee, a bit of physics is needed. 3 little eggs to 3 big gulls.... that's maybe a 1kg increase in weight? At say a 5% efficiency rate in converting fish and chips inputs, that'd be 20kg of "outputs" generated in the process (plus a bit from the parents).

There's an awful lot of sh!t going to be holding that hatch down Hans.

[Raka025]

Seagulls are very territorial when it comes to breeding, egg sitting and raising chicks. If they are not sitting on the eggs, it's a good chance they won't hatch. If you are on the boat and they are not dive bombing you, they probably have abandoned the nest?

[RFNK]

I carefully put the cover back on. Over the next couple of months I could hear the chicks chirping under the cover. The mother sparrow would occasionally visit. I made sure the chicks had fledged before tossing the nest. After that I tied a rope around the mizzen cover to make sure this didn't happen again.


You, the seagulls and the sparrows would be welcome on my boat anytime Will. Good on you. Rick

[hansp77]

I am just going take this as it comes-
I don't want to chuck the eggs, nor kill or otherwise harm the seagulls- 'flying rats' though they may be. As it stands, there is less birdcrap on the boat now that ever before- even around their actual nest- so their territoriality may be working to my benefit, and so far they seem to be quite 'houseproud'- I'll see how this pans out, and if the nest gets messy, deal with solutions then. Either way, my boat is no showpeice, so a little poo here and there isn't the end of the world, so long as it is not around the cockpit or the pushpit seating- as the nest is just in front of the mast on the cabin top, it is pretty much out of the way.

As far as the eggs being kept warm, with this concern, while on the boat I had a chat to my sister and she told me that, having surveyed seabird nests before, she was instructed by a marine biologist she was assisting, that apparently for many species their eggs can be and are left unattended for hours at a time (this in answer to my sisters query whether their weighing and counting the eggs would cause the fetus death because of forcing the parents away and chilling of the egss). While we were on the boat for an hour or two, the parents just circled. They were back on the eggs as we left.

Either way, my boat is out of action until I can fix the inboard (snails pace), so I don't feel too bad at all about the birds 'minding' it for me. I could move the nest onto a derelict boat- but lately most of these have dissapeared- plus, it is just not the nicest thing to do. Not saying I wouldn't if I had to, but I would just rather not.

Honestly, having recently set up a chook pen (haven't had them since I was a kid), and regaining my love for these strange little birds- so long as the 'damage' is similar or less than what I would normally get out there on the mooring, I have realised I am sortof looking forward to having a little family of gulls to check in on when I visit the boat:p
Hell, I might even bring them a few hot potato chips:D
Anyway, thanks for the posts- it has helped me think it through.
I'll update this when I get out there again- not for a few weeks untill I fix my tender that was damaged. Might have some babys by then:cool:

Cheers,
Hans.

[RFNK]

Good on you too Hans!! Good luck with your new family! Rick

[hansp77]

Cheers Rick:)

[bucheron]

I don't have a lot against seagulls.

"Sky rats" to me means pigeons, the kind that infest dense urban areas everywhere. I live in a suburb 5km south of Brisbane CBD, and there are no pigeons here. Thank goodness.

I was greatly mystified as to why there was a colony of them at Manly, the boat harbour 20km east of the CBD. On a jetty there were many pigeons cluttering, crapping and shedding feathers, mostly nesting under dinghies that boaties left overturned. This is the only time I have seen pigeons away from a dense urban area.

cheers buchie

[Hollingsworth]

Could have been worse:

http://blahblahblah.beloblog.com/archives/flock.JPG

[Windsong]

http://beach.freedomblogging.com/files/2008/08/sealion_cat.jpg
Or Sealions!

[seanz]

Got an update?
I took a keen birdwatcher down to the St Kilda marina and, with the aid of the most impressive binoculars I've ever used, we found no sign of a floating seagulls nest.
:)

[hansp77]

update soon- I've finished fixing the tender (well aside from deciding every second day to put just one more coat of enamel on the seats:rolleyes:- up to 5 now) new flotation foam, and a bit of new woodwork and I was going to take it back any day now- but today decided to investigate the squeak from the front right disc brake on my truck i have been putting off- that has occurred since the day I picked up the tender by driving on the sand. I was sure it must have been a bit of sand or something in the caliper...
well it wasn't- 4 of the 6 nuts were loose- and removing them I sheered one of the wheel studs- pretty sure some of the others are stressed as I have rounded out some of the holes on the rim. So this afternoon I have started pulling apart my front free-wheeling hub- gotta go through the brain of the thing to get to the toe-nail. Picking up OEM toyota studs tomorrow, and will probably end up doing both front wheel bearings while I am at it...
so, maybe get down there this weekend, weather permitting, if I get the truck done by then.

Were you in St Kilda recently?
My boat is moored way out the end of the field, out near that big black steel monster of a sailboat.

[seanz]

Were you in St Kilda recently?
My boat is moored way out the end of the field, out near that big black steel monster of a sailboat.

Last Tuesday.....just dropped past for a look and was pleasantly suprised to see I could still recognize the place from street level as some of the recent panoramic shots of St Kilda make it look like Miami.

Big black steel boat?
I knew there was a marker to look for, just forgot what it was on the day. :o

[hansp77]

near the big black boat is only a loose direction- we are just way out the end there. Once looking in the general area the way to locate our boat is that it has a brown mast... yes, the PO painted the lovely timber mast mission brown:D:o
Sticks out from all the other mostly white masts.