I agree with everything Stigweard just said. And to IB - that particular gull was new to me; but, although, like you, I'm a "passer by" birder, the first time I went out for the purpose of sighting birds, with relatives who are birders, I was lucky enough to watch a kingfisher at work. And, as for the squirrels, the fact that culling was being considered made our news here a couple of times the last year or so, and I'm quite sure that they have actually gone ahead with it just recently.