A woman who spent months befriending a seagull was left bleeding after her new feathery friend broke into her flat, threw up and then attacked her nose.
Hayley Binnington awoke one morning last October to hear a noise coming from the balcony of her flat in Worthing, West Sussex. However, things soon took a chaotic turn.
Hayley immediately knew what was responsible for the sound - a local seagull named Bernie who had flown up onto her balcony ‘loads of times’ before.
Advert
Hayley reckons the bird must have smelt some potato wedges and came over to see if there was any going spare.
However, once inside her flat, Bernie threw up on the floor and smashed some ornaments. Tut tut.
And Bernie wasn’t done yet - after Hayley attempted to pick him up to take a quick snap - he did his own quick snap, lashing out and pecking Hayley’s nose and knocking one of her veneers out in the process. Rude.
The former hair stylist said: "I knew what [the noise] was straight away - it's happened loads of times.
Advert
"I just think it's funny. I'm a pretty chilled out person - if I was any more chilled, I'd be in a coma. I really just don't care.
"Because he was in my hand, I decided to give him a cuddle before I let him go, but he pecked me. I think he was annoyed because he wanted the [potato] wedges.
"He bit my nose; I threw him out the window and suddenly my veneer was in my mouth! I was like, 'oh no, what's happened?'
Advert
"I've had to book a dentist appointment, but I've got some superglue for now to try and stick it back on." she said.
"He really, really hurt my nose. I've got a cut. I've got to keep putting cream on and making sure it is cleaned properly.
"He cut all the way from one side, underneath and inside the nose, as well as down the middle and on the other side. So, I've got this snip on my nose. It's all scabby and bloody."
"I'm fine though, it'll go away." she added.
Advert
Hayley said that Bernie lives three floors below her flat with his other-half Betty and that she became ‘best pals’ with him in the summer of 2020.
She ended up feeding him daily and even sometimes orders him a breakfast delivery, despite having previously been fined £150 by her building manager for feeding the birds.
And despite their scuffle last year, they’re still firm friends.
Advert
Binnington continued: "I'm his friend. I think he pretends to be my friend because he wants some food - but I think he loves me, really.
“It was during covid years, and everyone was indoors so he became sort of like a new best friend.
"He's one of the only people I see, really. I see him every day and I see my mum once a month.
"I've collected the feathers he leaves on the windowsill and I'm going to make a dreamcatcher out of them."
Maybe more of a nightmare catcher?
Topics: Animals
Claire Reid