When I was at the river this afternoon I saw some seagulls standing in the shallows rapidly paddling their feet up and down on the spot, and then eating the critters that were disturbed from the mud. Clever little things.
I haven't noticed gulls doing this before.
Is it a local trick, or do gulls everywhere do this?
Nope haven't seen them doing it up here in FNQ
What they do is hang around waiting for some one to throw them chips.
Last time I was in Cairns, I gave ONE chip to ONE seagull and, before I knew it, I was surrounded by backpackers 
yep, seen the same thing around melbourne (but at a more remote/nature reserve type places)
seriously when you are surrounded by thousands of them after throwing the first chip (seagulls not backpackers) have a look at how many have only one leg or bits of leg missing. - heaps. Must get bitten off by fish.
There are alot of 1 legged seagulls, but there are more of the buggers that just stand on one leg & hide the other...chase them to see if they're bluffing. It makes for an interesting spectator sport (adults chasing seagulls to see how many legs they have)
Don't underestimate seagulls. The "one legged" ones are playing for the sympathy chip.
Was taking a lunchbreak on an obvious lunchbreak type rock while hiking at Wilson's Prom many years ago. Noticed a seagull 50 metres away pecking at a small stream. He'd figured out that hikers sit on the rock and swat March flies. The March flies roll down the rock, into the stream and the seagull also gets lunch. (hikers don't throw chips). I suspect he'd done it before. Once we figured out what he was up to we metred out the flies to test him. He didn't miss one.
Glad to know I am not the only seagull watcher. Their behaviour is fascinating, particularly the politics and stand over tactics. Always one with one leg in a group, a cranky basard and a sex maniac.
What I want to know is what they ate before the advent of chips and take aways?
I noticed a group of pellicans tacking (gliding) upwind in that last lot of storms!!!! lol
I was going to mention the robe vid.
I saw and heard a seagull today. I haven't heard or seen one for months and it struck me as unusual. we hardly had them in darwin, and here in central victoria they only pass through because the cockys have them outnumbered.
