Projected dvd in the padded cell at the Lock Up, Newcastle NSW Australia as part of the Minding Animals conference July 2009.

Many wild animals benefit by living in close proximity to us and many animals have moved into cities and proliferated through the favourable conditions we provide such as mountains of waste and the cultivation of certain vegetation. Many of these animals are tolerated, even enjoyed and loved, because they represent a link with wilderness and nature. But the majority of them are hated because they are scavengers and represent disease. My interest is in birds that have mixed reputations [those that are both loved and hated] and that proliferate in cities. This sound work and projection is based on the silver gull or Larus novahollandiae, the most prevalent gull on the Eastern seaboard of Australia.

In this recording I am sitting on Port Melbourne beach on a cool June morning waiting for the gulls. I use various means to call them, including an Audubon bird caller, whistling, making kissing sounds on the back of my hand, rattling empty muesli packets, and a vague and not very good attempt at imitation. These are common means for calling wild birds although in birding circles this process is not considered an entirely ethical practise anymore. After about 5 minutes 11 birds appear and form a group around me, coming as close as they dare for the food. Six of the birds are immature, with brown bills and legs, and some downy soft brown feathers on their backs. The mature gulls have their bright red bills and legs, and look sharp and healthy. I keep them close by feeding them the muesli bars. The small repetitive ‘wheee wheee’ cries are the immature birds and there are a number of different calls made by the mature gulls – ‘kwee-aarr’ ‘karr’ ‘keow’ ‘karrr-karrr-karrr’. The recording remains in a relatively raw state and lasts about 25 minutes – roughly how long it takes for three muesli bars to be eaten.