Trish Pavey s pictures of the flocks of birds at Merrie Gardens. HUGE flocks of pigeons and seagulls are causing problems in Lake and residents have been asked to stop feeding them. The area around Merrie Gardens is so popular with the birds, they congregate in flocks of up to 70 at a time. The situation has eased somewhat since the Marilyn Sheath, chairman of Merrie Gardens Residents Association, asked people to resist feeding them, in a notice in Lake Ripples parish magazine. The problem had got so bad, seagulls started damaging the roofs at nearby Spithead Industrial Estate. Hannah Woodford, general manager at Spithead, said: We have tried various tactics over the past few months which include installing eagle kites, having a routine physical presence on the parts of the roof that are safe to access, and shining a green laser onto the surface of the roof.