People living and working next to a disused industrial unit in Bridge of Don have spoken of the “absolute mayhem” nesting gulls are causing.
Workers say they have been “divebombed” and property owners are unable to go in their gardens due to a flock of around 500 birds that have set up home.
The unit – located at Woodside Road in Bridge of Don Industrial Estate- has been vacant for a number of years.
As a result, the building has become a gathering place for gulls attracted to the grass and vegetation on the roof for nesting.
Equipment supplier Rental Technology and Services (RTS), managing director David Currie said the birds are having a “disastrous” effect.
“Last year we had some of them divebomb us when we were in the car park and it was almost a daily event that someone got bird poo all over their car,” he explained.
“They’re starting to nest now and usually over the next three to four months it just goes bananas and they’re screaming all the time.
“It just happens to be a convenient and safe spot for a whole bundle of seagulls to nest near houses and gardens where they might be able to scavenge for food.”
‘Very close to being attacked’
Residents on nearby Brooke Crescent are also being affected, with the quiet residential street being taken over by the squeals of gulls.
Jan Toet, who has lived in the same house for 47 years, described the situation as being “absolute mayhem all day long” when the chicks are born.
It is so bad that he cannot use his garden during the summer months and is woken up at around 4am.
Mr Toet said the birds – which are protected species – gather when there is movement and says his family have been “very close to being attacked”.
He believes there are as many as 500 of them at the site.
“If it wasn’t because we’ve lived here so long, we would have thought about moving,” he said.
Carol and Charlie Milne, who only moved into their property in February 2022, are leaving already.
“It’s very noisy, your car gets covered and we couldn’t sit out the back because of the mess,” Mrs Milne said.
The three-bedroom detached bungalow, which also includes a conservatory and double garage, has been on the market for offers over £325,000 since September.
Mrs Milne admits that she would “possibly” have stayed put if it had not been for the gulls.
“We don’t sit out in the garden. If you have a barbeque you cook it and come inside and eat it, because you know what they’re like, they’re thieves,” she said.
“I’ve had the councillors round and everything, but nobody knows who owns the building.”
The residents said that gulls are coming back earlier and earlier each year.
They usually leave in September/October and return around February, however, Mr Milne said they were back before Christmas last year.
“The building needs to come down,” he said.
Neighbour Doug Hynds described the animals as being “an absolute nightmare” and hates their mess.
He said he had complained about the situation to councillors and the council and was told that the building was coming down.
“They said that it was sold and chances are it’s coming down within three months – that was in August/September last year,” he said.
Eleanor and Robert Donoghue are also suffering.
Mr Donoghue said: “When they’re nesting, the noise is horrendous. I’ve got to come out and wash my car every other day because it gets covered in bird mess.”
His wife no longer puts her washing outside, adding: “You’ve got to put the umbrella out if you want to sit out in the garden.”
Things have got so bad that they have a pole installed with a fake bird to go on it, ensuring they are “ready” for summer.
Mr Donoghue added that former neighbours were “frightened” to put their kids out in the garden, with a young child getting a biscuit snatched from an overzealous gull.
Council needs ‘evidence’ of nuisance birds
It’s understood the building was put on the market in May 2021 and, despite talk that removals and storage company Pickfords own it, the company says this is not the case.
A spokeswoman said they were former tenants and moved out around four years ago.
They also had issues with the gulls.
The spokeswoman said: “To help the neighbours we had reached out to an agent of the landlords who explained they were looking to have the situation resolved, but were prevented by the council due to the time of year.”
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said it needed evidence that residents were being affected before any action could be taken.
The spokeswoman said: “The building has a flat roof and the council has no powers to require the property owner to install bird deterrent measures, such as netting to prevent the seagulls from nesting.
“We can only take action on the fly-tipping if the refuse is of a putrefiable nature and is causing a statutory nuisance, such as causing a smell or attracting insects/vermin that is impacting on residents.
“We would have to have evidence that this is the cause in order to take enforcement action.”
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