Sea Gulls Outsmart Calif. Town's Plans
| The gulls don't give a hoot about fake rooftop owls used to keep gulls away from homes and businesses in the Ventura Harbor area. If anything, the ersatz owls have become a curiosity to the gulls, said Ken Farzad, owner of the harbor's Hornblower's Restaurant. "Some of the gulls will actually go up to the owls and peck at them." "They leave a mess with their feathers and everything else," Farzad said, expressing disgust over the messy sea birds roosting atop area buildings. "We need to give them more time before we decide they don't work," said Oscar Pena, the Port District's general manager, who noted the owls, which cost about apiece, only are supposed to scare 30 percent to 40 percent of the gulls that land nearby. If they don't work, Pena said the district should buy "bigger, meaner-looking owls." Gulls are attracted to the tops of buildings because they are safe places and the rooftops give them a clear view of the area. | 文图拉海港地区的住宅和商户屋顶上有许多假猫头鹰，那是为了对付那些经常光顾的海鸥的。可海鸥们却根本不把这些冒牌货当一回事。 霍恩布洛尔饭店的主人肯·法尔扎德说，如果说这些海鸥有注意过假猫头鹰的话，那也只是出于好奇而已。"一些海鸥甚至敢冲到猫头鹰面前啄它们。"
法尔扎德对这些停在屋顶难缠的海鸥群深感厌恶："它们总是留下许多羽毛和别的东西，把一切弄得乱七八糟。" 港口区总经理奥斯卡·贝纳说："我们需要更多的时间才能决定这些假猫头鹰是不是真的不起作用。"他说这些每只价值40美元的假猫头鹰，只能吓退百分之三十至四十盘旋在附近的海鸥。 贝纳说，如果这些猫头鹰真的不起作用，他们应该买"更大，样子更凶恶的猫头鹰。" 海鸥喜欢停留在屋顶，因为那里不但安全，而且视野开阔，可以看得更远更清楚。 don't give a hoot about: 完全不把某物当一回事 |