The coastal town of Lowestoft, Suffolk, is in a flap as it grapples with mounds of bird muck, thanks to thousands of seabirds settling back in the town. Locals are at the end of their tether over two offshore 'hotels' that were intended to protect seabirds from wind farms but have instead lured the birds into residential areas.

Shopkeepers in the popular seaside resort are up in arms, faced with cleaning hours of bird droppings each day due to thousands of red-listed kittiwakes abandoning their intended nests and returning to their traditional roosts in the town. The situation has left pavements coated with piles of foul-smelling waste, creating a less-than-welcoming atmosphere for tourists and residents alike.

The avian 'hotels', towering at 26 feet tall, were constructed as alternate homes for one of the UK's few urban colonies of kittiwakes. However, the scheme has backfired spectacularly, causing quite the commotion as close to 2,000 birds disregarded their special accommodation in favour of old perches in the town, much to the dismay of locals.

Indeed, the gull population has shot up from merely 650 in 2021 due to the birds' homing habits, bringing a deluge of feathered visitors each summer. A local shop owner, Mr Vino of V and A stores, expressed his exasperation: "It stinks and it's making a big mess - a few customers came into the shop last week and complained about the smell.", reports the Daily Star.

His team finds themselves dedicating two precious hours every day just to wash away kittiwake excrement from his storefront. Though the kittiwake population worldwide has seen a steep decline of 40% since 1975, primarily due to reduced fish stocks from overfishing and climate impacts, these problematic gulls initially settled on the piers at the entrance of Lowestoft. Now, they're bringing their troubles back to the town's doorstep, much to the irritation of beleaguered shop owners and locals.

Lowestoft has been a haven for kittiwakes since the 1950s, proudly hosting one of Britain's premier urban colonies, despite global numbers dwindling. The town even boasts two luxury hotels specially constructed for these seabirds. However, Shirley and Christopher Wyartt from Ipswich weren't impressed by the droppings scattered around the area. Mrs Wyartt expressed her dismay, stating emphatically, "It is just left on the ground - it is an eyesore."

Tony Shreeve, a local resident who has been witness to the spectacle opposite the BT building for ten years, likens the kittiwakes to vandals: "They are a bit hooligan-like - they tear the place apart and go through the bins." In contrast, William Irvine of Carlton Colville, a recent addition to the area, admires the sight of the birds, effusively asserting, "It is a gorgeous sight to see - they are very pretty birds."

Dick Houghton of the Lowestoft Seagull Action Group has been monitoring the seabirds closely, pointing out that the first kittiwake returned on February 1, swiftly followed by the rest. An avid birdwatcher, Mr Houghton observed, "They've increased in numbers by setting up on shop fronts and bedroom windows. They c*** over the side of the nest which generally lands on the pavement. They feed entirely on fish and small sea creatures - the stink is the smell of rotting fish. They've become more in your face and in your nose."

Mr Houghton disclosed a fascinating comeback tale of kittiwake chicks who, after spending the winter in the North Atlantic, often return to their birthplace. He elaborated: "People get the wrong impression - the hotels were built to provide opportunities for the birds to nest otherwise the wind turbines could kill them."

Boasting innovative design, these so-called 'kittiwake hotels' aim to offer safe havens for nesting away from the threat posed by deadly wind turbines. "People have assumed the hotels were there to take birds from the town - which is the ideal eventually. It takes one or two brave ones to try it out before the rest follow," Mr Houghton noted. "But they've really come back in force now and it is more noticeable. If they were hatched in the town, they'd tend to return there. The more birds we have, the more mess."

Last year, energy giant Ørsted launched an unprecedented initiative by constructing two "artificial nesting structures (ANS)" off South Beach, heralded as the "kittiwake hotels", designed to safeguard the feathered residents and draw them away from the town's clutches.

East Suffolk Council's spokesperson weighed in, expressing gratitude to Lowestoft's businesses and residents for harbouring kittiwakes and thus contributing to the protection of these endangered seabirds, while acknowledging the complications, particularly the resultant mess, that come with cohabiting with kittiwakes.

"East Suffolk Council continues to coordinate regular pressure washing of public areas during the nesting season, to support local people by managing the mess from kittiwakes and other birds. The Lowestoft Kittiwake Partnership has also been supporting businesses with advice on managing the impact of urban gulls."