A Chain Reaction Brought Gulls To The Bay... Now, They Are Eating Other Birds

A statewide story about L.A.’s water use, Bay Area’s trash, and whole lot of gulls. Mark Bowers does not claim to be a gull expert, but he does know that you’re not supposed to call them ‘seagulls.’ “My mom was a birder and she said, ‘Mark, there is no such thing as a ‘seagull,’’ Bowers says. She took him to Half Moon Bay and pointed out to the different species of gulls. “I didn't retain any of it except for the fact that they're different shapes and sizes and colors.” Bowers manages the solid waste program for the City of Sunnyvale. He’s a soft-spoken man only a month away from retiring after decades in this business. He’s taking me on a tour of the transfer station… and its gulls. A few dozen sit on the roof edge just outside the building, where trash and recycling are sorted and loaded into trucks.