Training terrorists!

It seems to me that the number 1 enemy in Cornwall is the common seagull. Here in Looe there are a number of warning signs that they are dangerous but yet people can be seen on a daily basis training them to do what they were created for but in a wrong way. Gulls are the scavengers of the coast, they should be about the business of cleaning up dead and unwanted sea creatures but humans have encouraged them in land to scavenge on open tips etc. Now they have become a danger to people old and young due to their fearless thieving of anything edible out of the hands of infants to adults. They can be seen to stalk their victim swoop and steal leaving open wounds on many. Just last week there were reports in Cornwall of a dog being attacked and killed by a number of gulls and then a pet tortoise being savaged to death.

How long is it going to be before a person is seriously injured by one of these flying terrorists?

Many of the seaside towns in Cornwall and elsewhere in the UK are overburdened by these birds who have exchanged cliff faces for our rooftops for their nesting ground. the result is an unacceptable level of noise at dawn and even worse dung dropped from on high everywhere. Nobody is safe and nothing is sacred from their aerial bombardment. It damages everything that it adheres to and is at the least somewhat unsavoury to see all around. If unfortunate to be hit then it is a violation of your personal liberty. 

These birds are out of control!

What can be done about it? Humans who train them to steal ought to be dealt with severely! We cannot blame a bird whose nature it is to scavenge when they are regularly tossed chips in order that (mostly) tourists can marvel at their exquisite flying skills. It might be holiday entertainment to them but it is just training the birds to become an even greater problem. Those guilty of feeding them should be fined handsomely and the monies gathered used to clean up the mess and devastation made by these invaders of our towns. 

I am not campaigning against gulls, I love to watch their aerobatics, they are fantastic flyers and are one of the most photogenic birds in our land. They are part of God's wonderful creation and bring pleasure to all who watch them but they have been in the terrorist camps of humanity and have been trained to be a pest. We deal with those who are trained to be terrorists and we do all that we can to stop the trainers, when are we going to do something serious about the feeders of the gulls? 

I have one last suggestion that will be unacceptable to many I am sure. In Genesis God told Adam to subdue and care for nature. Nature is now fallen and is out of balance and so we have colonies of birds that are out of control. There is nothing wrong with reducing (not devastating!!!!) the number of gulls in our towns both for the safety and security of the population and also for the sake of the gulls themselves. If that offends you why not contact me and we can chat about it. 

Public enemy number 1?

Are you saved?

The last few days have been highlighted by search and rescue operations. There has been a herring gull nest on the flat roof of next doors house. Pam has enjoyed watching the chicks hatch and grow up into fledgling birds. My worry has been about what would happen if one of the babies dropped into our garden. The garden is too small for a grown bird to land and then to take off and so we are somewhat safe from an invasion. Apart from an invasion from above:

I have to admit that seagulls are my least favourite birds, they are fantastic flyers but are dangerous to pasty eaters in Looe. In fact they are not only partial to pasties but to any food that ought to be enjoyed by children or adults alike. They are greedy and have been conditioned to take food from unsuspecting visitors. That maybe ought to be the subject of a blog to come!

Back to my search and rescue theme: The inevitable happened on Friday a baby gull had slid off the roof and was now running amok in my garden. It was not going to be caught without a fight and it's parents certainly did not want me to have anything to do with it. It was a bit of fun chasing it around for a while but it quickly became obvious that the time was not right and so we went about our everyday business whilst the baby bird called to a parent who was impotent in doing anything about the dilemma.

At the time neither the baby nor it's parents knew it but I was their only hope of rescue in the whole episode. I might have seemed disinterested to them as I went about my daily routine but I assure you that I was concerned.  I may not be at the top of the seagull fan club list but I am not cold hearted and did not want to witness a bird dying of starvation but the time was not right. The bird had to get to a state of desperation before it would succumb to my rescue attempt. The right time came a 5:00 am on Saturday morning. The bird was clearly weakened, frightened and hungry. I went up to the flat roof where it was staked out armed with a bag designed for rubbish that is also seagull proof. That means that they cannot get into it to scavenge.

It seemed logical to me that if they cannot get in then if one were inside it could not get out until I freed it. I would have to catch the bird, take it through the house and release it in the street and I did not intend to be damaged by it's vicious beak!!!

The bird by now was weakened enough for me to catch it and put it into the bag and release it to be cared for by it's parents. I became it's saviour!

All of this of course reminds me of God's search and rescue plan for mankind.

Just like that seagull all of humanity are in a very precarious situation. Sin has separated us from our Heavenly Father, We are trapped in a world where we are happy to be separate from Him until we realise that separation means that we will never reach heaven. Sin separates now and forever. We like the bird need rescuing but we fight against it. Jesus is our rescuer who unlike me was willing to suffer to rescue me. He paid the ultimate price of death in order that I might be forgiven. The New Testament clearly teaches all that you need to know about the process but I tell you that sin is odious to God and so we cannot be  right with Him unless our sin is dealt with. Jesus took the sin of all who will believe on Him for forgiveness and gave His righteousness to them instead. The result being that God sees in those who are saved the righteousness of Jesus and welcomes them to be His children.

  

The amazing thing about the seagull is that it's brother or sister (who can tell which is which?) fell into the garden the next day and so the process began all over again. This reminded me that God's search and rescue of sinners is ongoing and will continue until all that He has called to salvation are gathered into a right relationship with God!

ARE YOU IN NEED OF SAVING?

CAN I HELP IN ANY WAY?

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT IF i CAN HELP YOU.

MORE IMPORTANTLY jESUS SAID THAT IF YOU PERSONALLY CRY OUT TO HIM THEN HE WILL HEAR YOUR CRY AND RESCUE YOU!

SALVATION IS JUST A PRAYER AWAY.

WHY NOT PRAY?