Lake Clear gulls

The pros and cons of gulls on Lake Clear seems to focus on Lornie Foran island. Some like the sound of gulls as an early harbinger of Spring, as a reminder of nature's re-newal and the sound of rural living. Others regard gulls as a threat to water quality, defacing property and disturbing personal comfort.

Questions:

1. In what ways do gulls impact water quality and other natural features?
2. What are the characteristics of the island gull colony?

Lornie Foran island, May 2004

Lornie Foran island, September 2015

Background

1. Lake Clear Conservancy (LCC) acquires island in early millennia and almost immediately some island neighbours complain about noise interfering with their sleep
2. Canadian Wildlife Service issues permit to oil eggs and install bird control wires but wires weren't properly managed resulting in the death of 6 gulls and a $3,000 fine.
3. 2014 to16 - Bonnechere River Watershed Project, Ottawa River Institute and Ottawa Riverkeeper partner with Renfrew County Health Unit to study impact of island gulls on beach water quality.
4. 2016 - Lake Clear Property Owners Association (LCPOA) and the LCC partner to study impact of gulls on the lake.as related to unusual water phenomena observations and the general bothersome nature of gulls as perceived in the following e-mail: As executor for the property at xxxx I have been advised by potential purchasers that when they contacted the Renfrew County health unit about water quality they were advised by the Health Unit not to use the water from the lake for any purpose other than watering the lawn. They are attributing this to the fecal from the seagulls. In addition, several potential buyers have commented on the sound of the squawking seagulls which is quite loud, consistent and disruptive. If the problem with the seagulls is not resolved it may well impact every property owner at my end of the lake in that the value of their property will decrease. If the water quality decreases it will have farther reaching implications. Please let me know what measures are being taken to address the birds. As an aside for your consideration, my realtor has advised that Golden Lake recently obtained approval to cull the birds and I’m wondering if there is any way this can be done.

Characteristics of the Lornie Foran Island gull colony

Some of the gulls look like Herring Gulls (red spot at the end of the bill), others look like Ring-billed Gulls (black ring at the end of the bill).

About Herring gulls

Gull Management

Lake Champlain egg oiling

The researchers were concerned that the gulls might simply go elsewhere, so they radio-collared some and found that largely, they stayed put, unsuccessfully trying to incubate their eggs. Other more severe disturbances would likely have driven the gulls to find a new nesting location.

The Rise and Fall of Ring-Billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) in Eastern North America

Jean-François Giroux 1,*, Martin Patenaude-Monette 1, Florent Lagarde 1, Ericka Thiériot 1,4, Pierre Brousseau 2and Pierre Molina 3

1 Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Stn Centre-ville, Montreal, Québec, H3C 3P8, Canada

2 Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, 801-1550 avenue d'Estimauville, Québec, Québec, G1V 4H5, Canada

3 Falcon Environmental Services, P.O. Box 1018, St-Lazare, Québec, J7T 2Z7, Canada

4 Current address: Comité régional pour la protection des falaises, P.O. Box 602, Prévost, Québec, J0R 1T0, Canada

* Corresponding author; E-mail: giroux.jean-francois@uqam.ca

Abstract.

Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) were rare at the beginning of the 20th century, possibly because of intensive exploitation. Once they became protected in 1916, their numbers increased throughout eastern North America, reaching a maximum of 875,000 breeding pairs around 1990. Since then, an overall decline of 19% has been recorded in the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River while their numbers tripled in Atlantic Canada. The largest concentrations are still found on the Great Lakes with 38% and 42% of the birds breeding in Canada and the USA, respectively. The remaining individuals breed along the St. Lawrence River (15%), on Lake Champlain (2%), and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence including the Atlantic Provinces and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon (3%). In 2009, a study was undertaken in the largest colony located on Île Deslauriers near Montreal, Québec, to determine the factors that regulate the number of breeding birds. This colony supported 52,000 pairs in 2000 and 44,000 in 2012. Ring-billed Gulls had a lower reproductive output in 2010–2012 compared to the late 1970s attributed to reduced chick survival. The number of gull-days at the nearest landfill declined from 906,000 in 1995 to 40,000 in 2012 following the implementation of a falconry deterrence program. Limited access to an abundant food supply located near the colony may have reduced chick survival. How this affects annual survival and population size remains to be determined. In the long term, policies that aim to reduce input of organic matter at landfills and discourage citizens from feeding gulls could further contribute to the decline of Ring-billed Gulls in eastern North America.