May 10, 2008
Dirty Birdy
This picture of a seagull reminded us that Chicago's beaches officially open for swimming in less than two weeks on May 23. But being the overall grumps that we are, it doesn't make us think of lazy days basking in the sun and splashing in Lake Michigan, but rather of the various beach closings each summer due to elevated levels of E.coli bacteria caused mainly by our fine feathered friend above. The city is trying to cull the seagull population by coating gull eggs with corn oil, which prevents them from hatching. Let's just hope they are more successful with that endeavor than they were with the Canada geese.
The Chicago Park District uses a flag system to indicate water conditions -- green flag, safe to swim. Yellow, elevated levels of E. coli unsafe for children, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems and germaphobes like us. Red, a swim ban is in effect. The park district also posts an online swim report during the beach season. (Note for the CPD suggestion box -- a mobile version of that would be mighty handy.)
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You want to get rid of the majority of seagulls? Get rid of Seagull Pier, next to Navy Pier.
So I have to wonder. Lots of beaches have seagulls ... pretty much all of them, in fact. And yet few beaches have the E. coli problems Chicago's beaches have. So why are seagulls so detrimental to Chicago beaches and not all other beaches?
Or perhaps the problem in Chicago isn't the seagulls.
As a conservationist and former member of PETA (okay, when i was thriteen) I would like to say the following:
Kill the seagulls.
Then kill the pigeons.
They are both disgusting, aggressive and terrifying.
Thank you.
LOLwut? Did that bird get caught in the Chicago River on St. Patty's Day?
I was wondering that when I posted the pic. It looks like it took a bath in a Slurpee.
I was at Lincoln Park Zoo when I took this shot.
There were alot of birds swarming the "food court". Obviously this one caught my eye...this bird stood out not only because of the way it looks, but its behavior was different from the rest. Brave and aggressive. I was lucky enough to capture him/her at a moment of calm.
Thank you Prescott for your story based on my photo.
I was hoping others would come up with a theory of how this bird became blue.
-Leslie