The herring gull - of all our native birds this has to be the one that most divides opinion.

Many people appreciate them and accept that they are a valuable part of our coastal environment but there are also many people who consider them to be a pest and call them the ’vermin of the skies’.

Surely there is no excuse for deliberately running over herring gulls, which is what we think must have happened to the two chicks, pictured, given their proximity to the kerb.

It is illegal to kill a wild bird under the Wildlife Act, except under regulated circumstances, and so anyone wishing to cause harm to a gull must be mindful of this.

We are receiving upwards of 20 calls a day at the moment about young gulls that have apparently fallen out of their nests.

Most of them have their parents in close proximity and many callers are worried that either they or their pets will be attacked by the adults as they try to protect their young.

Our advice is as follows: if the chick or chicks can be relocated to a nearby flat roof or a space where they can shelter, then every effort should be made to do so.

An open umbrella is the best form of defence against the adult birds who will follow the cries of their chicks.

If the chicks cannot be relocated then, as a last resort, they should be placed into a ventilated box and brought to the ManxSPCA. Do not place a bowl of water in the box because they may drown in it.

If you need to do this in the evening when the ManxSPCA is closed, and you have some cat or dog food or tinned fish in your cupboards, then the chicks will probably be able to take very small chunks of food from your fingertips - or, better still, use a pair of tweezers. Hand feeding young birds in this way is an incredibly rewarding experience.

Once the chicks arrive at Ard Jerkyll they are placed in our aviary where their hand feeding continues until they can feed for themselves.

It takes about six weeks for the birds to grow their flight feathers and become independent, and another four years before they are fully mature.

Herring gulls are on the ICUN ’red list’ which is a conservation category that means that, as a species, they are considered to be endangered.

This is thought to be due to the decline in fish stocks and pollution of the seas (not least with plastic) which means that the birds have to look elsewhere for their food supplies. It is their tendency to gather in large numbers around food sources onshore that creates much of the negativity about them as a species, whereas this simply shows their adaptability and resourcefulness.

In order to accommodate the number of gulls in our aviary we urgently need to rehome some beautiful, multi-coloured cockerels, some hens and some peafowl. Please contact Jane Gregory if you can help by e-mailing her on [email protected] or call her on 851672, option three.

Members of the ManxSPCA team will be at Tynwald Fair on 5th July and they will be more than happy to discuss the animals and birds we have at Ard Jerkyll, or answer any animal husbandry queries you may have. As usual, our stall will have water bowls for dogs who need them and poo bags for owners who forget to bring them.

The Saturday after Tynwald Day sees the Strictly Manx dance competition, in which several pairs of dancers compete for the converted title in aid of their chosen charities.

The ManxSPCA is delighted that Hannah Riley and Christopher Richardson-Hall will be dancing for our animals, and if you want to watch them there is still time to buy tickets from the Villa Marina box office.