GULL WHO HELD UP PARK OPENING FLIES THE NEST
ANESTING seagull who held up the opening of a popular water play area has abandoned the nest. It means the £350,000 Aquasplash attraction on Aberavon beach, which was due to open on May 30, can soon be enjoyed by the public.
Its original opening date was postponed as UK law prohibits people from moving a gull’s nest or disrupting nesting gulls in any way.
But now Neath Port Talbot council has confirmed that the bird had left the nest.
The gull made the nest on a large tipping bucket feature.
Council biodiversity officers, who have been monitoring the nest, found the bird missing from the site this week and on Friday the nest was cleared from the site.
A damaged egg rolled out of the nest, which the council said supports its theory that predation by other gulls may have been responsible for the abandonment of the nest by the parent birds.
Although the mother bird spends most of her time on the nest, she must occasionally leave to feed herself and if the nest is in an exposed position it could be vulnerable, according to the council.
A spokeswoman for the council’s countryside and wildlife team said: “Sadly, as the nest was in such an exposed location when she left the nest to get food it would have been in a position to be easily predated by other gulls.
“Normally the nests would be in a corner of a roof or camouflaged amongst pebbles so as not to be visible. But as they chose to make the nest on a brightly coloured platform in the middle of the Aquasplash, with no camouflage, it would be so easily have been spotted and grabbed by other gulls.
“It was noted there are a lot of other gulls in that area standing on adjacent roofs and lampposts who could easily spot the nest.
“We are sorry this has ended in this way but all was done as stipulated by law to ensure these gulls were left in peace while nesting but it appears the location of their nest was too exposed.”
Celtic Leisure, which runs Aquasplash for the council, has cleaned the bucket and checked it is operational.
Celtic Leisure staff have also increased the concentration of chlorine to make sure it is thoroughly disinfected while it runs normally over the weekend.
After more water quality sampling is completed, Aquasplash should open to the public.
The attraction features 30 water features, including fountains, jets and waterfalls.