A bird rescuer is calling for donations of dog food to help save Aberystwyth’s baby seagulls this season.

From mid-May seagull hatching season will begin, when seagull chicks will start to appear in nests.

Seagulls are known to make a nuisance of themselves across Aberystwyth, with chicks appearing on pavements and roads having fallen from nests or becoming injured by rival adult seagulls.

Despite what many see as a pest, one woman has taken it upon herself to rear the gull babies who aren’t able to return to their nests.

Helen Fitzpatrick, 56, managed to successfully mend and return 62 chicks to the wild last year, using 720 cans of dog food to feed them.

This season, Helen is calling for people to donate dog food tins to help support her self-funded mission: “Seagulls and pigeons [which she also rescues] are the most misunderstood and maligned birds.

“People falsely call them vermin, but they’re incredibly intelligent, worth saving and very cute.

“I try and educate people about these birds - they mate for life, have an incredible memory, and though they’re known for stealing, if you treat them with respect, they will also do so.

“It’s an expensive hobby - we finance this on a wing and a prayer, but somehow they always get fed.

“It’s a labour of love.”

On top of the tinned dog food, last year Helen used 270 loaves of bread and 120 kilos of dog kibble to feed her poorly brood, along with using her own money on 200 kilos of pine chip bedding, vet visits, disinfectant and materials to build and repair the enclosures she keeps in her garden outside Borth.

Despite what many see as a pest, some seagulls, including European herring gulls, are actually on the Red List under Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK due to their dwindling population numbers.

All birds are also protected by law, making it illegal to intentionally kill, take or injure gulls, their eggs or nests.

Helen has dedicated her life to saving birds, taking on the mammoth task alongside her full-time work as manager of the Accessorize shop on Great Darkgate Street.

Having saved birds as a child, she discovered she had a knack for it.

As her name spread around vets in Ceredigion, she became known for fostering poorly birds, especially large ones such as herring gulls, which grow up to 66cm long.

Prior to her 62 successful fledglings in 2024, she successfully fledged 42 in 2023 and 15 in 2022.

To coordinate her efforts, two years ago she set up the Network Bird Life Facebook page, which now boasts 380 members, where people can seek help for injured birds from Helen or other bird rescuers in the area.

If you find a seagull chick that cannot be left or is injured, contain it and seek veterinary advice.

To support Helen’s efforts, donate money or tins of dog food to the Accessorize at 40 Great Darkgate Street or via her CrowdFunding page - https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/networkbirdlife-care-heal-release