Flock of seagulls take a liking to Oval
WATCH where you step next time you visit the Oval in Dunedin.
Dog deposits will be the least of your worries after a huge flock of blackbacked gulls has moved in and started fouling the sports fields there.
There was a similar problem two years ago at Watson Park, in Port Chalmers, when a gaggle of geese set up residence, leaving constant deposits on the field and angering locals.
Large amounts of bird faeces on sports fields have the potential to cause infections in players with cuts or abrasions.
Football South chief executive Dougal McGowan said the gulls had not been an issue yet because the football season was just getting started, but it could be of concern if the situation continued.
‘‘This could be something that we need to look at, particularly if there’s something like what we had at the weekend where the soil gets churned up a little bit with all the games going on.’’
That brought more feed to the surface, which attracted the gulls.
‘‘Knowing that people are becoming more aware of the problem, we’ll be taking advice from those who know best about these things, to make sure that we make it as safe an environment as possible.’’
Otago Rugby Football Union community rugby manager
Richard Perkins said secondary school rugby matches were held on the ground, but the season had not started yet.
‘‘We’d be concerned if there are any issues coming from [the gulls] being on the fields.’’
A Dunedin City Council spokesman said council staff were aware there seemed to be more gulls than usual in the area at present.
‘‘This can happen during periods of bad weather, but we’re not aware of any issues affecting the use of the grounds.’’