Dunbeath man calls netting on Wick building a death trap – ‘It’s a horrific way for birds to die’
A Dunbeath man helped save a struggling herring gull from netting on the roof of a building in Wick which he describes as a “death trap” for wild birds.
The man wishes to remain anonymous and said that he had previously complained about the netting on the roof of the British Telecom telephone exchange building on Union Street.
“I think it was five or six years ago that I saw a lot of young birds getting trapped on the netting and inside it. They couldn’t get back out,” he said.
He claims that an SSPCA officer had come out at that time and had ordered the netting to be removed as a danger to wild birds. “I could see dead blackbirds, young and older seagulls and starlings. There were house sparrows getting through the net and not being able to get back out again. It’s a horrific way for birds to die.”
Despite the netting being removed some years ago, the man said it recently went back up again and he saw a male seagull struggling to free itself after its foot became trapped.
“I was driving down River Street around 6pm on a Saturday night and I saw the seagull flapping. It’s a male who probably came from the river and was jumping on a female when he got his foot trapped. He was hanging face down to the ground and you could see the leg was tangled.”
Formerly working in the building trade, the man had ladders in his van so accessed the roof to free the gull. “I’ve handled birds before so know how tight to hold them and so they won’t get out my hand.
“It’s an adult male that I reckon is about five or six years old maybe. The tendons and nerves were still attached on the back of the leg but the bone was disconnected so I taped it all up and there’s a bit of colour in the foot. If it doesn’t heal then the leg will just fall off.”
He added that a bird is often able to lead a normal life with just one leg and that he took the gull home with him to care for it until it is healthy enough to be released. “I have him in a dog cage at the moment. Might take a month for him to get better. Sometimes I get a pigeon with a broken wing and I keep him in for a couple of months until he heals. Seagulls are quite strong so they can cope with losing a leg.
“That netting really has to come down as it’s creating a lot of suffering. I had put in a complaint to the SSPCA when I saw the seagull there but nobody came out so I went up at 10pm and took it down myself.”
He believes that someone in the area may have complained to the council about birds nesting on the roof and that led to the netting being put back up.
“They could have put up a finer mesh but they put up the same stuff as before. The holes are about two inches square and that’s enough for a bird to get its leg trapped.
“I’ve rescued so many birds in past years. Pigeons, doves, greenfinches, sparrows, blackbirds, young gulls, and adult gulls and nursed them until capable of release.”
The Scottish SPCA said it received his call and an inspector attended but was unable to see the bird. Due to “safety reasons, and a netted area, the inspector was unable to access” the building’s roof.
The animal welfare charity added: “We contacted BT, which owns the building, who decided to send someone to safely check on the bird’s whereabouts, However, before they arrived the member of the public took it upon themselves to retrieve the gull and they transported it to the vet.”
BT was contacted about the issue and said it was promptly investigating the matter. “BT follows all environmental regulations for its properties, including telephone exchanges, and is arranging a survey of the netting above the telephone exchange,” it added.
“We ask the public to report any issues with BT properties to us directly rather than trying to touch these buildings due to safety reasons and any possible hazards. Those who wish to report a problem with a BT Group property or building should call 0800 223388, listing the issue, the location, and the type of property.
“BT must ensure that all our buildings are operational 24 hours a day to ensure that critical services, including our 999 system, continue to operate.”
A Highland Council spokesperson said: “As this is a private building, please refer to BT or NatureScot for details. All wild birds in Scotland are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and Highland Council has no statutory duty to take action against any type of gull.”
The council said it has more information on its website at: www.highland.gov.uk/info/1211/animal_welfare_and_pest_control/84/seagull_control
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