{"id":3187,"date":"2019-09-06T21:56:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T21:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/?p=3187"},"modified":"2021-09-01T17:27:04","modified_gmt":"2021-09-01T17:27:04","slug":"city-council-mayor-laud-success-and-publicity-of-anti-gull-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/city-council-mayor-laud-success-and-publicity-of-anti-gull-program\/","title":{"rendered":"City Council, mayor laud success \u2013 and publicity \u2013 of anti-gull program"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted:\u00a0Wednesday, August 28, 2019 11:20 am<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0Updated: 12:35 pm, Wed Aug 28, 2019.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

By ERIC AVEDISSIAN\/Sentinel staff\u00a0<\/span><\/span>|\u00a00\u00a0comments<\/a><\/p>\n

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OCEAN CITY \u2013 Erik Swanson of East Coast Falcons of Lodi brought Ozzy, a Eurasian eagle owl, to council chambers Aug. 22.<\/p>\n

Gluttonous gulls poaching food from people prompted complaints earlier this summer. Visitors and locals, tired of dive-bombing gulls grabbing pizza and French fries, called on the city to abate the ravenous birds, whose diets normally consist of shellfish and other marine creatures.<\/p>\n

Mayor Jay Gillian said the \u201cfinal straw\u201d for him came when he witnessed a gull attack a child on the Boardwalk this summer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The city needed a quick solution and hired East Coast Falcons for $65,100 to abate aggressive gulls island-wide. On Aug. 3, the falconers commenced with their bird abatement operation.<\/p>\n

The city is paying East Coast Falcons, which uses falcons, hawks and owls to frighten gulls away from the crowded beaches and Boardwalk, $2,100 per day to run the program until Labor Day, Sept. 2.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The hawks and the owl are being flown over the Boardwalk and adjacent beach, while the falcon soars up to 2,000 feet in the air and covers the entire island.<\/p>\n

The birds operate from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

City Business Administrator George Savastano trumpeted the gull abatement program as \u201cpretty successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve gotten a fair amount of positive feedback,\u201d Savastano said.<\/p>\n

City Public Information Officer Doug Bergen said he usually receives contentious feedback on a number of issues, but the gull abatement program has received \u201c100 percent positive\u201d coverage.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are very excited about the success of this program,\u201d Bergen said. \u201cPeople are very excited by the effectiveness of the idea they can go to the beach and boardwalk and eat.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He said over 80 media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, Austin Globe, San Francisco Chronicle have reported on Ocean City\u2019s bird abatement efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can say that from Dublin, Ireland to Auckland, New Zealand, Ocean City and the success of this program has been front and center. If you try to calculate the value of that kind of exposure I would say it would amount to a hundreds of thousands of dollars easily, far exceeding the money we spent on this,\u201d Bergen said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Swanson, with Ozzy perched on his arm, explained those concerned\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0that the raptors were harming the gulls have been educated as to the program\u2019s intentions: to frighten away and not maim or kill any birds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gulls are still here. They\u2019re just where they should be. They\u2019re out in the ocean,\u201d Swanson said. \u201cOne of the residents that I met that claimed to be a 20 year resident on the island said that for the first time he saw the gulls fish out in the water which is exactly what we wanted them to do.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Swanson said the raptors have stopped gulls from harassing people on the beach and Boardwalk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI never really realized how important it is to somebody to be able to stop and eat their food in peace,\u201d Swanson said. \u201cI never realized eating pizza and French fries on the Boardwalk could be so important to somebody.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Swanson noted when Ozzy works the Boardwalk, \u201cevery seagull leaves.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn owl is probably \u2013 if you\u2019re a bird \u2013 it\u2019s Dracula,\u201d Swanson said. \u201cYou don\u2019t know where he\u2019s going to come from, you\u2019ll never hear him, you\u2019ll never see him.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ozzy\u2019s sharp talons, mesmerizing gaze and sharp beak make him a formidable sight. Perched on Swanson\u2019s glove, Ozzy spread his wings and showed how intimidating he was to gulls. Gillian jokingly remarked how the owl\u2019s stare \u201cfreaks me out.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Swanson said he\u2019s heard people have come to Ocean City to see the raptors and listens to their horror stories about being attacked by gulls. He said Ocean City is the first seashore community to use falconers for gull abatement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have a feeling you may have opened a door for other falconers in other shore communities which would be good,\u201d Swanson told council.<\/p>\n

Gillian said keeping grabby gulls off the Boardwalk was a quality of life and public safety issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m getting phone calls from the grandparents saying I can bring my kids up and I\u2019m not scared to come up on the boardwalk,\u201d Gillian said. \u201cIt has to be a horrible feeling to be in your home now and know that on beautiful nights you\u2019re afraid to go up on the boardwalk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gillian called hiring the falconers \u201ca beginning\u201d to addressing complaints on the boardwalk. He is in talks with the Boardwalk Merchants Association on possibly enclosing boardwalk trash containers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to cover our containers. We have to stop feeding wildlife because we think it\u2019s cute,\u201d Gillian said.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>He noted that he\u2019s glad people aren\u2019t afraid to walk on the boardwalk.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve made a lot of people feel a lot safer,\u201d Gillian said. \u201cThese birds seem very good.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gillian said the publicity has been positive over the program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe spend so much money to try to promote Ocean City, but here\u2019s something that\u2019s a good thing. The money that were spending on this we\u2019ve gotten it back tenfold,\u201d Gillian said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Council peppered Swanson with questions about the program\u2019s details and effectiveness.<\/p>\n

Councilwoman Karen Bergman said she\u2019s heard from others what a difference the beach and boardwalk is today.<\/p>\n

\u201cI sat on the beach on Monday and saw two gulls. I just couldn\u2019t believe it. It was such a difference,\u201d Bergman said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Councilman Keith Hartzell thanked Swanson for responding to Ocean City\u2019s need.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew it was working, we just didn\u2019t see you and see you handle the birds and the level of professionalism and the knowledge you have makes me feel better and confident,\u201d Hartzell said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Swanson said the falcons are flown in the mornings and cover the island, followed by the hawks that work the boardwalk or individual areas, while the owl works \u201cnight patrol.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Councilman Bob Barr asked if the gulls learn not to get too close to the boardwalk after encountering the raptors. Swanson said the gulls would return to the boardwalk if the raptors aren\u2019t there.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Posted:\u00a0Wednesday, August 28, 2019 11:20 am\u00a0|\u00a0Updated: 12:35 pm, Wed Aug 28, 2019. By ERIC AVEDISSIAN\/Sentinel staff\u00a0|\u00a00\u00a0comments OCEAN CITY \u2013 Erik Swanson of East Coast Falcons of Lodi brought Ozzy, a Eurasian eagle owl, to council chambers Aug. 22. Gluttonous gulls poaching food from people prompted complaints earlier this summer. Visitors and locals, tired of dive-bombing …<\/p>\n

City Council, mayor laud success \u2013 and publicity \u2013 of anti-gull program<\/span> Read More \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"spectra_custom_meta":{"_edit_lock":["1568851950:6"],"_edit_last":["6"],"_wp_page_template":["default"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["47"],"site-sidebar-layout":["default"],"site-content-layout":["default"],"theme-transparent-header-meta":["default"],"stick-header-meta":["default"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["30"],"_uag_page_assets":["a:9:{s:3:\"css\";s:263:\".uag-blocks-common-selector{z-index:var(--z-index-desktop) !important}@media (max-width: 976px){.uag-blocks-common-selector{z-index:var(--z-index-tablet) !important}}@media (max-width: 767px){.uag-blocks-common-selector{z-index:var(--z-index-mobile) !important}}\n\";s:2:\"js\";s:0:\"\";s:18:\"current_block_list\";a:2:{i:0;s:14:\"core\/tag-cloud\";i:1;s:11:\"core\/search\";}s:8:\"uag_flag\";b:0;s:11:\"uag_version\";s:10:\"1706048605\";s:6:\"gfonts\";a:0:{}s:10:\"gfonts_url\";s:0:\"\";s:12:\"gfonts_files\";a:0:{}s:14:\"uag_faq_layout\";b:0;}"],"rank_math_primary_category":["47"],"rank_math_news_sitemap_robots":["index"],"rank_math_robots":["a:1:{i:0;s:5:\"index\";}"],"rank_math_analytic_object_id":["51"],"rank_math_internal_links_processed":["1"],"_uag_css_file_name":["uag-css-3187.css"]},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"OC FIT GUY","author_link":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/author\/meltaylor\/"},"uagb_comment_info":1,"uagb_excerpt":"Posted:\u00a0Wednesday, August 28, 2019 11:20 am\u00a0|\u00a0Updated: 12:35 pm, Wed Aug 28, 2019. By ERIC AVEDISSIAN\/Sentinel staff\u00a0|\u00a00\u00a0comments OCEAN CITY \u2013 Erik Swanson of East Coast Falcons of Lodi brought Ozzy, a Eurasian eagle owl, to council chambers Aug. 22. Gluttonous gulls poaching food from people prompted complaints earlier this summer. Visitors and locals, tired of dive-bombing…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3187"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3187\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fairnessintaxes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}