Plastic scarecoyotes fend off seagulls in Cornwall

If you're walking around Cornwall, P.E.I.'sTerry Fox Sports Complex, expect to see quite a few strange creatures roaming the turf.

According to Clarence Frizzell, parks and recreation maintenance supervisor for Cornwall, the creatures are raising someeyebrows, forcing people to stop and ask ''what are we really looking at here?'

"We get a lot of comments like that, people shaking their heads wondering what's going on," said Frizzell.

The creatures are actually plastic scarecoyotes, put in place to horrify the colony of seagulls that have been causing problems at the turf field.

Seagulls can cause 'terrible mess'

The turf fieldsarea huge investment, Frizzell said, and they've placed sixcoyotes on both turf fieldsto cut into maintenance costs.

"Seagulls can make a terrible mess on you if you're not on top of it. There's a lot of feathers and other things," he said.

"They're helping, they're not a foolproof thing, but they work better in certain times."

Outsmarting the seagull

Staff has to keep changing the patterns of the coyotes because if they sit in place for too long, the seagulls will be aware of the ruse.

"[The seagulls] get familiar with them if you leave them in the same spot so the guy who puts them out changes patterns, moves them around a bit to surprise them."

Though the coyotes stay put once they're placed, their little tails flail in the wind and it's just enough added movement, Frizzell said, to keep the seagulls away.

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