So volunteers have built an artificial island in nearby Roberts Lake, complete with recorded gull sounds, in an attempt to convince the colony to settle there. They’re part of a volunteer group working to save Heermann’s gulls that normally nest in Baja California near Monterrey, where the flock’s rooftop roosting habits have made them rather unwelcome. Walnut Creek pediatrician Joanna Chin and her husband, attorney Byron Chin, describe themselves as gull hobbyists. Gulls aren’t shy about swooping in to take food, but they seem to wait for the eighth inning. If they see activity, the scouts communicate to other gulls that the table is being set. The birds have learned that the stadiums put out an extensive buffet. The gulls likely have a few scouts - the early birds, if you will - that keep an eye on the stadiums for signs of activity. Shaffer thinks the gulls are probably attracted by the crowds. The gulls don’t bother with stadiums in the off-season or when the home team is away, AND they skipped it altogether last season when the stands were filled with cardboard cutouts.įood, obviously, is a big draw, but how do they know exactly when to come? A common taunt aimed at pitchers taking too long between pitches: Hurry up, the gulls are waiting. Theories abound about why the birds visit Bay Area ballparks, showing up for day and night games alike, and always around the same time in the game, no matter how slow play has been or how many extra innings it goes into. He quickly figured out the bird had inadvertently hitched a ride on a recycling truck.Īt least he thought it was inadvertent, until the gull, which had flown back to Berkeley the next day at a more gull-like pace and route, did the same thing again. Scary smart. The most amazing thing Shaffer has observed was a gull that seemed to travel at highway speeds, following a roadway from Berkeley to a recycling center in the Central Valley. He does other testing, too, that is not so savory, such as collecting their vomit to see what they’re eating, all in the name of research. Shaffer then tracks the gulls as they fly about. Because gulls remember and recognize faces and distinctive clothing, Shaffer has to wear disguises so the gulls won’t realize it’s “that guy” again. Shaffer’s view includes sneaking up on gulls on the Farallon Islands to slip tiny GPS trackers on them. If people could see what I see, they’d have a different view of gulls.” “They do a lot of interesting things besides pooping on cars and stealing food. “Gulls are pretty smart and underappreciated,” says Scott Shaffer, a San Jose State University biologist who spends a lot of time with gulls. How do the gulls know there’s a game on at Oracle Park? (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group File)
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