An Angus bowling club has been left less than impressed by advice from council officers on deterring invading seagulls which included deploying “human scarecrows” overnight to scare them off the green.
Hope Paton Bowling Club in Montrose has now gone straight to the top and made a plea for help to Angus Council chief executive Richard Stiff.
Members fear if the gull problem persists it will mean their season due to end in mid-September will come to a premature end.
The club leases the green from Angus Council and, as we reported, the problem forced it to move its holiday fours fixtures for the first time since the second world war.
Describing the council’s response, match secretary John Dempsey said, “They wanted us to look at the possibility of people watching the green during the night and scaring the gulls off. I can’t see that we are going to get people to spend their nights here.
“They are talking over a period of time they are not talking one night and the gulls won’t come back.”
The nuisance of marauding gulls has escalated in Montrose, which experts have put down to it being the height of the breeding season when many fledglings leave their nests for the first time.
Council officers visited the Hope Paton Bowling Club to offer advice on deterring the gulls.
“They also advised us to put wires across the green,” added Mr Dempsey. “Even if we thought it was going to work there are the practicalities to consider.Not excited”First of all we would have to make it, which won’t be a straightforward thing. Then we would have to manage it, which would be putting it out every morning and picking it up every night. Visually it will look terrible but at the same time that would have to be there for a considerable period of time too. We’re not too excited initially by these two suggestions.”
He said seagulls nesting in houses either side of the Mid Links seem to come down to the green at night to roost. They are fouling and regurgitating food and the problem worsened in the last week or two.
Mr Dempsey added, “We’ve sent a letter to the chief executive explaining the situation and asking for their help, given it’s their property.”
People in the town affected by nesting gulls have also been urged to come forward.
A spokeswoman for Angus Council said, “Angus residents are reminded that Angus Council offers a free gull egg and nest removal service for residential properties affected by nesting gulls.
“Commercial premises are expected to deal with gull nests as part of their general maintenance programme and meet the cost involved.”