Scourge of the seagulls are a

FED up of being woken up at dawn by relentless squawking? It’s all down to one reason – gull mating season. And being a protected bird there’s a limit to what you can do about the amorous creatures. Here’s what you need to know:

When is the seagull mating season? The breeding season for gulls runs from around April until September. Breeding pairs court in March with nests – built from straw, grass, twigs and paper plus anything else they can find – starting to be built from April onwards. Eggs are laid from April to May, with the first chicks hatching after three to four weeks later at the beginning of June. Chicks start to leave the nest from August onwards, and take a few years until they too start breeding. But they tend to return to their “home” nest when they want to start their own families. How does that make them rowdier? For obvious reasons, the new parents want to protect their offspring.

And with the baby birds being entirely dependent on their parents for the first few months, the gulls are more vicious than ever in their quest to bag as much food as they can for their new family, while protecting their brood in their nests.

When are they at their noisiest? According to seagull expert Peter Rock, the parents are being particularly loud at this time of year because the chicks are just about to leave the nest.

Bristol University expert Peter said the easiest way to avoid the hassle – and the noise – was, unsurprisingly, to stay away from nests.

He said: “At this time of year the young ones are fledgling or coming close to it. Because of that, the parents get particularly protective of them and make a lot of noise. If you go up on a roof or close to a nest the parents will let you know you are not welcome, even if it’s your house.

What other things do they get up to? From divebombing schoolchildren, to “mugging” university students for their food, seagulls can make the summer months a tad more aggressive for anyone hoping just to enjoy the weather.

And their waste can also cause problems by blocking chimneys, messing cars and fouling the clothes of unwary passersby.

Why is it a problem this year especially? With more than 3,500 gulls heading back