Indexes
November 21st, 2009
November 20th, 2009
November 19th, 2009
November 18th, 2009
November 17th, 2009
November 16th, 2009
November 14th, 2009
The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.
- The country's mess is our fault (170)
- Obama is not a moderate (130)
- Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (73)
- Public health care is a Christian option (67)
- Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (50)
- The haves should help the have-nots (30)
- Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
- Government-run health care is a bad idea (25)
- Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (18)
- Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)
ADVERTISEMENT
A “scouts” seagull looks out over Lodi High School’s lunch area on a recent afternoon. The seagulls swarm the campus after lunch, when the bell rings for class. (Whitney Ramirez/News-Sentinel)
Gulls have some students ruffled at Lodi area schools, but the birds may actually be beneficial
Seagulls are flocking to local high school campuses, picking fights over french fries and pizza crusts and pooping on students and cars.
Galt high students recently brought the gull issue to their school board, hoping for some relief from the winged scavengers.
Others, though, say the birds serve a purpose, cleaning up after sloppy eaters who leave edible tidbits scattered on campus.
By searching and seizing the leftovers, gulls help keep the schools free of rodents.
Also known as "splatter-butts" or "flying rats," the creatures eat everything from bugs to rotting meat, and they leave their mark — watery, goopy, white droppings — on everything from students' jackets to principals' SUVs.
Galt High students have considered a contest among grade levels to pick up trash, deprive the birds of their munchies, and reduce their number.
The California gull and ring-billed gull are two varieties that hang out around the area. Avian identification, however is lost on students and administrators who shield themselves, run, or otherwise attempt to evade the gulls' after-lunch flights.
The birds, it seems, are on a schedule, too.
Ashley Callahan, 15, a sophomore, waited for the five-minute warning bell, when a half-dozen "scouts" swooped across the open-air area, seemingly scanning the ground for the flock's next dining opportunity.
And as soon as students started walking to class, dozens, if not hundreds, of the grey and white birds took to circling the concrete amphitheater.
Kat Minyard, a 10th grade Tokay High student, said she "got crapped on" last year.
"I was walking by the theater and all of a sudden I felt something heavy on my jacket," the 16-year-old said, giggling as she and friends recounted the experience. They now try to avoid the gulls by sitting under the eaves of buildings.
More about gulls
In this area California and ring-billed gulls breed and nest at Mono Lake, Folsom Lake, Lodi Lake and other wet areas. Both types are about 16 inches long with a 48- to 52-inch wingspan. Their legs may be pink or yellowish. The ring-billed gull has a black ring on its bill with a red spot at the tip, while the California gull's bill is completely black. Feathers are gray, brown and white.Name: California gull, Larus californicus.
Distribution: In winter, California gulls live throughout the state, and along the west coast of North America to British Columbia and Alaska. In summer, gulls go northeast, to Nevada, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Name: Ring-billed gull, Larus delawarensis.
Distribution: In winter, throughout the South and West but not the Southwest. In summer, ring-billed gulls are most common in northern California, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Great Lakes region.
Sources: San Joaquin Audubon Society (http://www.sanjoaquinaudubon.org), United States Geological Survey, Migratory Bird Research division (http://mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov).
Lodi High students shared similar horror stories.
"They just sat there and watched it happen," said Joaquin Zazueta, 17, a senior, recalling the time he was a target for gull droppings.
There wasn't anything they could do, his friends said. They laughed along with Zazueta, cautiously eyeing the sky as they munched on their salads.
Bird-lovers, students and school staff all agreed the gulls are attracted to food left behind on benches and tables.
Sacramento Audubon Society vice president Tim Fitzer, a 1957 Lodi High graduate, said the birds are helpful because they eat up the waste which could otherwise rot and attract disease-spreading rodents.
There are several Central Valley flocks, from Folsom to Modesto. California and ring-billed gulls migrate south for the winter, like many birds. They stop in wet areas including Folsom Lake and Lodi Lake.
"I thought they hung out at the ocean. What are they doing here?" wondered Dyan Yanez, a Lodi High secretary.
Fitzer said during winter months, the Central Valley is home to thousands of gulls which spend nights floating in lakes and days at dumps and schoolyards, eating waste food, worms and just about anything else. The gulls breed at Mono Lake in the summer.
"They would be there anyway even if they didn't get food from the schoolyards," Fitzer said.
Other area schools have a similar bird issue.
Stagg High administrators think their location near the Delta levee has contributed to the gull population. Staff there often leave campus to find encrusted droppings on their cars. Custodians who work at Modesto schools said gulls hang out at Roosevelt High; Modesto High also has pigeons.
Lodi High assistant principal Jim Jordan said he likes to keep his vehicles sparkling clean. So he has to wash droppings off his Toyota Land Cruiser just about every day.
Lodi High School students use their books as shields against seagulls swarming overhead on a recent school day. The seagulls — as if on clockwork — swarm in on the lunch area once the bell rings. (Whitney Ramirez/News-Sentinel)
"I'm afraid of them. I have to move my car at lunch because it appears the parking lot is in the path they take when they leave," he said with a hearty laugh.
Jordan said he loves watching how the birds communicate and relate among each other, especially their power struggles and their pecking order.
Principal Bill Atterberry said he hopes students would pick up after themselves instead of leaving their scraps for the birds. He's even tried teaching a jingle, "Don't be a Litterbug" to his students.
Every little bit of litter hurts, Atterberry said.
"They clean up after our kids," said Waddell "Doc" Robinson, Tokay High assistant principal. "They're our friends. They serve a reasonable purpose."
Contact reporter Kendyce Manguchei at kendycem@lodinews.com.
First published: Saturday, March 10, 2007
Search for Ads 
Today’s Print Ads 
RSS Feeds
Reader Feedback
Janitor wrote on Mar 11, 2007 11:27 PM:
nylodian wrote on Mar 11, 2007 4:25 PM:
sam wrote on Mar 11, 2007 3:28 PM:
stkngirl19 wrote on Mar 11, 2007 12:50 PM:
stknirl19 wrote on Mar 11, 2007 12:48 PM:
sam wrote on Mar 10, 2007 7:33 PM:
Heaven Forbid.... wrote on Mar 10, 2007 10:34 AM:
Comments on this story are now closed.