BACK IN JANUARY 2009 I VISITED THE OLD GRAVEYARD IN HOWTH
BACK IN JANUARY 2009 I VISITED THE OLD GRAVEYARD IN HOWTH [I HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE I WAS ATTACKED BY GULLS]
The church is Saint Mary's Abbey. About two years later parts of the graveyard had to be closed to the public for a few months because of reconstruction work on the perimeter wall after a heavy rain storm in October 2011 uncovered a number of graves.
Because of the time of year I was not paying attention and did not notice the warning signs but after about ten minutes or so the gulls became very aggressive. When they began to undertake action I was in a corner and could not move in any direction without increasing the apparent threat level but fortunately I managed to escape without and injuries but my equipment was covered in droppings and bird vomit.
In case you are wondering here is the sequence that you can expect:
First comes a low, repeated warning call that essentially means: Go away.
Next is the low pass, within a metre or two of the intruder's head.
The next phase is bombardment when the birds target you with droppings and vomit.
The final phase is an all-out attack – usually a low, raking strike to the back of the head with talons extended.
The church is Saint Mary's Abbey. About two years later parts of the graveyard had to be closed to the public for a few months because of reconstruction work on the perimeter wall after a heavy rain storm in October 2011 uncovered a number of graves.
Because of the time of year I was not paying attention and did not notice the warning signs but after about ten minutes or so the gulls became very aggressive. When they began to undertake action I was in a corner and could not move in any direction without increasing the apparent threat level but fortunately I managed to escape without and injuries but my equipment was covered in droppings and bird vomit.
In case you are wondering here is the sequence that you can expect:
First comes a low, repeated warning call that essentially means: Go away.
Next is the low pass, within a metre or two of the intruder's head.
The next phase is bombardment when the birds target you with droppings and vomit.
The final phase is an all-out attack – usually a low, raking strike to the back of the head with talons extended.
