I have posted a separate message about mobbing calls of Corvids, where I am
not really an expert. Here I give a first hand account of seagulls mobbing.
In retirement, the late Norman Robinson, who was CSIRO's lyrebird expert,
lived in a northern coastal suburb of Perth. My wife and I were visiting
Perth. We invited Norman and his wife to have lunch with us at a restaurant
built over the water. We knew Norman often dined there.
"Right," says Norman, "I'll take a recorder and some sea-gull mobbing calls
so we're not pestered by them."
The restaurant had some tables in the open at the edge of the platform over
the water, as well as tables inside. Smorgasbord (serve yourself), and
anyone familiar with the situation, knew always to leave someone guarding
the table. If the whole party left together, the seagulls were in
immediately to get at any food left on the table.
Some other diners finished their meal just after we arrived. They left and
the seagulls arrived. Norman took the recorder to the table and set it
going. Initially nothing happened. No seagulls returned. "Maybe it's not
loud enough," I said. Norman said nothing and just went on eating.
Then after a minute or so, the first gull flew up and circled, giving the
same call. In a very short while, all the local gulls joined in. Five
minutes later there wasn't a gull in sight and we had the rest of our meal
in peace.
Syd
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