killing baby seagull chick

[what..the?]

Hello i work in an office block and rent a small room, I have told my managment company for two years pre-nesting seasion about the seagull nesting and that they should put netting or spikes down as they are damaging the property and causing me a noise problem, for two years they have failed to do anything this year the manager came to look and said he wouldn't do anything and I should buy chicken wire at my cost and put it out there. Therefore passing the public liability on to me as the office is on the top floor and a 4 level georgian building so very tall and the wire could come loose and fall on people below if not fitted properly.

couple of days ago I get a call from them saying water it coming into their offices in the next joined building and one floor below, and they now need to fix the problem. They now intended to kill the baby bird and put wire down.

I am very angry that they a) didn'tcare about my two years of problems and now care they are effected b) they want to kill and bird which is protected because its causing them a problem, when I have told them two years on the run before they nest to save having to move the nest or kill them (whiched I beleived they would do if needed because they are selfish)

I am upset for the bird, are they allowed to kill it, they don't care that it's protected.

[Duncer]

Flying rats - kill them all!

[tenrec]

What sort of bird is it? How do you know it is protected?

[what..the?]

well it a seagull and I have been told all nesting seagulls are protected, I wouldn't know the exact species

[hc4361]

Not all gulls are protected - some are classed as pests. What sort of gull is it?

[tenrec]

There are many varieties of seagull. You need to know what sort and then ring English Nature. They will tell you what you need to do.

[what..the?]

well they are coming any minute and I am working,, I wouldn't be able to stop them anyway, it looks like a bog standard seagul to me, I just got told all segulls were protected and nests couldn't be moved unless it was a health hazard for expample the parents were attacking people for food etc. In fact the managers of the building themselves said a previous year they couldn't do anything because they were protected, they are just forgetting that now because it is effecting them

[Charity]

Horrible for you knowing that the prevention you suggested would have been much better than their 'cure'.

[tenrec]

If you are really concerned ring English Nature.

[what..the?]

well the risk is if I cause a problem for the managers thye might evict me, I have no other office to go to. I don't think there is a solution, I just wanted to get it off my chest, it's the bird or my career what choice have I got. Even if its protected I can't stop them and if I report them bye bye employment.

[Mamyalynne]

So the top and bottom of this is that whatever happens today, you cannot/ will not do anything about it?? Nothing more anyone can say really.

[what..the?]

well would you want to lose your job over a baby seagull

[Mamyalynne]

Truthfully? No - but doubt I would come on seemingly asking advice about their protected status, getting folk to look up legislation etc....only to announce that I will continue to be miffed because there is nothing I can do.

[what..the?]

well my intention was to find out and ask advice but when it fits home that you could lose your job it slightly sours things, I personally think they are protected and I will still fight the case when they arrive and say that I have spoken to people and I know they are protected, so they can worry about what I will do if they kill it. I need them to worry about me reporting them as apposed to actually reporting them, I hope that is enought, but I aslo hoped someone would know more about exact species or legistation to help my argument as I have limited time to find out this information.

[what..the?]

'hits'

[Mamyalynne]

Glad to hear that...seems it is a complex area - some reading here.
http://www.rspb.org.u...e/f/3070/t/29130.aspx

[what..the?]

well if looks could kill, I think I may have got my point across

[heathfield]

Netting...If the mesh is large enough, their feet could pass through it. A seagull uses its feet to push off from the ground and in this case it would be unable to generate enough lift to take off. It would be trapped. I've seen this happen often in Aberdeen. If the mesh is small enough to prevent this, they'll nest on it anyway.

[what..the?]

well they have currently cleaned the nesting waste out of the rain water gulley by going out there on a harness they have kept the chick there safe which I am happy with don't know what will happen to the bird though when they come back to add netting, they know I have instisted they don't kill the bird and that I am watching so will just have to keep an eye out if the bird suddenly disappears

[what..the?]

well curently they are nesting in a deep gulley along the top edge of the building so the bird nest is safe and when the baby bird starts walking they are safe in the gulley etc, I think if they use the wire to cover the top of the gulley it would stop them getting to that safe place and the nest wouldn't be safe, still birds will be birds so it will act as a deterrant only. I suspect though they will just nest either on top of the netting or make the nest slightly further along the row of buildings (which are all indentical) in future years and just become a problem to someone else.