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Gavin and his Gull Gang - Tales from the Riverbank.
Gavin the Gull and his gang live on the flat roof of the apartment block opposite me. They rule the river, no question.
Before I moved to live by the river, I didn’t have much interaction with gulls, apart from at the seaside. I do remember one flying down the centre of a city street with a giant burger in his mouth, but other than that, I didn’t give gulls much thought. I’d see them by the sea, nicking chips, generally living up to their reputation.
Then one day, I took a photograph of a young gull, and he became the logo for my photographic business. Gavin the Gull soon became a legend in his own lifetime. He now has his own thriving Instagram page. Suddenly, I became very aware of how much gulls are loved by humans; despite their sometimes aggressive behaviour, they garner a great deal of respect. Watching them closely, I have to say I respect them too. I don’t always enjoy seeing some of the less than savoury things they get up to, but they are true survivors, that’s for sure, and I do like that.
Living by the river has given me a whole new perspective on gull life. I felt driven to find out more about these incredible creatures who let out ear-splitting cries at 3 a.m. as they fly off to clubland to pick over the kebab and fried chicken left-overs.
Boy, are gulls aggressive! I’ve seen a heron (Lord Horation Heron, as it happened) chased down the river by Gavin’s gang. A seagull nicking a large quarter of pizza from a plate left outside Wetherspoons, then fighting off swans to keep it. Pigeons getting ripped apart while still flapping their wings. Gulls swooping like fighter pilots over people try to eat their snacks in peace.
Most days, someone will take a bag of bread to the river, or a resident will feed the birds from their balcony. You can tell this is about to happen by the speed of the swans swimming en force in one direction. The gulls closely follow, then bedlam breaks out; their screeches are deafening. Their beaks become weapons in the fight for every last crumb. The poor ducks and geese barely get a look in. It’s fast, furious, wild, and, quite frankly, bonkers!
There is something intrinsically satisfying (and horrifying) about seeing a creature with no scruples. As humans, we are generally…
