Seagulls Beware: Raptors Remain

By MADDY VITALE The original raptors that scared away pesky seagulls from Ocean City’s Boardwalk and beaches are back. Look out, gulls. East Coast Falcons, a Lodi, N.J.-based bird abatement company owned by falconer Erik Swanson, resumed the work July 19, replacing Wildlife Control Specialists LLC of Lebanon, N.J. Wildlife Control Specials was the lowest bidder for the contract this summer. However, on July 18, the company ceased its bird abatement work and was paid a $20,000 stipend for its services, according to a resolution approved at the City Council meeting Aug. 13. No announcement was made about why the city ended its contract with Wildlife Control Specialists and switched to East Coast Falcons. “The city still has the need for the services through the balance of the 2020 summer, the resolution stated. But City Councilman Jody Levchuk, co-owner of the Jilly’s Boardwalk stores, said this year, unlike last, the beach replenishment program has churned up the surf and brought more sea and plant life to the shores for gulls to feed on. “They are definitely loving it out there – it is a feeding frenzy,” Levchuk said of the gulls. “I don’t know if one falcon (on duty at a time) can combat all of that. But I still believe having a bird abatement program is better than not having one.” Also, he noted that amid the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions allowing only outdoor dining and takeout, there are more people eating in view of the gulls and there appears to be a lot more food containers for gulls to feast on. “Having the abatement program in place right now is better than not having it. I know it comes at a high cost, but so does having a major bird problem that is not being taken care of,” he said. "OC," the hawk, gets ready to take flight over the beaches and Boardwalk last year. With East Coast Falcons coming in as the second lowest bidder back in March, the company and the city agreed it would resume operations through Oct. 21 at a daily rate of $1,900 for services on the Boardwalk and the beachfront area. The contract also includes a monthly payment of $3,200 for housing for the company's employees, according to the resolution. Hawks, falcons and even an owl patrol the skies so that vacationers and residents may enjoy their meals without fear of menacing gulls snatching their goodies. The city is believed to be the only shore community on the East Coast that uses such a program. Mayor Jay Gillian, City Business Administrator George Savastano and City Council made the decision to hire falconers to lessen the problem. East Coast Falcons was hailed for its success last summer in keeping the gulls away. As soon as the company began using raptors up and down the Boardwalk and in the hot spots of eateries, gulls seemed to disappear off the merchants' rooftops and beach umbrellas. The gulls began to revert back to eating what they are supposed to in their natural habitat – the ocean – instead of hanging around the Boardwalk while looking to steal a quick meal of human food. And while the 2020 summer season is dramatically different than 2019 because of the pandemic, the bird abatement program remaining in place through Oct. 21 will be a good thing, Levchuk said. “I think that a lot of people will still come down here in the fall,” he said. “They are working remotely and staying at their second homes in Ocean City.” Seagulls are seen as a nuisance on the beaches.