The council has swooped on hundreds of seagull nests in a bid to curb the chaos caused by the birds across Dumfries and Galloway this year.
A contractor spent months removing 275 nests and 450 eggs from council buildings – after getting permission from NatureScot.
The majority of nests and eggs were recovered in Dumfries , while others were picked up in Stranraer, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbright, and Sanquhar.
Several council buildings, including primary schools and community centres, have also been “gull-proofed” by fitting roof spikes, wires or nets to prevent seagulls landing and nesting.
Several lampposts in Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Stranraer have also been gull-proofed.
The council committed to spending £83,500 on of tackling the problem of an increasing population of seagulls swooping on people and dogs.
A progress report will be provided at the council’s communities committee on Thursday, February 2.
In it, community protection manager Sandra Harkness, details how £67,000 had been spent on: 600 gull proof sacks – £1,500; gull proof bins – £42,000, fitting roof spikes and nets – £9,148, egg and nest removal from council properties – £14,620.
At the end of last month there was £16,731 remaining which will be used for ongoing gull-proofing before the 2023 breeding season starts.
The council expects to use the full £84,000 allocated to the task this financial year.
Mrs Harkness said: “The spend on egg and nest removal was more than the budget for this activity with £14,600 being spent against a budget of £10,500. However, the contractor who removed the eggs and nests also fitted roof spikes whenever possible as this was more cost-effective.”
