Dead gull
It's not the scenic view Nancy O'Kelley had in mind while trying to enjoy Bay Beach.

"I was disappointed you hate to walk up to the beach and see dead birds," said O'Kelley.
Wildlife experts say the die off isn't unusual.

"At this time of year the parents don't take care of them any longer so this is the really tough time of year for young gulls," explained Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary director, Mike Reed.

Wildlife experts say the reason so many gulls are landing near Bay Beach is because they nest at Renard island, which is very close to the shoreline.


"The adults produced a lot of young gulls this year so we're just seeing a lot of young birds," said Reed.

Not all the birds are dying off though. Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is taking in weak and malnourished seagulls and nursing them back to health.

"If it's simply that they're starving, we will feed them and give them a second chance once they've put some weight back on we'll release them," said Reed.

The babies need to learn to eat on their own so wildlife experts are asking people not to feed the seagulls at the park.

"It gets them habituated to an artificial source that is too varied and they don't learn to look for natural foods," said Reed.

If you see a bird that's sick or dead don't pick it up call the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary and they'll come get it.