Gulls (the Fabio effect)

I was just reading about wasps and bees at CP, and another question came to mind:

I see gulls (the birds) all over the place, but does anyone know of any collisions or near collisions with riders? Being bonked in the head by a bird at 60, 72, 93, or 120 mph would potentially douse one's enthusiasm for coaster riding.

Isn't that what happened to the pretty-boy model at Busch Gardens Williamsburg on Apollo's Chariot?

I was at the preview for TTD in May 2003 and raised this question in line, and one of the folks near me suggested that incidents have occurred but have not become widely known. I find that a little difficult to believe. If someone took a bird in the face, I'd think that would be a little difficult to hush up. But who really knows.

Anyway, during my four years as a season-pass holder, I've often wondered whether the Point has some secret (PETA-can't-know-about-this) method of keeping the wildlife away from the coaster circuits. If the park does, I'd be most impressed and would have to applaud CP for its innovation.

Since the summer of 2000, I've had only one close encounter with a gull, when it dive-bombed me on the midway near Wicked Twister two summers ago. It missed by the narrowest of margins, but I'm willing to live with such a close call as long as I don't end up with one embedded in my forehead. I can live with a mayfly embedded (it's unavoidable) in my forehead (and eye socket) but probably not some bird that's been fattening up on parking-lot leftovers.

Since CP is a bird-rich environment, I was hoping that some of you folks could provide some insights into this issue.

I dont know about people gettting hit with birds. But I know that birds have been hit on TTD on the brake run the feel the brakes go down and fly to the brake and never fell the train coming and get hit.

ok, one more time in English please....

To answer your question Mean, I've never seen them get hit (although I would say it probably happens RARELY, not never, but not with any frequency) I was on Magnum on opening day, and you could see them sitting on the track, but as the train ran over the tracks, they would fly out of the way in plenty of time because they can feel it coming.

Ouch, that would hurt. I suspect we must worry only about deaf birds.

Yes, over by the Wicked Twister midway, the seagulls do dive bomb down to the ground when there is something for them to eat. You can watch them one after another come flying down to the ground after a guest's dropped lunch. I'm sure there has been people-seagull collisions before and I can only imagine how painful it is.

I suspect you've seen Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" one-to-many times!

I don't think there is a method to keeping birds away from the circuits. this from two recent observations.

1. My last visit I saw a bird sitting on the Magnum track near the station until the last possible second.

2. Riding Blue Streak my friend ducked to avoid a Fabio encounter with a seagull.

About 10 years ago does anyone remember when Demon Drop had a large, fake owl perched on the end of the ride's brake run? I understand it was to prevent seagulls (or other birds) from landing on or near one of the ride's censors and shutting the ride down (which seemed to be a large problem that year). *** Edited 8/4/2004 4:51:41 PM UTC by DemonDroppin'***

That's nothing...have a look at the two birds that were hanging out on Mantis a month ago (Scroll down on this page to see them)

(Requires QuickTime 6)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
(fixed link) *** Edited 8/4/2004 10:05:58 PM UTC by RideMan***

Not sure how good the fake owls work, once the birds find out they are fake they ignore them. I friend had a fake owl perched on his boat dock, and a seagull used to sit on it's head.

Seagulls seem to protect their teritory. I was dive bombed by a gull last year at CP, that had a nest close to the beach walk by Sandcastle. He started screeching as I approached, and then flew down and kicked me in the back of the head with his feet.

I don't know about the Seagulls and coasters, but last year I was attacked by a little black bird. Ok, maybe not attacked, but definitely pecked. My friend and I were playing a round of miniature golf. I was shooting first and we were at the third hole. After I took my first shot, I walked toward the hole awaiting my friends' shot. I noticed a little black bird setting on the edge near the hole. I walked toward it and it flew away. I turned around to watch my friend putt, and the bird came back and did a fly by pecking of the back of my neck. Just once though. My buddy started laughing and asked if that bird had just pecked me real quick. I said yeah and after that, he started calling me Fabio. It was funny. I imagine that I either spooked him or got too close to a nearby nest. At any rate, no harm, no foul.

Opening weekend sunday me and a friend were waiting to be shot up on power tower, just missed catching one that was loading, those seats the remained empty nailed a large blackbird that came falling down shortly after.

It was funny watching the op discreetly dump the dustpan into the trash by the turnstile.

But, DragsterRaptor, there was a foul...the bird!

I think the Magnum station has a "bird in distress" noise maker playing, but I don't know if it is to scare birds or seagulls.

MrScott

Like 2 years ago i saw a bird, seagull in the water under mantis. it was big. it had been hit by the coaster. half its wig was off and it look really bad.

why was it wearing a wig?

Obviously he's going bald;)!

-Eagle-

I have seen gulls flying around the coasters but I think it's like trying to hit a bird that is sitting on a road with your car. It can happen if the bird is extremely stupid or old, but it isn't likely.

I've never seen a bird get hit by a coaster but Juggalotus said, it may happen but never with any frequency. I think it's just how much surface area is available to be hit. On Mantis, where people are standing, the odds would be a little higher because there is a larger surface area to hit. On a ride like Magnum or Mean Streak where it's basically the person's head and chest exposed, there's less of a surface area to hit on the person.

I saw a bird being hit by TTD in July all you really see is feathers all of a sudden go everywhere.

Back in '01, we were held up on the brake run of Millennium because the train ahead of us hit a bird and needed to be cleaned up.