A Whitley Bay woman experienced an unexpected surprise when a baby seagull fell down her chimney and landed in her fireplace while she was working from home. Karen Turville, a barrister, was at her desk on Tuesday when she heard soot falling, followed by the arrival of the young bird.
Unexpected Visitor
Karen described the incident: "I heard some soot falling down, I thought I should have got a chimney sweep. Then a few minutes later there were some pebbles. It was a nice, calm day, then it (the soot) really started to come down. It was followed by some wings flapping very wildly, it was a baby seagull." The bird was stunned and remained still for nearly an hour.
Despite owning a viszla dog that usually barks at birds, Karen's pet showed no interest and instead took a nap on the sofa. Karen built a cushion fort around the chick to keep it contained while awaiting rescue. She considered returning the bird to its parents on the roof but admitted, "I can't climb on a roof in Whitley Bay!"
Rescue and Naming
Karen contacted animal charity Pawz for Thought to pick up the bird. Together with her friend Lynn Taylor, she christened the gull Steven Seagull. Interestingly, this is not the first time Karen has had an unexpected bird in her home. She previously had a heron that "wandered in through her front door." She recalled, "They have got those big long legs. He walked in my front door and was looking around, I got him out into the garden. They look a bit more scary, so a little baby seagull is no bother at all."
Steven Seagull was one of three gulls that fell down chimneys on Tuesday and came into the care of Pawz for Thought, which is currently rehabilitating around 340 gull chicks. Lorraine Thornton of the charity explained, "We get a lot every year, most have fallen off roofs and some got squashed or predated; falling down chimneys is quite common."
Prevention and Rehabilitation
Lorraine encouraged homeowners to install chimney caps, costing about £30, to prevent birds from falling down chimneys while still allowing them to nest. The rescued gull chicks are being rehabilitated at Pawz for Thought's base in Sunderland, using paddling pools to learn how to swim. Lorraine added, "It helps them to play and frolic and when they've fledged we'll release them back into the wild and they'll be coming to a coast near you."
