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Just desserts? Bird beaten for stealing ice cream
Grand Junction Sentinel ^ | 1/14/09

Posted on 01/14/2009 1:57:24 PM PST by GSWarrior

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — A rare gull that apparently tried to eat a couple's ice cream was euthanized after the man beat the bird with a stick. Dragan Djuric, 50, of Wichita, Kansas, and his wife were eating ice cream New Year's Eve on the boardwalk at Main Beach when a flock of birds attacked them, Laguna Beach police Sgt. Jeff Calvert said.

One bird hit Djuric's wife in the head and tried to take the ice cream. Djuric was defecated on.

The couple dropped the frozen food and Djuric began hitting the birds with a stick, Calvert said.

One of the birds — a rare Heermann's gull — sustained a broken wing and was later euthanized.

Djuric was cited and released on suspicion of animal cruelty.

Heermann's gulls are on the Audubon Society's watch list for at-risk birds. The creatures are surprisingly aggressive and steal fish from the pouches of pelicans and chase other birds to take their prey, according to the society's Web site.

The estimated population of Heermann's gulls is 525,000.


TOPICS: Food; Miscellaneous; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: animalsarepeopletoo; birdpoo; gulls
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To: GSWarrior
The estimated population of Heermann's gulls is 525,000.

524,999

21 posted on 01/14/2009 2:16:32 PM PST by Anitius Severinus Boethius
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To: Anitius Severinus Boethius

We have a winner!


22 posted on 01/14/2009 2:20:33 PM PST by GSWarrior (To activate this tagline please contact the board moderator.)
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To: james500

I hate birds with attitude.


23 posted on 01/14/2009 2:21:18 PM PST by TheWasteLand
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To: GSWarrior
A rare gull that apparently tried to eat a couple's ice cream was euthanized after the man beat the bird with a stick.

Laguna Beach being Laguna Beach, it's a wonder that the man wasn't euthanized instead...

24 posted on 01/14/2009 2:21:45 PM PST by The Electrician ("Government is the only enterprise in the world which expands in size when its failures increase.")
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To: GSWarrior
In breeding plumage, the Heermann's gull is probably the prettiest gull in North America. I wouldn't call it rare, though.

Along the California coast, it's uncommon to common.

But who am I to argue with Audubon?

25 posted on 01/14/2009 2:21:46 PM PST by Flycatcher (Strong copy for a strong America)
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To: ßuddaßudd

I think that swearing thing works. I had gulls looking at my lunch, and told them to F off. They had this air of assumed nonchalance: “Just looking at this crab claw here, and this bit of seaweed over there, and oh, there’s a wave, bye.”

Who would have thought their sensibilities were so delicate?


26 posted on 01/14/2009 2:32:36 PM PST by heartwood (Tarheel in exile)
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To: LottieDah

Apparently he preferred to throw a temper tantrum - showing his manhood and maturity, I guess. There’s never an excuse for abusing an animal!!


27 posted on 01/14/2009 2:32:39 PM PST by ElayneJ
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To: GSWarrior
A RARE Gull?? Gimme a break!!

My buddy threw a piece of bread out the window while we were having lunch on Lake Ontario.

Thank God we were in the car...There were 100's of them in 10 seconds!!

He's an employee. Never took him to the lake for lunch again!!

28 posted on 01/14/2009 2:42:46 PM PST by Sacajaweau (I'm planting corn...Have to feed my car...)
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To: GSWarrior
I was attacked by a male Rufus Hummingbird, but, I didn't take it personally as he was attacking anything coming to close to it's nest...However,I did take it personal when a male Prairie Falcon attacked me while I was banding his chicks(he was not impressed with my BLM permit).
29 posted on 01/14/2009 2:53:16 PM PST by crazyhorse691 (Obama is Americas new Forrest Gump...but with an oversized ego and ears.)
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To: Sacajaweau
A RARE Gull?? Gimme a break!! My buddy threw a piece of bread out the window while we were having lunch on Lake Ontario. Thank God we were in the car...There were 100's of them in 10 seconds!!

"Rare" is relative, of course.

Trust me: if a Heermann's gull showed up at Lake Ontario, you'd have 100,000+ birders stampede to Lake Ontario within 12 hours to see it.

Birders are weird that way.

(Yeah, I'm a birder...)

30 posted on 01/14/2009 2:54:55 PM PST by Flycatcher (Strong copy for a strong America)
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To: GSWarrior

31 posted on 01/14/2009 2:55:27 PM PST by GSWarrior (To activate this tagline please contact the board moderator.)
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To: GSWarrior

“One bird hit Djuric’s wife in the head and tried to take the ice cream. Djuric was defecated on.”

Don’t care what they do to my wife, but defecate on my head......he’s history.


32 posted on 01/14/2009 2:59:01 PM PST by yazoo
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Comment #33 Removed by Moderator

To: Southsider

“The bird was doing what nature taught it to do.”

What, eat ice cream?


34 posted on 01/14/2009 9:05:35 PM PST by chaosagent (Remember, no matter how you slice it, forbidden fruit still tastes the sweetest!)
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Comment #35 Removed by Moderator

To: Southsider
The bird was doing what nature taught it to do.

Nature tells humans attacked by animals to fight back. We're at the top of the food chain, remember? I like it up here.

36 posted on 01/14/2009 10:54:40 PM PST by Sherman Logan (Everyone has a right to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.)
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Comment #37 Removed by Moderator


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