Freaked out locals have told of being under attack from dive bombing seagulls on their street.
Neighbours have spoken of the birds' aggressiveness during the current breeding season. And on street in Dalry has seen a number of reported incidents of gulls sweeping down on residents and dogs.
For most of the year, the city sky dwellers are content to scavenge for food at the beach and through rubbish bins. But come breeding season from late March to July, the birds are incredibly protective and will swoop down, dive bomb and attack people or animals they think pose a threat to their young.
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Chloe and Scott Durbin, who live in the Dalry Colonies with their one-year-old Dalmatian Hamish, have been having problems with seagulls nesting nearby.
“We came out to let Hamish do his business and we could hear the seagulls," said Chloe. "We could see them circling, and they came down and swooped at us. I felt the wind go past my hair with it almost hitting my head. They started to come down even lower, aiming at Hamish so we had to put him back inside.”
Scott, 30, added: “What was interesting was at our local coffee shop that same day, I had spoken to someone else who had been experiencing issues down Dalry Road with the seagulls too, there’s a lot of it going on.”
Al Mearns, 75, lives in Orwell Place which appears to be the main nesting area. He said: "The seagulls can be quite scary, they fly so low next to you. When you’re walking up the street, there’s that many of them, and they come across as so aggressive.”
Another resident of Orwell Place claimed to have been "hit in the head" a few times while walking her dogs. She said: “I can’t go up my street because of the seagulls coming right for me and my dogs. They are big German shepherds but are terrified of these birds. Even hearing them and the sound they make will make the dogs run off.”
Patti, manager for BMG office equipment store on Dalry Road, told how cowering dogs recently sheltered in her store when seagulls swooped down to attack the animals. She said: “Two lovely dogs came running in here, but the big black one in particular was trying to fit into a corner that was about a third of the size of him.”
Two roofers told on Thursday how they were unable to finish a job on Dalry House, a historic listed building on Orwell Place, due to swooping seagulls. “We just got attacked up there,” said Sean, pointing to the roof of the building. His workmate Marc said he even got hit in the head by one hostile gull.
Sean added: “They are very aggressive. We didn’t see a nest on the roof but there is a little baby bird who must have fallen off the roof and is in the garden which has made them so defensive.
"This happens all the time, it’s common on roofs to get attacked by seagulls. You can’t actually do any work when you’re getting attacked as we’ll fall off the pitch. You could fall to your death from a seagull, which is a big problem."
Laws in Scotland make it illegal to move or destroy a nest or block access to the nest. It is also an offence to kill or injure the bird or its eggs.
Scottish falconer Olly Pickering, 28, gives advice on staying safe from the flocks of seagulls attacking. He said: “Seagulls are at their height of aggression at this time of year due to it being breeding season, when seagulls attack it means you’re in the proximity of their young, and in their minds, they are defending them as they see you as a threat.
“Best advice to challenge them, stare them dead in the eye and show no fear, make yourself big and intimidating by either flapping your arms, making loud noises, or even get a stick or decent length rope and swing it about in all directions.
"Or if you’re not feeling like flapping about like a wild bird, some simple distressed bird noises you can find on YouTube will work. Just make sure your phones on loud and you show no fear when seagulls swoop or attack.
"Intimidation is key here, the more they see you as a threat to them, the more they’ll leave you alone. Advice for if they’re attacking or swooping on your dogs or pets, keep your pets close by you and make yourself known to be their protector to the seagulls. Breeding season is almost over folks!”
RSPB advise that if you are approaching a young gull and it is unavoidable, hold a stick or umbrella up to deter the seagull attacking you. They also advise against feeding seagulls as, due to their competitive nature, they may snatch at you.
The RSPB caution that there is an avian outbreak at the moment, the largest ever series of outbreaks in the UK, killing thousands of wild birds. People are advised to only approach or handle a bird if it is injured and needs help and always wear gloves.
