Remembering my time of getting ‘up close and personal’ with some superb aviators.
“We are looking for volunteers and really could do with your help”, it said or words to that effect.
Well, that got my attention.
This was back in 2018 when I was still living in West Sussex and working a full-time job.
Back then, my office was on the south coast, and we used to have regular Herring gull visitors to our business park. They liked to nest on the roof of another building nearby which was safe for them (and for the nearby humans).
Over the years, my fascination with these magnificent birds grew. They had a very definite social structure, were clearly highly intelligent, and had excellent memory.
I have since learnt they can recognise human faces and remember who is kind and who is not.
I had the pleasure of seeing their babies grow up and turn from adorable spotted balls of fluff to gawky, grey-flecked juveniles keen to fly, following their parents around the business park until they were ready to make it on their own.
Watching them execute complicated flying manoeuvres around and between the buildings, trees and cars illustrated what incredibly skilled aviators they were, and how beautifully designed they were for fast and low flying, as well as effortless gliding on rising thermals.
So, when I came across a request for help from https://www.birdaid.co.uk, a gull rehabilitation centre for sick and injured birds, located in East Sussex, I knew I had to follow it up.
I was relatively new to volunteering, but somehow, I felt compelled to call them and offer my time and energy, even though I lived more than an hour’s drive away.
I met Julia and Ian Gould, who both own the charity and live/work on-site. They are an incredible couple. Completely dedicated to caring for all the birds that come in through their gates, they work hard 24/7 all year round to help their patients recover.
The gulls are then either released back into the wild for another chance of life or given a safe, loving home on their six-acre site in specially adapted aviaries complete with mini-pools, to live out their natural lives in the company of others.
With an extensive number of resident birds and varying numbers of injured and sick gulls arriving at the centre through the season, there are no shortage of tasks to be done.
However, as I really enjoyed getting close to the gulls and was keen to learn how to handle them, Julia invited me to help in the hospital, treating some of the sick or injured ones.
An extra pair of hands to carefully and firmly hold a gull whilst it is examined, treated, given medication or receives some physio is very useful. And it’s fair to say, just like people, some are better patients than others, but I sensed they knew we were trying to help them.
They are extraordinarily beautiful too, with stunning eyes, glorious plumage, magnificent wings, and feet which were as soft as silk! This came as a surprise to me, as I expected their webbed feet to be slightly coarse or rough.
I was also amazed at how most of them were quite calm to work with. There were some who were prone to yelling and fussing, but then so are people. Overall, if you were calm and quiet, they settled down and allowed you to treat them, albeit you had to work quickly.
Just like humans, they had their own individual personalities too, with at least one in the group being the classroom comic.
Some are shy and reserved, others braver and more outgoing, while some are quiet and gentle. However, they are not above getting up to mischief if an opportunity presented itself!
Each bird has its own medical notes, special coloured removable leg ring and a name, making it easy to identify them and record their progress. We chose names according to where they were found, or that fitted their personality.
I remember one month, a stunning juvenile Lesser Black Backed gull was brought in. Even as a baby, he was huge–and beautiful! We called him Hermes, as he looked powerful and capable of flying at speed.
He was withdrawn, underweight and not interested in eating much. Happily with warmth, care, medication and good food he made good progress, helped along with the odd fishy fresh scallop treat, courtesy of the ‘reduced food section’ from the local supermarket.
During the time I was there, I learnt a good deal about these majestic and intelligent birds. They mate for life and can live twenty years or more, being devoted life partners and diligent parents to their offspring.
Although they are protected birds under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, their future is uncertain and they are now on the Red List of endangered birds.
Pressed hard on every side by human activity and our desire to build houses, shops and cafes, their natural feeding and breeding grounds are seriously compromised.
Consequently, they are forced further inland, away from their natural coastal and shoreline habitats, which is why we see so many more in urban areas.
Sadly, COVID forced me to move away from Sussex, and so my time volunteering at Bird Aid ended.
Although I still support Julia and Ian’s special charity from a distance, I miss my weekly visits. It was a very special time for me, being able to ‘hang out with the gulls’ and be part of their world and forget mine for a while.
