Strictly For The Birds

Torquay United Footballs Club mascot was a large seagull figure ...

Gilbert The Gull .... Motto Don't Mess With The Beak

..... he was known as Gilbert the Gull and used to run up and down the touchline.

But this was one bird who was giving the bird. When his team lost 2-3 at home to Grimsby Town he started arguing with home fans. One complained that the mascot had been using 'Fowl Language' and also "offered fans on to the pitch for a fight", while another said that he had called fans "Effing C*cks" and "C*nts".

The mascot, Steve Jegat, was suspended from patrolling the popside stand but was allowed to retain his post after denying the swearing. However, Mr Jegat later quit his role after a row over posting pictures and updates on Facebook without asking the club's permission to do so.

Grumpy Gulls

While we are on the subject of grumpy gulls, a study in 2018 is to determine if eating junk food is making gulls angrier .... they could ask Gilbert!

Grumpy Gulls - Worth A Study?

Talking of Angry Birds. An owl that was supposed to be a photo prop at weddings in Peckforton Castle in Cheshire England, has been sacked, after it attacked the best man .... must have been the crisps and cola .... or it could be the alcohol ....

Because apparently, seagulls are attracted or possibly addicted to eating flying ants during the brief season when they are about. Now I can't say I have seen this behaviour, but as the gulls around my way will eat virtually anything, I cant deny it, and I have even had one attempt to steal my Cornish pastie recently.

But in Paignton Devon they seem to practise this behaviour. Unfortunately for the gulls, the formic acid that the ants carry as a defence, apparently gets them drunk, and every year a number of them are hit by cars .... not much anyone can do to stop the carnage.

No Cock In Peacock

Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma of the Rajasthan High Court in India has declared that peacocks (India's national bird), don't have sex or mate to reproduce as they are too holy, and that "A peacock is a lifelong celibate".  He believes that the peahens fall pregnant, when they have swallowed a peacocks tears. Even in India, this provoked much social media derision.

Reflecting On Rage

A man in the channel island of Jersey imported a Range Rover, only for it to be vandalised by a peacock. The peacock saw its own reflection on the shiny car panels and scratched everyone as it attacked its love rival. The car owner chased the bird that ran off into some local woods ... its possible that the peacock was trying to get some tears from the peacock in the reflection.

Egg On Their Faces

Keepers at a sanctuary in Eynsford Kent England, had red faces, or perhaps egg on their faces after a vulture called Harold laid an egg. He err, She had been listed as a male for over 20 years. We all hope Harold's, sorry Harriet's, hatching went well.

Have Money Will Travel

There was a story in the UK press a while ago about a sixteen year old teenage girl who had visited 38 countries and seven continents 'bird watching' aka 'twitching' with her parents. I was only mildly impressed with this fact. However what struck me was that both her parents aged 50 were retired. One was an ex TV executive, and the other an ex lawyer. My how the other half live was all I could think ..... jealous? You bet ... but not of the bird watching ... that's strictly for the birds!